A Most Merry Christmas!

 and may 

you sparkle

in the 

New Year!

 The view out my front door onto my porch.

A little of inside on Christmas Eve.

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I hope your Christmas is full of laughter and love.

I spent Christmas Eve with my friend David.

It was a bumpy night!

An odd Christmas Eve but one day we'll look back on it 

and remember and think it wasn't so bad.

You see I was delivering food to make extra money.

My plan was to stay out as late as possible to make 

the most money but my last order was at midnight 

at Jack in the Box and the line was 30 cars deep!

That's when I decided it was time to go home. 

I've been doing this here and there to make ends meet...

sometimes I'm out till 2am.

Oh...I have a glamorous life.

Two pizza places were open till 4am and 

I fully intended on working till 4am.

David came along for the ride. 

His boyfriend was out of town and he had nothing better to do.

We also drove around and looked at Christmas lights inbetween. 

I only got in 10 deliveries. I was hoping for twice that. 

I always do it alone. I listen to podcasts during and between.

I'm learning lots of things from that.

I'm currently listening to every episode of Alec Baldwin's podcast -

"Here's the Thing"

I love Alec Baldwin and it's quite enjoyable listening to him

 interviewing artists, actors, musicians, scientists and politicians.

But last night David and I just rode around 

and sat and talked and laughed.

We like to do that.

An odd Christmas Eve.

We used to have big family Christmas Eve's 

and then they got smaller and then it was just me.

Mom goes to my sister's. 

I can't do my sister's. 

(I love her...I just can't do her married family)

I'd rather deliver pizzas which is what I did!

Merry Merry!

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A Few of My Favorite Things

for Christmas

 

 

I love vintage Shiny Brite ornaments 

and have collected them for years. 

My tree is literally drooping under the weight of all of them. 

Even though they are very light, 

I have so many it weighs down the branches.

Almost everything on my tree is vintage. 

Well that one that says Noel is not. 

It is new from a few years ago but it has a very vintage look.

 When I was a kid, I hated Shiny Brite ornaments, 

especially the ones that had writing on them.

I liked fancier Victorian ornaments or 

Hallmark ornaments when I was a child.

But now I love the simplicity of the round bulbs 

or the ones with atomic shapes. 

And I especially love the ones with messages 

on them like the one above.

If the ornament is faded and a little tarnished - even better!

That pink one? 

We had one just like it on our tree when I was a child.

It was always a favorite of mine.

Our tree when I was growing up had many 

Victorian ornaments on it. They came from my Mother's family.

 

 This year I tucked all my elves and snowmen into the tree too.

Little Shiny Brite houses sit upon the branches as well.

 

 I love these simple little elves.

They sold for 10 cents each in the 1960's.

Now they are quite expensive. 

I bought most of mine 20 or even 

30 years ago 

when I could pick them up for 2 to 3 dollars.

 The newly painted cabinet got all decked out too.

 I put this wreath together out of things I had lying around. 

I added tiny pom poms to it and the Christmas tree.

 That little deer is a Montgomery Ward Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Did you know that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was originally written by a man who

worked for Montgomery Ward? My Mother has the original book that was published and given 

out as a promotional item from the store. 

My maternal Grandmother worked for 

Montgomery Ward for many years as an accountant. 

We as a family have several of these ornaments.

I used to pick them up every time I ran across one at flea markets.

Read about the history of Rudolph here.

This version of Rudolph is the real one for my Mom.

But for me. I adore the 1960's TV special.

I listen to the soundtrack to this over and over during the holidays.

This show inspires my decorating choices for Christmas.

 Picked up this sweet deer this year at Hobby Lobby. 

She could fit right in at the North Pole with Rudolph.

Ok, so she's pink. 

The other reindeer might call her names.

 I filled the iron plant stand with tinsel trees. It's usually full of a variety of faux ferns and plants.

But that wouldn't do for Christmas.

 I have cute Christmas pillows that should be out but I'm not sure where they are.

This will just have to do for this year.

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Oh I Need A Little Christmas

 Just this very minute

 

 I need a little Christmas....right now!

I didn't think it was going to happen. 

 I questioned if all this would get up.

But it did.

 Christmas Mantel 2019.

I'll share other photos of it at night.

 My sister gave me this tree a few years ago. 

It has yellowed over the years.

Just makes it look more vintage. I think.

I hope.

 

I could not bring myself to take the frames down off my mantel. 

I have had them up for a couple of years and just decorate around them. 

I just like the way they fill out the wall. 

I did manage to finally gold leaf this small vintage frame. 

It's been up here for two years in a dingy brown.

Now it's finally a crusty gold leaf. Much better.

Now it fits right in with the other vintage frames.

I love bottle brush trees. Can you tell?

The tree. 

This little tree I've had for several years and sadly this is 

the first year it's gotten fully decorated. 

I've just done lights for the past three or four years. 

A shame cause I have many beautiful vintage ornaments.

I'll share more tomorrow.

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