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We do some crazy 'things and stuff' at our house... like make up our own holidays! Really...
The Sunday following Thanksgiving is always 'GARLAND DAY' at our house. We have been collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments for a long time and it became obvious that we had far too many ornaments to hang on a tree. Each ornament has a story and hanging them on a garland is the perfect way to display them.
The garland started in the opening between the kitchen and the great room but it has grown to the french doors and windows.
The kids each have themes that they add to each year. Scott has 'Transportation and Sports', Erin has 'Angels and Tinkerbell', Deni has 'Art and Years', and Sami has 'Pooh Bear and Dancers'. There are also spinning Barbies, Mr. and Mrs. Clause, Superman, Candy Villages, and Snowmen.
There are also commemorative ornaments from the Olympics, toy making Santa's, flying elves... the list goes on and on! I am not even sure how many ornaments we have... perhaps we should do an inventory before we put them away this year...
This was the first ornament I bought in 1976, so I really have been collecting Hallmark ornaments for thirty five years. The Santa in the snowflake is from 1979.
It has become such a fun tradition for the family. Each year we add to the collections and the kids have a great time looking at the ornaments as we hang them up. They talk about their favorites and how the ornaments bring back great memories... Traditions are important and really help keep families together. Garland Day is a great time and a good way to kick off the Holiday season....
And... the food is important! The menu is always the same... Surf and Turf! Steak and King Crab legs on the grill.... There may be snow but the grill still gets hot!
I love a lot of 'things and stuff' about fall... I love the colors, I love the food, I love the nip in the air and the fact that you have to wear a sweatshirt to be comfortable... There are lots of 'things' to love. What do you love about fall?
The kitchen cabinets have made their transition into fall for just a brief period before they get caught up in the Christmas spirit... Just thought I would share.
Gourds, autumn leaves and of course, Pilgrims.
This is Butternut. He is not really a Thanksgiving decoration, but we figured if he was going to live on the counter he should at least have a 'fall-ish' name. Butternut is with us because he was the sole survivor of Frankenstein's Laboratory from Halloween. I wanted to put fish in the big lab cylinders for Halloween but I made the mistake of buying the twenty eight cent goldfish at Walmart and they didn't even survive the day; luckily I bought Butternut at the same time but he was $2.10. I guess it just shows that you get what you pay for....
This is where Butternut lives, along with the Beta's... Katniss (the Fish on Fire) and Batman.
I have mentioned in the past that I like to do something in the entry for each holiday, so this is the presentation for Thanksgiving. The grouping of pictures on the wall are all vintage reproductions of Thanksgiving prints. My intention had been to sell them but I got a late start so I used them here.
It is amazing what you can do with a little silver spray paint! I turned these ugly metal gourds into something you might see at one of the high end retailers...
This is the centerpiece on the table. It is a continual reminder that we should give thanks for all we have... not just this time of year, but all through the year.
HAPPY THANKGIVING!
November is here, Thanksgiving is near; it is time for the "THANKFUL TURKEY" to appear..... (First posted November 28, 2010).
Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really think about the 'things and stuff' that we are truly thankful for... home, family, health, etc. Every year we post a paper turkey in our kitchen and we write the 'things' we are thankful for on his feathers.
It is a great way to share with our feeling and to post them for all to see.
You have to make sure there are lots of feathers and that they are handy. A marker is a good 'thing' also. I made a box this year to hang on the mirror below the turkey so it is easy to post blessings.
With all of the bad things happening in the world, make sure you take time this year to really ponder the great blessing you enjoy in your life. We should be grateful every day, but Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really focus... take advantage of it. Make sure people know how you feel about them and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Appreciate your blessing and share them with others.
May your holidays be filled with blessing and joy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Sometimes life really is all about things and stuff... Sometimes it is fun stuff. Sometimes it is crazy stuff. Sometimes it is all about things done at the spur of the moment and done with out much thought... Take making snow angels as an example... The beautiful snow on the patio was just begging to be played in....
And sometimes Scottie just can't resist the urge to play! (No matter how cold!)
Didn't I say just a minute ago that sometimes things are done without much thought?
Snow angels anyone?
The angel is complete....
...time to hit the hot tub!
I guess the heat is a reward for the stunt. Scott thought it was great but it really did not look like my idea of fun... Maybe I am just getting old. Or not...
Happy Winter!
It is amazing how fast you acquire 'things and stuff' for a grand baby when they arrive. You need books and toys and diapers and wipes.... and you need a place to store them out of sight when the baby is not there. When I was redesigning our great room this last summer I decided I needed to plan in a place to hide all the 'things and stuff' Eli would need when he is visiting.
I picked up this cabinet a couple of years ago at a tag sale. It has been in storage just waiting for the perfect home. A grandparent (Mae Mae and Po at our house) cabinet would be the perfect use.
I removed the spindly legs and replaced them with bun feet then painted, distressed and waxed the cabinet to give it a whole new look. It is something new that looks like it has been in the family for years.
I painted Eli's name and birthday on the front just for fun and to make the cabinet a little more unique.
Scott said he didn't think it was fair that Eli had his own cabinet.... I said, 'Why not? Eli is my favorite grandchild... If you would like to produce a child or two they would be my favorite also and I will add their names to the cabinet!" The gauntlet has been thrown down!
An interior view of the cabinet. Baskets hold toys and games. Books are stacked for easy access and I added a cork board to one door and a chalk board to the other... a great place to post or create art.
New hardware adds to the vintage look. I had the pulls with the back plates but had to search the internet for matching thumb latches. I had to then distress the lot to make them look like they belonged together. The hardware adds to the vintage look.
Just a detail of the new bun feet. Nice and sturdy and a little more authentic feeling.
Although Eli is still a baby it is nice to have everything handy but out of sight in a really great looking piece of furniture.... The Mae Mae and Po is working out great!
If you need a Grandparents cabinet, lets talk... I could build one for you also! It doesn't have to be an armoire... it could be a chest. What ever works, you need one!
It has been a couple of crazy months.... things and stuff going on... you know how it goes... I re-decorated the great room and refinished a bunch of great old furniture and gave the house a really fun new look. Pictures to come.
Halloween has now come and gone and I am in the process of sifting through the hundreds of photos that were taken so that I can share another great year. In the mean time, I thought I would at least share the kitchen collection cupboard before I take it down and put in Thanksgiving!
Some of the items in this cupboard we have had since the eighty's! Fun memories!
