My daughter's new baking blog.

Check out my youngest daughter Kylee's talent with baking on her new blog, The Bluebirdbaker.blogspot.com  She would love to get some followers, and it would make her feel really good if some of you would comment and become followers.  She loves this new hobby, and has already gotten many jobs for Birthdays and Weddings.

This is a 1st birthday cake she made for my granddaughter Lyla and her little niece in July!
I will let you see her other creations over at The Bluebird baker.  She is so talented!

A friend for lunch

Yesterday, I had the wonderful privilege of having my good friend Camille Leavitt over for a sweet little luncheon at Christmas time.  A sweet little quiet break from all the business of getting ready for Christmas this weekend, when lots of family descends on us.   Here is a picture of our table.

I served spiced cider, sweet green salad, with pecans, raspberries, apples, cheese and a Raspberry vinagrette  with mini ham puffs and then after that, poppyseed chicken.  We exchanged gifts, and she brought me a darling vintage angel candle holder, with a bottle brush tree attached.  Vintage tinsel adorned the base.  I love it and now have it under one of my glass domes (cloches) and am so delighted to add to my bottle brush tree collection.  

I didn't get a picture of the entire tree, because the lighting was not right at that time of day, but here is the bottom of it and the presents.  I have another tree downstairs that I will post later.  Only 4 days until Christmas Eve.  I can't wait!

Chandelier Crystals on my tree.

I have a fascination with glass and Crystals from Chandeliers this year.  I hung many different kinds on my tree, and my tree topper is new.  The star looks like it has been in an ice storm.  I love the look of the clear glass, don't you?

Handmade for today with the look of the past.

I find it very intriguing reading up on how Christmas in America became the way it is today.  I mean the way in which we celebrate.  Of course the immigrants who came over to settle in America from the Old World (Europe) influenced this a great deal.  St. Nickolas whom the German and the Dutch called Sinter Klaus are truly responsible for bringing the Santa Claus to life in America.  German immigrants bubbled over with enthusiasm for Christmas, putting up trees, exchanging gifts, and importing decorations and trinkets from Europe.  Their festivities eventually won over American Protestants, who had previously viewed the holiday revelry and Santa Claus with raised eyebrows.

 The other night I got all enthusiastic for making old fashioned looking German Ornaments, and here are some of what I made with German scrap, stretchy wire and tinsel.  I will probably get better at this next year, but this year some of them will be given away and some will be hanging on my tree.

There are so many Christmas items out there so easily found (like Target and Walmart) to enhance the German scrap and the tinsel, like these glittered snowflakes which are ornaments by themselves.

Old Fashioned Santas and more decorations at my house!

Those old-fashioned Santa's have been so interesting to me.  You know the ones that look old world.  I read up on some history of some old fashioned ornaments, Santa's and Belsnickles.  Simple ornaments or decorations were made  at home by resourcful mothers, grandmothers and children using materials bought in the five and ten cent stores.  In the early 1900s, these little neighborhood stores were often stocked with German paper Scrap and other German or Japanese supplies.  A Belsnickle is a little Santa (more knome-like look) that has a grumpier face.  Often the legend of these were said to bring lumps of coal to the children.  So yesterday, I gathered things I have collected to make some Vintage Santa's.  I put on some movies and went to work.  I made two of them.  Pretty much identical to one another with slight differences.

I love the German Scrap Santa face, and the vintage tinsel at his cap!

I have two larger Santa dolls, which are not handmade.

My truly vintage bottle brush trees.

Under glass is this little round box, that I decorated with tiny vintage trees and other

Christmas miniatures.

I have found some beautiful little porcelain pieces.

Nativity on a table wreath!

This banner just got finished about a week ago.  I used German Glass Gllitter.  

Part of my Dept. 56 Santa's village

I painted this years ago and I just can't not put it out for Christmas.  

There is still more to come.  I have not even shown my Christmas Trees.  I will post them later on.  I love Christmas decorations and the process to get there.  Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Christmas season so far!

Dining room decorations finally done!

Come in for a visit.  Oh I wish I could have you all for a sweet Christmas Luncheon,  I think I would serve, creamy chicken noodle soup and rolls, a light sweet spinach salad, and perhaps Baked Alaska for dessert!   Anyway, I guess we can dream!

This year it was more about displays and some vintage ephemera decorated and glittered up a bit!  There are lots of pictures so sit back and enjoy.  This is just the Dining room!

My new collecting fetish will be these Santa mugs!

                                                                     On the Buffet!

I took an old sheet music and made this wreath, then added a chipboard glass glittered sleigh to accent.  ( I cut it out with my cricut expression)

Also glittered this cut out 'peace' and bent it around one of the candles!

Framed some vintage images from old books.  This one came from a very old "Ideal" book

I was given this superbly beautiful vintage bottle brush wreath last year, by my good friend Camille and it is probably my most favorite decoration that I have now!

Nativity on one of the shelves!  ALSO a favorite!

I received this image with some vintage buttons from the recent button ornament swap, along with the felt holly, so decided to make something out of it.

I enjoy Christmas Tins

My Christmas China is the original Christmas Tree by Cuthbertson.  I have loved it for many many years!  Also notice the transfer ware urn, that I found at Goodwill in AZ for a few dollars.  I just had to have that!

A bowlful of vintage glass ornaments

I crafted this snowman last year!

Added this new Putz church to the mix this year.

 

Another putz house that was a gift, and this finishes up the decorations in my dining room.  In the next post you will see what is in the living room.  I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas decorations as much as I am enjoying mine!

The Button Floozie Ornament swap

This swap hosted by Laurie Jackson of Button Floozies blog gave us 3 partners, so we got 3 ornaments. and the main guideline was that there had to be buttons on the ornaments.  I made some non-sewn metal ornaments and glued buttons on them.

I used vintage tart tins, added something in the middle, also used vintage foil, and buttons, then decorated with mica flakes, and german glass glitter.
then I also sent each partner, one of these. . . . .

This ornament came with other vintage buttons,  Thanks Jeanelle from Colorado Springs.

Here is a cute hand crochet Christmas Tree, with buttons for ornaments.  I love the fibers  mixed in.  Thanks goes out to Denise from Milton, Vermont.  She also sent this vintage postcard in Mylar. . . .I love it all!  Salt Lake City has sure changed  from these days!

Here is a cute hand crochet Christmas Tree, with buttons for ornaments.  I love the fibers  mixed in.  Thanks goes out to Denise from Milton, Vermont.  She also sent this vintage postcard in Mylar. . . .I love it all!  Salt Lake City has sure changed  from these days!

Look how pretty this paper and lace ornament is.  I love the delicate tatted lace that surrounds this image.  Thank you to Ann Murphy of Omaha, NE   She also included a lavender sachet.  Thanks to Laurie and all my partners.  Woo Hoo!