highlights

 Our evening at the Botanical Conservatory...

 Carolers

 Lights

 Nostalgia

Loved ones

$1 Night!  First Thursday of each month.

holiday home tour

The afternoon began pleasantly

and ended in rain..

Many of the historic, restored houses

retained their period's charm...

Those features were of great delight to me.

Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos.

The William Woodlands Park Holiday Home Tour is a tradition of our household.

A hint of christmas

I'm very unfocused;

random even

in my decorating decisions.

Somehow, that's OK with me this year.

when you've gotta go...

After some major sorting, I've decided to part with these ornaments--two layers of bulbs here in this 18"x14" box.  Many (if not most) are vintage.  I simply needed/wanted to keep and store red and blue bulbs, so I'm going to try to sell this whole box for $5.  If they don't sell after a couple of weeks, they'll join multiple garlands and wreaths in the donation box of a favorite thrift store.  When you've gotta go, you've gotta GO!

All is Calm; All is Bright

The book mentioned in my prior post was begun--

AND finished already.

Our Christmas season is quite simple this year.

A combination of choices and circumstances

has resulted in a most relaxing week thus far.

I'm thankful.

christmas homes tour

One of our Christmas "traditions" is taking in the annual Christmas Homes Tour

in an old, stately neighborhood in Fort Wayne.

Nine grand homes of previous generations are being (or have been) lovingly restored

and generously opened to an appreciative public

in all their Christmas splendor.

After dropping my cell phone several times early in the afternoon,

I gave up taking photos and just enjoyed the Walk.

Refreshments were served in this Carriage House

behind one of the homes on the tour. 

Large, expansive bathrooms with the most modern equipment

were obvious trends on this year's tour

(as was the color gray--in many shades and tones).

Even with many elegant and expensive furnishings and finishings on display,

simple things and scenes brought me the most pleasure.

I'm hoping my husband will make me a wooden star like the one in the window here...

 I'm a simple girl at heart, I guess.

I returned from the tour
to our own old house to see it with fresh eyes and appreciation--

and a few ideas to implement as well!

christmas pillows

 Christmas pillows --

mine are at least twenty years old 

and accompanied by fond memories

of stuffing and stitching them along with a friend who stitched her own pair.

They still "fit" my simple Christmas decorations.

No need to get new ones...

(I enjoy seeing all of YOURS, too--

old and new.)

another one

 This smaller tree sits comfortably beside our vintage couch.

I chose to decorate it in blues to pick up the various shades of blue

that appear here and there in the room.

I especially enjoy the gentle, quiet light of this tree

in the evenings when darkness descends so early.

already

For a couple more seasonal scenes

and an brief explanation,

come on over to my other blog.

pre-christmas activity

While the rest of you shop, cook, bake, decorate and wrap, 

you might be interested to know what I'm doing! 
~ Click HERE to find out ~

cutouts

 These sweet cutouts

 from a magazine insert years ago

 found a place among the few other ornaments on our little white tree.

Loving them!

sheep may safely graze

 My motley flock of sheep

 graze safely on the mantel in our dining area.

Gathered randomly throughout the years,

they assemble here at Christmastime.

"Sheep may safely graze and pasture
Where a shepherd guards them well.
So the nation ruled in wisdom
Knows and shares the many blessings
Which both peace and plenty bring."

(Bach)

a little here and a little there

I'm a bit random with my Christmas decorating.

Starts and stops and no clear plan.

Candles and traditional Christmas music contribute much to the general atmosphere.

These are a few of the most recent (and random) pieces I've added...

And my husband created a new base for a damaged nativity stable

I must not have been able to pass up last year.

It houses unrelated figures and suits me just fine!

A simple tree made of weathered wood

sits atop one of our wardrobes among red trees.

And so it goes.

A little here and a little there...