Saturday, December 6, 2014

This Old House: It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas



Merry Almost Christmas y'all! The Johnson house holiday trappings have been strewn about and are ready for the festivities! Welcome and come on in. Beware, there will be sightings of cat fur dust bunnies, wax crumbles on countertops, finger prints on windows and other signs of wildlife. Please avert your eyes when necessary.

I scored big on these wreaths post-Christmas at Hobby Lobby. Normally, $89 each, marked down 80% off ($17 and change I can live with, $89, no way). 


My Christmas decorations are strictly whatever I like, whether they match with a theme or not. Mostly "or not." We did get some real mistletoe from a friend so I (Adam) hung it up.




The quilt was my very first one I ever made. All by hand. The afghans were crocheted by my late MeMa. <3


My favorite Christmas decoration, an old timey TV that plays Christmas carols while kids sled around in a circle. The girls get a kick out of it too. Purchased at Lowe's post-Christmas.



My favorite ornament by far. Three simple crystal bells that were probably affordable, but I cannot remember a Christmas without their delicate tinkling. Thankfully, my Mom let me have this a few years ago so I can grace my tree with them. 


Several years back I splurged on Pottery Barn stockings and a tree skirt, all personalized. I know this set will last us the rest of our Christmas celebrations, so they were very well worth it. Each stocking hovered around $27 each. I forget how much the tree skirt was, that is probably for the best.




Cheap candle centerpieces that I use as wreaths from Hobby Lobby, after Christmas sale. I scored the wreath hangers then too ($1 each) but they were black, so I wrapped white fabric around them.


Bunting that was sewn a few years ago.


Another favored ornament from the Christmas Shoppe in Downtown Disney. They will personalize them for free there while you wait.


I hope you enjoyed the brief tour and did not mind the mess. Come again soon! What are some of your favorite Christmas decorations or ornaments? Do you make use of after Christmas sales or are you pooped from shopping by then?

13 comments:

  1. WOW. In awe of your quilt. I have never hand quilted, how long did each block take? Mad quilting respect.

    When I was young I got a kit to make beeswax ornaments by melting wax and pouring it into angel-shaped molds. Some are colored red with a melted crayon and some natural. We still have a couple of them, after 25 years they have lost some of their sweet scent but I always sniff them to check. :)

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    1. Thanks Jean! I was blissfully ignorant at the time of how difficult triangles would be for a first quilt, or I would never have attempted it. It took me a few months of working on it here and there. Not too bad.

      Your wax ornaments sound so cool!! I hope they last many more years to come!

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  2. Nice! Love those blue and silver indoor wreaths. Well, I like the other ones too but the indoor ones called to me more. Sometimes I have a strong blue-white-silver Christmas urge, and sometimes I have a traditional red-green-gold urge.

    I'll snoop through leftovers after Christmas but I don't go out of my way to get there immediately after to find the best things.

    ~Deb

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    1. Me too!!! I love the icy winter blues and silver ;plus it tends to look better with my wall colors) but who can resist Christmas reds and greens?! So I have both.

      I do try to go to Hobby Lobby or Target after I drink my coffee and wake up a bit. I always get tape, wrapping paper for the next year, bows and boxes. Decorations may or may not make the cut depending on funds

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  3. Your decorations are so pretty, Julie! Love the Pottery Barn stockings (PB = my favorite store!!). I hande made my boys stockings and many photo ornaments, which I still have and cherish.

    I smiled when you tried to convince us there is not wax in the box Scarlette is holding... lol uh-huh, sure ;)

    Lovely quilt!!

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    1. ps... did you make your shell rimmed mirror? that was one of my favorite crafty things to make when I was in my 20's :)

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    2. I tossed the idea of sewing stockings for us around for a couple years but in the end I caved to the old PB. I enjoy their goodies too. Usually good quality. I would love to see the stockings you made!! Did you sew or knit them? Knitting is on my bucket list. The kids' photo ornaments are fun too. I bet they make you smile when you unpack them and hang them <3

      Yes! I love buying mirrors from Goodwill or other thrift stores (or clocks or pictures) and covering them with seashells I have found.

      I hope you have a beautiful Sunday Lynda!!

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  4. I loooooove your decorations!!! Especially the front door wreaths.. I would have guessed that you had made them.

    My favorite Christmas decoration is my angel tree topper. She's made of fabric & was made for me as a little girl by my late Mimé Dotti. I have other ornaments from my childhood, but she always feels magical.

    I love after Christmas sales!! Last year i decided to upgrade us from our pink 3ft tree to a 6ft green tree... I only spent $15 (instead of $80). Unless i absolutely love something & know it will sell out, i usually wait til sales to purchase more decor. :-)

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    1. Good morning Ashley! Or good night I should say! :-)

      I used to have wreaths I made but the poinsettias were faded and crackling apart. I had to upgrade last year. But I love these much more.

      Your tree topper sounds magical! Send me a pic of her one day! Our topper is one of those old 50's looking glass spire things I bought at a HAN outlet when I was 20. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I wish we had a different one.

      Did you keep the pink tree?! Nice score on the big guy. Hope y'all get a chance to put him up. I wait too. Just send up a prayer that it will be there after Christmas. Sometimes it is, sometimes not. There is a white deer covered in glitter I am doing that with this year.

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  5. Love love love!! I love everything in this post!! Your house & decorations are gorgeous!! I especially love the ornament wreaths -- I would have thought you made them!! I've actually thought of making one similar. Gorgeous decor!

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    1. Thank you Tricia!! I have always wanted to make ornament wreaths too but seeing them premade and so cheap was hard to pass up. So I didn't :-)

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  6. $17 for those wreaths?! Down from $89!? What a dang steal! You lucked out! Look at that amazing quilt! That Mickey ears ornament is super cute. <3 It's nice that your mom let you have the tinkling ornament for your tree. A mish mash of decorations is best, put up what you like! I LOVE your couch, where did you get it? You have a lovely home. Your post-Christmas decoration scores are incredible, that TV is so adorable. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. It WAS a steal! They were the only two matching ones left. Total blessing!

      We got the couch at Kane's Furniture. I think it may be only a FL or southeast store. Not the best buying experience. :-/ but it has two recliners on the window side and a sleeper sofa on the wall side (that pulls out to a hideously uncomfortable bed- like laying on a rack). BUT it is a place to sit our fannies so I count myself happy :-D

      Thank you Lauren! I would love to see your decorations!

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