Old and New

Recently I made a trip to Charlene's with a new friend. This was our first outing together. After lunch at the Just Divine Tea Room we made our way over to the main store. Most of the rooms were beautifully decorated for Christmas. There was one section with marked down Halloween merchandise. Below you see what decoration captured my attention. The very vintage look of this new garland won me over.  We also stopped at Outside The Box in Ripley before calling it a day.

 On another day with antiquing buddy Linda I was introduced to a special locale for treasure hunters. At Tricie's Treasures City Market and Antique Mall we browsed booth after booth. This squirrel candle holder was one of several finds, including a brass deer, an oval wood display stand, two handmade pot holders, and two vintage Christmas ornaments. 

I'm trying to decide on a centerpiece for the dining table. I believe I'm going to go with the turkey planter, pumpkins, and pine cone...all readily available from my storage closet. 

November will always hold special memories for me...my son's birthday falls on November 2; my mother's birthday was on November 21; my first wedding took place on November 23; my own birthday on November 29; and of course, THANKSGIVING.

Have a wonderful week! 

Christmas Cheer

This year I have placed a few Christmas decorations out early. They have a calming effect on my nerves. Every time the phone rings I think immediately of Mother. It's hard to describe the emotional strain that comes with the imminent expectation of death. 

Also by showing them early you might see something you'd like to try.

an ornament in an empty frame

 Christmas photos on hallway shelf

made another rejoice message using old books

tiny tree under glass dome

Sentiment Worth Displaying

When I had my shopping day in Jackson, Tennessee, back in October, I came across this magazine in one shop booth.

Its pages were loaded with fresh ideas for Christmas decorating, and one project using old books really caught my attention. 

I "fell in love" with this decoration.

 

I had the books, twine, and ornament but not the letter stamps in the right size. I decided to use letter stencils and dab the ink onto white pieces of paper that I taped to the books.

  

 

I wanted to show this project early in case you wanted to gather a few books and try it. You could do other words such as peace or noel.

 

  

B e l i e v e ...

One reason I enjoy browsing at antique malls is because there is such a wide assortment of items...true antiques, crafts, collectibles, and all kinds of odds and ends. This sign was hanging up high above a dealer's booth. Needless to say, I found it intriguing...wasn't sure where it would be displayed at my house ...stored it until December. Well, I'm happy to report that it fits across my kitchen window sill and is a delightful addition to my Christmas decorations.

And you've probably guessed that I love the tag look of each letter.