Blessings

Blessings

                                                    A joyful announcement at the end......

Another Santa from Granny @ Cranberry corners, sitting in my great grans, "Big Momma", bench.

         Our stockings, a surprise from my mom, made by Betty a loving friend from their Army days.

         My favorite Santa, from Nan, my sister-in-laws grandmother.  It's from the Carolina's 1980's

                            My yearly Santa's from Cranberry Corners (the tins are from there too!)

                                                                  Judy Eilers handmade Santa

Love Blue and White and added the old calendar from our family (hubby's or mine??, we both claim it), loving The Vintage Fairy graphics on my platter.  Adding the blue and vintage items adds to it's charm.

Ro peaking a Santa.  He went to the store yesterday and we took pictures of what he wished for.  He only picked 5 items.  The rest he said would be surprises.  We came home and wrote his letter and mailed it to Santa.  The pictures will go to family to see what he gets.

Of Course, my clocks, I added a cucko-clock from my moms ornaments.  Handmade Santa by my long time friend Norma.

White Ironstone collected with my best friend Cindy.  The Angels I bought in Mount Dora and made beautiful presents with a small cloche and tags.  This time I saved one for myself.

Ornaments from my Mother-in-Law, Rita.  My daughters favorite, they have broken over the years but we love them.

                                                     I bought this the Christmas my dear friend Teri was
preparing to sing in Heavens Choir.  As I sat by her bedside she share a poem, it broke my heart because she was telling me next Christmas she would be by us in spirit but not to weep.  Support the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Funds.

So many memories as we go through our holiday decorating, cooking and shopping.  A hug to all of you as you go through the memories...I shed a few tears as I decorated and wrote this post.

To celebrate the season and my 25 followers, I am offering a 25% discount @ my Etsy Shop CottageWishes.  Enter the word joyful1 for the coupon code.

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                                                              Blessings Dear Friends,
                                                                            Di

Friday, Friday, Friday

FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY!!!


I felt a stuffed as the Publix salt and pepper shakers!

Black Friday is a day that I stay home and get out the Christmas Decorations.  It's not that I don't love to shop but my husband works Black Friday and I just don't like the way that the stores have competed for business by opening up at midnight.  Am I the only one that thinks that is wacky?  My poor hubby had to watch the turkey eating (too many triptiphans), and we had to leave early so he could take a nap.  11:30 pm on Thanksgiving to 7pm Black Friday, is way to ridiculous for a work schedule.  But, I appreciate the customers that do come out so he can make some sales to make it worth while.

Now, on to what we did Friday while the man was working... Getting the Christmas Tree!!  Eating!!  Watching Football!!  Decorating the tree!! 
The Day was beautiful, chilly enough for a sweater
but warm in the sun

I pulled out all the boxes I could get to from storage and am pleased what I brought to the house.  I found our stockings, favorite ornaments and displays.  The only thing I didn't bring was the stand and lights.

We went to a small tree farm up and around the mountain from my daughters house.  We went there the first year my youngest grandchild was born.  Same charming place but this year the owner had hurt his shoulder.  So the guys had to saw the trees down...part of the fun!

Great sights at the Tree Farm

The barn

We ended up with 2 beautiful trees and put them in the truck to go off to home.
Two different trees!

The woods on the way out!
Meanwhile at our house we struggled with the tree, my sunroom floors slat and the tree stand and tree would not cooperate.  After 3 major adjustments all good.  The lights were another matter.  I strung them wrong and the plug ended up at the top of the tree.  KiKi helped me and they were restrung.  We then hung all our favorite ornaments explaining to Ro where they came from.  He said he was having fun.



I hope your Friday was fun whatever you did and you continue your holiday traditions.

Safe Travels,
Di

Girly Gifts for my sweet Girls

Projects for my girls

Each year I try to do something special for my girls (now in their thirties).  This year I took vintage finds from my mom's estate.

This sewing basket was something my oldest needs, she wants to learn to sew and doesn't have any sewing tools.

                                      Beautiful pleated satin inside and some vintage sewing tools

                           I then took a pocket watch style locket and sanded it, destressed it
and add a vintage watch part, the ribbon is vintage french!
 Inside I added pieces of an old french music sheet and pictures from a family trip.

 I made the Santa Claus tray from a downloaded picture from The Graphic Fairy, mod podged it on my tray added the vintage buttons, scrabble tiles, keys and ribbion.

   The sweet picture is the girls in the 80's!

                                                                         My next gift was working on a box filled with organic paper for my other daughter.  I took vintage postcards from Florida, watch and buttons.  Again modge podged the postcards after gluing them on.  I then added the buttons and watch with hot glue gun.

Next project working on the boys gifts.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving,

Di

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Being Grateful and Thankful

Being Grateful and Thankful

 I am ever so grateful for my family, the past year has been challenging. 
My mom passed away, my husband went thru surgery for prostate cancer and we dealt with reducing our house and having a big estate sale.

 My very best friend moved to California to live with her daughter due to a very stressful life change. 

Again, my saving grace was my family.
  My girls were so supportive, my brother and sister in law were always checking on me and hubby. 
My hubby always my rock was positive and never waiving in faith.  , we were blessed, he had severe chest pain due to stress after my mom's death and was admitted to the hospital by 911.  They found it was acute inflammation of his pancreas and gallbladder.  He didn't have surgery but was seen by a surgeon.  On followup the surgeon referred him to a urologist because he had a spot on his kidney.  Long story short, PSA normal and only symptom was a small amt of blood in his urine.  His surgeon saved his life by referring him to the urologist, the cancer was advanced but contained and the urologist was able to do robotic surgery and got it all.  Now a year latter hubby has a clean bill of health.

We have sold our house, moved closer to family.  We get to see our grandsons all the time and my brother's family is one hour away. 

We have been challenged along the way more than I want to reflect on, but we are together.  We are healthy.  We are joyful.  I have learned to be calm, trusting and knowing.  I know HE has guided me and I have learned to trust Him.  It hasn't been easy, I have failed more times in my faith questioning but
 I know HE is always there for me. 

I am very Thankful this Thanksgiving for my friends and family.  We left some dear friends in Orlando and they were very supportive during all these challenges I miss them and know they are happy for me.
May your holidays be filled with joy, family, friends and happiness.

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Di

Dreaming of an Ironstone Christmas

Dreaming of An Ironstone Christmas

I have been collecting Ironstone for a while, I love the marks on the back, buffalo china and pitchers.  But going through the plates that I set aside for my shop and my house, my daughter and I had a day of playing and sharing memories.

                                               This one I'm keeping, it reminds me of my fiesty dad.  My dad made my brother and my family a set of reindeers for the yard.  He also had a set for my mom and him.  As we were sitting in the family room at their house, I saw someone in the front yard.  It looked like they were taking the reindeers!  I shouted and my dad and I rushed to the front door.  This fralie man pushed me out of the way and headed out, ready for a fight.  Well, it was a joke, his friend was taking the deers to hide them!!  We laughed so hard, I don't know what was funnier him pushing me out of the way or me thinking I could handle whoever was stealing our deer!!

Which is your favorite?  I asked my daughter, "can't I just keep them all!"  Remember "To much of a good thing is a good thing!"     

My mom loved butter pats and I can tell you we bought quite a few, funny thing is they would disapear!  We would come home and honestly they would not be in the package.  I think I gave her one a month...I still do not have one butter pat to this day (even after going through her estate).  Where did they all go...well, they are still on my wish list.  I saw a great collection at frog goes to market.  I am putting this on my Christmas List.

Joy to you all and keep the laughter and memories coming.

                                                DI
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