Crazy, busy holiday hustle bustle kind of day. So I thought I'd just recap some of the color in our house this Christmas. This is just a taste.
Holly on what I call my 'window alter'. It's in front of me when I stand at the kitchen sink. It has wish bones, a glass from my Gram, a picture of my Great Grandmother and a beautiful wood cutting board that serves as the altar that was made by my friend's son. I think, dream, pray and wish when looking at it.
It's all topped off with a little holly right now.
My 'original' stocking from childhood. It's the only one up right now. I love it's little jingle bells.
My snowman colletion overflows to the beautiful cabinet my Dad made for me. It alsohas my holidy tea pots.
I know I've shown you this before, but I really love the vintage ornament tree my mom gave me last year as she whittled her own colletion.
Hi gang. Hope all is well on your end. The sun is shining here and it's cold. Finally feeling like 'that' time of year. Speaking of 'that' time of the year, did you know there were only 16 days until Christmas? Time is flying.
To assist you in checking things off your list, here's some gift ideas I found at the current shop link up party. Between you and me, what a fun way to meet new people, explore, discover shops, and find some new favorites.
Haven't browsed around the party yet? What are you waiting for? 16 days. Enough said.
If you have a shop and haven't linked up, take a moment and join the party. You just never know who'll see your link. What have you got to lose?
Freeform Friday
I've been getting bits of pieces of my decorating done this week. The tree is up and decorated. Woohoo! Can I tell you, I thought it was the Christmas Tree That Wouldn't Be. First we had our Christmas Tree Oddessy trying to find it. Then when we put it in the stand, it simply wouldn't cooperate and settle in nicely. No way, no how. So, we had to tie it off. No biggie. Then came the lights. Two of the sets where out, so I couldn't finish the lights and had to wait to get more lights. I got all of the lights finally sussed out and went to put my beads on the tree and my beads, which always go on my tree, were nowhere to be found. We looked in the basement, then Gar looked in the attic, then I looked in the attic, then Gar looked in the attic. Viola. He found them, in a big giant bag of christmas tree lights. Yup. You guessed it, the 'real' bag of tree lights. I don't know what the bag was that I had found earlier. Too funny.
Alas, the tree was still a little loosey goosey so we had to secure it with even more twine. See what I mean about 'the Christmas Tree That Wouldn't Be'?
Well. It's not anymore. It's now officially the Christmas Tree That Is.
All is right with the world. My world, anyways.
A tree really gets you in the mood, doesn't it?
Here's something else to get you in the mood. A clip from my favorite Christmas movie, The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young. If you have seen it, rent it and watch it. Better yet, buy it. You'll want to watch it again next year. It's the story of a Bishop (Niven), who is on a mission to build a cathedral and asks God for help because he's having difficulty. He receives the help he's looking for in the form of an angel (Grant) named Dudley. If only the Bishop would believe. If only he'd listen to his wife Julia (Young) and Dudley, he might find that the true spirit of Christmas is not in a building, but in the people in your life. He would understand that they are your very own Christmas blessing. They are what is important.
On a side note, I think Loretta Young is so beautiful in this movie. One of those actors who had that 'something' that comes through on film.
Here's a scene of the boys choir that the Bishop misses out on hearing. Lovely voices. (If you're reading via email, click here.)
Have a fantastic Friday and an equally fantastic weekend. We are sure to as it's G-man's birthday weekend. Tomorrow we have our good friends (real good friends, we started our married life in a studio apartment above their garage) annual Christmas party. Gar has informed me that all he wants for his birthday is a Sunday roast dinner of some kind. I should be able to arrange that. I'm thinking stuffed pork crown rib roast. However, I reserve the right to change the menu.
When we left the house on Sunday we had no idea we'd be gone so long or that we'd have so much trouble finding a new tree farm. Had we known, we would have gone just down the road to Hampton Falls where there are a few and where our old tree farm used to be (unfortunately they retired the tree farm, which is a bummer because it was great).
All that said, we thought we'd take a drive and have a look around.
Look around we did.
We found the oldest town forest in America just up the road 15 minutes in Newington. Who knew?
We passed the bay which was a beautiful shade of blue with sun sparkling all over it.
Met a couple new friends along the way, as big as a house.
Passed lots of farms (just not Christmas tree farms) and lots of cows. We caught two cows necking- one kissing the other's neck. I missed getting shot of that one, because I was laughing too hard.
We drove all over hells bells. Found roads we never even knew existed. Which also brought us upon some pretty vistas.
We even ended up on a dirt road or two.
Yup. We were in the sticks.
Alas, we made our way back to a tree farm literally 5 minutes from the house. We'd been there before, but they didn't have much of a selection. Luckily they planted more which the sunflowers were standing guard over.
Some were too skinny, while some were too big and fat.
I sent Gar back up to the corner where I'd spied a spruce. Prickly yes, but still my favorite Christmas tree. I love their habit with space in between branches, it's shows my ornaments off nice.
We both agreed it was it.
She's a beauty.
Yeah, yeah. I know. She's a beauty that currently stands underneath my snowman collection, with only half her lights. The other two strands that I bought last year have called it quits already.
Fingers crossed, I'll be dressing her up tonight.
Tea Lovers Unite
Just in case I haven't said it before, I love my tea in the morning. Irish breakfast tea, nice and strong. Just milk. No sugar.
My latest illustration, which will be available at Bates Mercantle Co., is More Tea Please.
If you have a tea drinker on your list, this print would looks great framed.
She's a Winner
Jess from KazooVintage is the winner of our latest giveaway. Jess will choose from either personalized notecards from Bates Mercantile Co.......
.......or an ad on Mercantile Muse through the end of the year.
Keep an eye out for our next giveaway, soon to come.
Tomorrow marks the next Gotta Have It, Gotta Blog It Link Up so be sure to swing by if you have a shop or blog and link up. If you don't have a shop or blog, be sure to shop by and take a look around.
