Happy Christmas Time!

 I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful holiday!!  Christmas is all about the perfect blend of family and friends, good food, good conversation, resting, fun, and of course, presents!

 Our holiday was really lovely.  Ben and I hosted again this year (which we love!) and this time Ben's mom and step-dad joined us, which was so special.  

The vast majority of my holiday season was spent in the studio, but two weekends after Thanksgiving I snuck away for a day to cut down a tree with Ben and my family and to decorate the house!  The tree trunk wouldn't fit in my tree stand, so I had to think fast and wound up putting the tree in a big galvanized tub with a smaller bucket inside and tons of rocks from outside.  It worked like a charm! 

 Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to put all of my ornaments on the tree (there's still a whole giant box that was untouched!), but I got a good amount on.  The tree branches didn't droop quite as much as it did last year though, lol. 

 I got all the gifts made and bought and wrapped up just in the last few days before Christmas...talk about cutting it close!  Phew!

 My grandmother's old china cabinet sprouted a pine forest!

 Antique batting skiers hang out on top of the piano.  For Ben's gift, I had the piano tuned....the guy said, "well...jeez...that's a really old piano!"  But now it sounds even more beautiful.

 I've had my prized feather tree up all year.  Ben is ready to take it down himself, but I'm glad to have enjoyed it for a prolonged period of time.  This winter hopefully I'll be building a new mantel for this fire place that will go to the ceiling.  I'll be putting shelves in the cubby where the tree is and the tree will hide in a secret panel in the back until next Christmas when it's time for it to show off again.

 All the little elves, snowmen, and santa's came out to play again this year.

 Even Mr. Scare E. Squirrel was getting festive.

 For the past few years I've baked myself a holiday treat...hersey kiss thumb print cookies!  

Num num num!  I just ate two while writing this post!

 When I was playing around with the china cabinet display, at first I had this complicated scene...then I decided to keep it simple. 

 Sometimes it's refreshing to see just a few gnomes frolicking in a bottle brush forest and that's it.  I imagine the white finish of the cabinet to be snow...an imaginary wonderland!

 The putz villages, both large and small, completed construction on the book shelves.

 I sure wouldn't mind living in a library village where the hills were stacks of books instead of rock and dirt.  Think of how scholarly all the townsfolk would be!

 Santa goes down vases just as often as chimney's.

 And speaking of chimney's, the front hall fireplace is swagged in vintage pinecone garland, bleached bottle brush trees and old paper mache boots.

 Ben's old camera's are still at home among the holiday goodness.

 Antique German glass tree toppers line up on top of the mantel.  They are being held by antique paper stabbers...the perfect marriage between two items meant for different purposes if I don't say so myself! 

 The kitchen mantel just got a very simple holiday sprucing up...

 A single putz house and some bottle brush trees nestled among the mirrors and cloches.

 The kitchen window sill always has an ever changing collection of goodies. 

 This time it's a set of vintage German Erzgebirge that I got at the last estate we went to (the house was filled with German stuff!!).

 The living room got a very mild dose of holiday spirit this year.  Some retro reflector wreaths...

 ...and my two glass trees and little white church.

 Christmas day!!!  

You can tell our family arrived by all the gifts!  There's barely room to walk!  The biggest tallest one was mine!  (A new vacuum cleaner from Ben...not thrilling for most, but thrilling for me!).   

  I didn't put very much effort into the table settings, but I think it looks nice.

 Ben and his mom did most of the cooking...and it was delicious!  My mom made chicken and they made stuffing, mixed roasted veggies, greenbean cassarole, mashed potatoes, and I made the cranberry sauce...yum yum yum!  And we still have lots of leftovers!

 It was a fun and fulfilling Christmas day!  People talked, got silly, took naps in the kitchen, and just hung out.  Perfection!

And the puppy and kitties relaxed after table scraps and lots of new toys.

That was our Christmas!  I hope yours was magical and fulfilling as well!  Best wishes to all!!  :)