Thursday, December 1, 2011

Welcome December!!!

Welcome to the most wonderful, magical month of the year!!!  Not only is today the first day of December ... it is my 6-month blogoversary & the day I will celebrate reaching 100 followers!  Okay ... I'm a little late with that last one since I've added 2 more followers over the past couple days but a celebration is a celebration & today is it!  I'm celebrating all 102 of you   : )   I am also celebrating the fact that we had a hard ... & I do mean hard ... frost last night!  Not as exciting as a foot or two of snow but it's cold & white outside so it's the next best thing   : )

I am going to share a few photos of a bit of my meager Christmas decor with you today as well as a photo of something neat my sweet baboo bought for me yesterday   : )

Back in my quilting obsession days I hostessed a Christmas wallhanging swap on the old Prodigy quilting forum.  This first photo shows the wallhanging that I received in the exchange.  I wasn't into gingerbread men back then & I'm sorry to say that I was not thrilled with this wallhanging ... but I have displayed it every year & this year, or maybe last year, I began a love affair with gingerbread men so it is oh so much appreciated now   : )   The edges are actually very square even though they look rather wonky in this photo.  Go figure   : )

   
In this next photo you will see the wallhanging again & to the right of it a handmade prim snowman I found at a local prim shop last year.  His mittens are made from an old woven coveret   : )   These things are displayed above my dry sink in the diningroom.  


And here's the top of the dry sink.  You will probably recognize the work of some very talented bloggers & online crafters   : )


This pie safe is to the left of the dry sink.  Again you will probably recognize the work of some very talented bloggers & online crafters   : )


I don't even know why I'm sharing the next two photos at this time but I got a tad bit over-enthused with the camera this morning   : )   This is the front hallway where I have a sofa table because I can't fit it anywhere near the sofa.  



Yes, there are no ornaments on that little tree yet with the exception of that prim bunny I've used as a little tree topper.  I got that bunny years & years ago from "the bunny store" in Manchester, Tennesssee.  I don't remember what the real name of that store was but they offered amazingly crafted rabbits made by a local woman not unlike the amazingly crafted mice that Carol Stuck makes   : )   Thus John & I dubbed it "the bunny store."  I'll see if I can get a good photo of this bunny at another time.  

And that's it for my Christmas decor for now.  I told you it was meager ... lol!  More photos will be coming another day   : )

This next photo shows the neat gift my sweet baboo bought me yesterday!  I was so excited to stop by the local prim shop & find this old tool box!  I actually found a huge amount of things there that I would've loved to have brought home but alas, it's December.  Can't go spending lots of money on yourself when it's December.  I could've spent John into the poor house if I wanted to but I was a good wife & did not do so.  I am hoping that maybe some of the other things I saw there yesterday will still be there after Christmas   : )


I just put the toolbox on the sofa table for this picture.  I have no idea where I'm going to use it yet, if I will put something in it for Christmas (my pitiful imagination can only come up with filling it with pine garland), or if it will be like so many other things & be taken upstairs, put in a box, & saved for "the new house."  Time will tell   : )

I was so excited during my shopping excursion to Walmart yesterday to find these ...


... two new holiday teas I've never seen before!  I tried the Winter Spice after dinner last night & it was pretty good!  Sometime today I will try the Christmas Tea.  I once thought it would be nice to collect some pretty tea sets to display & maybe use.  I never have gotten any although I do have a tea pot or two.  When we lived in North Dakota there was an old pharmacy with an old-fashioned ice cream counter & candy counter.  Behind the candy counter on a shelf that ran along the wall up near the ceiling was a display of antique hot chocolate sets.  I never knew that, like coffee sets & tea sets, there were hot chocolate sets!  I used to go into that old pharmacy & drool myself silly looking at those hot chocolate sets.  I've never seen them anywhere except in that store.  This store was also where I was introduced to chocolate covered potato chips.  Sin in a box ... lol!

Now ... if you've read this far then you are to be commended ... & awarded ... because, as I stated at the beginning of this post, this is a day of celebration!  A first day of December, 6-month blogoversary, 100+ followers celebration!  Naturally this necessitates a giveaway   : )   As always, I ask that you please not post this giveaway on your blog.  My giveaways are only open to current followers of my blog.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me you'd like to have a chance at the giveaway.  You don't have much time for this one.  You will have from now until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 5th, to indicate that you would like to be included in the drawing.  I will then draw the winning name on Tuesday, December 6th, St. Nicholas Day.  What am I giving away?  

    
You will receive this handpainted, vintage cutlery caddy filled with all the items you see in the photo.  Who knows ... I might throw in a little surprise or two as well   : )

Before I close, I want to remind all my cross stitching followers that I am attempting to put together an online Secret Sisters Stitching Group.  Please click here for further information if you missed the first post.

My plans for today?  A bit of cleaning, perhaps decorating the tree, & most certainly some stitching   : )   

11 comments:

~*Sharee*~ said...

Love your decorations hun; makes me wish I could call off work today and pull mine out..lol It's snowing here in Colorado and feeling like Christmas..Please enter me in your very generous giveaway I have the PERFECT place for this adorable box...:)

Hugs, Shar

BumbleBeeLane said...

Glad your getting in the christmas spirit and getting some decorating done.Did John decide against the NY trip?.It's cold here now but no snow in our forecast either.Count me in on your sweet giveaway.Congrats on all the new followers as well.Warm Blessings!~Amy

jennifer768 said...

Congrats on your 6 month blog anniversary and all the followers! Love all your decorations!I am working on mine today ,the house is a wreck!LOL! It sure was a big frost here too and cold! I would love to be entered in your drawing.Wish I could cross stitch so I could join your group. Have a great day!Hugs,?jen

Angela said...

Shirlee, you have some of the neatest prim decorations. You go girl and fill that house full and pretend you are in the home of your dreams. After all Christmas is a magical time of the year. Love the display on your dry sink and I also love the dry sink itself. Love the blue tool box also. I think it would be really pretty with greens and maybe some apples and oranges for the holiday. Glad you got cold weather. Talked to my friend in TN this morning and she was commenting on such a thick heavy frost there as well.
Love the giveaway. That box is so pretty and could stay out for winter as it has that precious snowman on it, Did you paint it? Throw my name in Santa's hat for the drawing. Hope you have a great day.
Angela

Jessica said...

I am very much in love with your gingerbread wall hanging. Isn't it funny how we don't like something for so long and then suddenly we do.

I enjoyed seeing your Christmas decorations, even if they are meager. I don't have much either, but I like that saying, "Less is more". ;)

Those teas sound yummy, I will have to look for them at our WM next time we are there. I got a box of Celestial Seasonings sugar cookie tea. I like it. I still need to get their other Christmas flavors too.

Shirlee, happy 6 month blogoversary and 100 followers!

I have been mulling over the stitching group, but glad you mentioned it again, because I am forgetful!

Happy December!!
Christmas blessings from Jessica

Sandi @ The Primitive Skate said...

Congratulations on your 6 month Blogiversary and your 100 followers!
I LOVE the caddy. Beautiful!
I am a follower and would Love to be entered.
I will post on my sidebar!

sandraallen260@centurytel.net

TheCrankyCrow said...

Congratulations, Sweetie, on your 6-month blogaversary and the 100+ followers! Woo Hoo!! Your decorations are looking awesome (and much better than my black cats and jol's sporting Santa hats...) ;o) I spy some of Carol's adorable mice...and some pretty cool OLM goodies.... Love your new tool caddy! What a sweetie pie you have there. Can't go wrong with greens - tuck in some of those little battery-operated lights - or even just one of those prim battery-operated candles - a large rusty jingle bell or two or three - or some fake snow balls and call it good. (Or - better yet - tuck in one of those adorable gingers I saw that you made....) And, while I love your sweet caddy you're giving away, I think I should sit this out since I so very recently won a giveaway of yours (and have been blessed to win several others as well) - it's wonderful, and whoever's name is chosen is going to be tickled to pieces....Hope you had a great day - I just got home (again....) (For someone who's a home body, this isn't fun....) Happy December (we woke to snow - with more to come on Saturday....) :o Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

bettyj said...

Love all of your decorations, Shirlee. Your tool box is a nice piece. I would have that filled in an instant. Of course I love entering your give aways. Congrats on all your followers.

Danice G said...

Hi! I am a follower, and am posting to my sidebar. Please enter me in your giveaway :)

Beckyjean said...

Shirlee~

Just popping in to say "Hi". I'm your newest follower. Found you through OLM. Received one of your ornies in the ornie swap she hosted.I am finally getting around to posting them on my blog & visiting the ladies who sent them. Thank you so much.

Looking forward to getting to know you through your blog. Love your new blue tote. I'm a "blue" girl, so I'm really drooling over that one.

If you get a chance, stop over for a visit.

Good luck to all the ladies included in your giveaway. One of those 102 will be very happy.

Have a wonderful day~Becky

Carol Stuck said...

Hi Shirlee:

Believe it or not, your profile did not show you having a blog. Ugh.....NOW I am a happy follower. So sorry...I was not being a snob. I LOVE all of your prim decorations. They are really wonderful. Your dry sink is to die for :-) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!

hugs!
Carol