Books as Decor

Awhile ago I found a bunch of books for terribly cheap on eBay.

This was one of them.

An 1899 "Wee Willie Winkie" by Rudyard Kipling.

Decorating with books is just too much fun.

Heartening Up the Place

It always sadness me to take down the big nativity.

I had to find something to take it's place, and I had to find it quickly, because THGGM had 'ideas' for this spot.

Don't get me wrong, I love and respect his ideas. Mine are just better!

Actually, his are pretty good. But he is working on a project in the dining room, and I wanted to get out the old Valentine candy box and bring in the bowl of red velvet roses. What's a home without a bowl of red velvet roses, I ask?

I added the black and white picture just because I like it. When I get a migraine, I wish the whole world was in black and white. Or, black and khaki - even better.

Just a teeny touch of Valentine's Day in the den.

This is an old postcard tucked into slots on a piece of cardstock.

It's tied on a 'pillow' box. I made a bunch of these a few years back.

I like the 'blue-ness' of it.

Although, the room is red, so I might need to rethink this one.

Stay tuned for 'Valentine Box' in the blue bathroom...

I LOVE This Shade of Green

I'm working on this today.

THGGM found a great deal on curtains for the den.

The pair of green ones came down, and I washed them (although they were dry clean only - i'm SUCH a rebel!).

Anyway, I even dried them, but not all the way - I do have SOME sense.

I hung them over the living room chairs to finish drying, and...

I LOVE them there!

There seems to be enough material on each panel to make them into slip-covers, but I'm going to see how they do just hanging there.

I have an idea to bring some more green into the living room, but I will have to pass it by THGGM. And I'm not so sure it will fly.

Stay tuned.

Our Den of Antiquity

Okay. I switched out a picture.

I like the lighter one better here.

I still like the wooden croquet balls on the candle stick.

The swans moved from the dining room into the den.

A migration of sorts, I guess.

I'm posting these pictures so I can tweak things some more.

For some reason I do not understand, I do better at moving things around AFTER I see a picture of it.

I plan to pile up a bunch of books on the table.

Mostly likely, I have primers in those colors. I will just have to hunt them down. Which shouldn't be too hard, as I'm in a sorting mood.

We found the lamp a few years ago when I discovered that I cannot read without EXTREMELY direct light. We found the lamp for a great clearance price. Now we know why. No matter what one does to it, it refuses to stand up straight.

Oh, it will stand up for a few minutes, but as soon as I turn my back, it slouches.

But, I can read, so I'm going to pretend that I don't care that it leans and makes everything else look all off kilter.

I'm Trying Some Things

THGGM painted the den.

It is no longer pumpkin.

It's this color.

Today, as I continue to remove Christmas decor, I'm running around like a crazy person trying to see just what will work in the den now.

I am not so sure about the swan planters.

The white 'pops' a wee bit too much, me thinks.

But it's staying until I can come up with something I like better!

Book Jewelry

I like how the colors of the balls and ribbon pull out the color of the book cover.

I could spend all night doing this.

I really could.

There's Always Room for Improvement!

I had my old copy of "The Birds' Christmas Carol" out on a stand, but it looked a bit plain.

Enter my 'odd balls' and ribbon!

I bought the book just for it's cover, which IS a good thing, since it is missing several pages right in the middle.

I have the book in a newer paperback for reading, this one is just for looks!

Now I'm off to deck some more Christmas books.

Really. I keep tweaking things right up until I put it away in January.

My Very Most Favorite Christmas Decoration

It's been decades since we've had a baby in our family at Christmas time!

Looking Out My Back Door

My Stuff

The dining room window holds many of my favorite Christmas decorations.

I love the "MERRY CHRISTMAS" blocks, and have had them for quite some time.

It was snowing furiously when I took these pictures.

Truly, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Toys

I love to fill up boxes and suitcases with toys.

Some of these toys belonged to THGGM, some to my kids, and that white polar bear with the red collar is Baby Boy's. I made it.

I just love how they look all snuggled up together.

The games and puzzles still have all of their pieces.

I think the small bear might be a Steiff. THGGM remembers that at one time it had something in it's ear. Oh, yes. I think I remember that too. I took it off.

I bought the tiny sock monkey ornament for Baby Boy.

I lined the bottom of the suitcase with a quilt top that THGGM's grandmother made.

I will be tweaking these right up until the day I put them away until next year.

Finishing Touches

From the picture below, I got the idea that I wanted to start collecting vintage pinecone ornaments.

That was before I discovered them in the antique malls for between $8 -$12 a piece!

Well. I can't do that.

So, I mentioned it to Daughter, who graciously gave me her plastic glittery gold pinecones.

They didn't cost me anything.

And, I must admit that I do like how they look.

I still hope to stumble upon some of the vintage ones at some point, but I'm in no hurry.

This book by Lynette Jensen is one of my favorites.

If I could, I would decorate every room in my house in her style.

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 14

Wow. It's hard to believe that these pictures were taken a month ago!

These pictures are from the kitchen.

Besides a 'plethora' of Dutch themed kitchen items, there is a nice collection of chicken things also.

When my aunt and uncle moved here they raised chickens. When Daughter first visited my aunt and uncle with us one year they still had two remaining chickens.

My aunt recalls hearing Daughter tell the cats "Now children, don't be afraid of the cock-a-doodle-doos!"

I love whatever this is in the creamer. Rose hips, maybe?

My cousin picked these up for his mother while visiting in France.

Egg cups!

Vintage cookbooks, tea towels, pottery bowls and a rolling pin.

So appealing!

I'm feeling a bit sad now. I want to go back. We visited once at Christmas time and, oh! how beautiful that was!

As I'm sure it will be this Christmas also.

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 13

A shelf of children's dishes on a wall in the dining area.

The plate on the left, which I did not get a good picture of, was used by my cousin Tom, who is now 50. I guess that makes both him and his baby plate antiques in their own right.

I love the graphics on children's plates!

They tended to represent scenes from childhood, instead of the present day scenes from movies.

I find it so surprising that china baby plates survived childhood!

My aunt found the two figures on the right and bought them because they reminded her of her two youngest grandchildren, who delighted in 'dressing up' when they were younger.

Her daughter-in-law, Edie, found the two on the left and gave them to her, knowing how much she loved them!

Weather Vane

I love this!

My uncle added it to his garage a few years back.

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 12

All of these pictures are from the west living room wall.

This wall's major focal points are the beautiful quilt, a hall tree which was originally in my aunt's (and my mom's) childhood home, and a white shelf filled with treasure.

The hall tree seat has another ivory inlaid tray from India. This was before the use of ivory was prohibited. The 'other' sister of my mom and my aunt was a missionary in India.





Notice the sailboat picture above the white shelf. My uncle took this picture while they were traveling in The Netherlands. I wish I had gotten a better picture of the picture, as it is really beautiful!

See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. I remember these monkeys from my grandma's house.

I once saw a group of four. The fourth one said 'have no fun'!