Happy New Years 2012

Wishing everyone in blogland a very Happy New Year.

I went shopping yesterday at my favorite store, "Home Goods" and found a few great things, this clock being one of them. I have to decide if it's going in the Dining room or Family room.

We stayed home this year, just watching New year's Rockin' Eve.
 I made the candles from images downloaded at "The Graphics Fairy" I just mod podged them onto plain candles and tied on a bit of twine.

Relaxing, reflecting. Thinking how quickly time flies.

While we're burning the days.

Hunkering down for winter. Hopefully not as bad as last year, 

but it was so pretty

Last New Years eve we went to see Sarah McGlaughlin at Ceasars's Atlantic City casino..I adore her voice. That was a great night. We had super seats and they dropped a bunch of balloons at midnight.

Sarah was very gracious and came close to greet us in the front.

But I am enjoying my night at home, this year, just as much!

Onward we go, never knowing what's around the next corner.

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, May the rain fall softly on your feilds. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Saturday Night Special
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Motivate me Monday @ Keeping it Simple
Table Top Tuesday

2011 in review

Going backward over the past year, I realize it has been a very inspiring and very busy year. I really enjoyed blogland and visiting so many creative woman.
Even though my kids are mostly grown we still really enjoy our Christmas, and this year  Santa bought his big burlap bag of surprises.

Everyone came over to open presents.

The Duke was patient and good as gold while we opened our gifts

and he got his own little ornament from a neighborhood friend!

And grand baby had the best-est time.

December Merry Christmas... was a blast, I love to decorate, and even got help from the dog!

Duke help create this vignette below when I worked on the Dining room, here

 I decorated the mantle for a challenge here

November ...went to Denver for a girls weekend

 came home to prepare a great Thanksgiving

October...Early pumpkin picking

and gourd gathering, I found this awesome black gourd, that looked just like a ball and claw foot.

 In Oct I also opened a booth in Cape May NJ at North End garage

in Late October I went to New Orleans where I took a zillion pictures of houses, It is a pretty neat city.

and came home to pumpkin carving on Halloween!

September... my youngest went off to college, I missed her as I dressed the shore cottage for Fall

Painted some furniture with my sis

August... my son bought a house and moved out, so I began to re-decorate his room.
And 2 puppies came home with us, well one for us, one for my grown daughter.

July... was spent at the shore house, lazy days on the beach,

 also saw Ringo Starr at the Casino, and re-decorated one of my daughter's rooms, here
We beachified it.

June ..A wonderful prom and fun High School graduation party

and went back to Florida and visited hot springs

May... Opened the pool, lots of  gardening,

redid the patio

spruced up the shore cottage here

April...went on a trip to the Florida Keys with my sis.

March...Went to Florida and Beachified the dining room, posted about the table intervention here

This Florida dining room was my favorite transformation this past year... I had wanted to do something for a long time. the before was hideous!!

.....scratch that .....
THIS was my favorite.. the kitchen redo

February... finished renovation of my kitchen... complete tour here...

January ...started renovation of my kitchen

That's 2011 in a nutshell, backwards! All good stuff.
In between all this, lots of tables got painted, chairs got re-made, and crafty things got done.
I had a ton of fun, looking back, hope you enjoyed it too!
sharing at these linky parties
White Wednesday
Wow us Wednesdays
Vintage Inspiration Fridays
Show and Tell Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Saturday Night Special

Christmas Decor Ideas

I added a few new elements to the Christmas decor today. Decided to add a small tree to the family room, that's where I watch TV at night, so I can see it's twinkle all the time.  The big tree is in the living room, I only get to admire it when I am passing by. So I added this little one to the table with the Nativity.

I dressed it all in white with just a few of my book page angels.

which I posted how I make here

We have a white/ snowflake theme going on around the house this year, with lots of puffy white snow as a backdrop for just about everything, so when 

 I found some of those big white snowflakes I've been seeing around blogland,  I couldn't resist adding a few to my windows for a wintry feel, in the dining room,

I love the golden glow outside on the bare tree branches today!

And more snow drops in the family room

And a few vintage additions

In the family room on an old basement window I found at the curb years ago with all broken glass.

.I had the busted glass replaced with mirrors,  attached a shelf and distressed painted it all at least 10 years ago. It is still one of my favorite wall pieces in my house. 

I love the old original locking hooks.

I usually have a few pictures on it and some roses garland but of course it has to get dressed for Christmas.

And on the dining buffet I added a couple little old cream cheese crates.

 I almost passed this little crate below by, because I didn't like the area where someone once almost painted it green, but I decided it was coming home with me anyway, at such a great price...
3 dollars!! I've learned to accept it's imperfection.
What struck me about these 3 crates is they all have different brand names, and it really surprised me because I thought Philadelphia brand Cream Cheese was the only one that made cream cheese!

I think they will add some nice vintage charm to my kitchen even after the Holidays, don't you?

And just a dab more bling in the family room, with some branches cut from the bottom of our real tree, , added to a shiny urn.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

............well.... besides summer time!

Sunday Scoop
Sunday Blog Love
White Wendesday