How Sweet The Sound

Christmas Home Tour - Day Seven In My Christmas Sunroom

 

 

 

Welcome to our Christmas sunroom.

 

In a prior life, our sunroom was

 

a screened porch.

 

 

 We wanted to use the

 

room year round, and we had the screens

 

replaced with wall to wall and

 

ceiling to floor windows.

 

 

Now we are cool in warm weather

 

with a ceiling fan and open windows.

 

And, we are warm in the winter

 

with closed windows and warm heat.

 

 

This room is the perfect spot to enjoy your

 

morning coffee or a cool beverage.

 

You can enjoy the quiet of nature

 

or lively visits with family and friends.

 

 

Now it is dressed in Christmas finery.

 

Christmas trees, Christmas birdhouses,

 

a lovely Christmas church, my husband's

 

favorite cardinals and even Santa.

 

 

So, come on in and let's visit.

 

I have coffee, hot cider and hot chocolate.

 

And, of course we need cookies.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday.

 

 

Christmas Home Tour - Day Four and Saying Grace

 

 

 

This dining room design came about because

 

someone in my home had a dish issue

 

that was in desperate need of accomodation.

 

 

Now, oh so happily stored behind all

 

of those wonderful drawers and doors

 

are dishes, glassware, serveware,

 

flatware, napkins, candles and more.

 

You can read more about all these dishes here.

 

 

The pedestal and pears are the 

 

centerpiece year round.

 

Berries get added for Christmas,

 

and the runners may change seasonally.

 

 

This is the easiest room in my house to decorate,

 

and it is a perfect reflection of me.

 

Those sweet little angels are a treasure to me.

 

My mother purchased them at a dime store

 

about fifty-three years ago.

 

 

The bowl and pitcher belonged to

 

my great-grandmother.

 

Another family treasure.

 

 

My husband and I purchased this server

 

at an antique show many years ago.

 

We had the marble piece made for it

 

when we redecorated the dining room.

 

Can you see those tiny little angels

 

around the tureen on the bottom shelf?

 

My parents got those their first Christmas, 1951.

 

 

I made the ornament wreath several years ago,

 

and it hangs from an oak leaf mirror.

 

 

This is one of my most treasured possessions.

 

I had polio in 1959, and I was confined to bed.

 

One of our neighbors made this for me

 

to have in my bedroom.

 

His nickname was Red,

 

and he and his family were some of

 

the early immigrants to

 

the United States from Cuba.

 

He loved to cook, and to this day,

 

I prepare Spanish Bean Soup from his recipe.

 

My mother purchased the nativity figures from

 

a dime store, and most of them

 

cost less than a quarter.  They are stamped

 

made in Italy.

 

Their is no price for the symbolic and sentimental

 

value to me.

 

 

Thank you so much for visiting

 

my Holiday Home Tour.

 

Please come back again tomorrow.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

 

and

 

Kim at  Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

 

and Judy at DIY by Design for Fall Into Fall

 

 

and Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Home Tour - Day One and Welcome To Our Home

 

 

Welcome to our home.

 

We are ready for Christmas.

 

 

I am a traditionalist at heart,

 

and it holds true for me at Christmas.

 

I love the reds, greens, golds and whites.

 

 

I will be sharing our holiday home

 

with you over the next few weeks.

 

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

 

 

Here is Beatrice to welcome you.

 

You can read more about Beatrice

 

here and here.

 

 

I am one of those people who become

 

sentimentally attached to things,

 

and I like seeing them year after year.

 

 

I might spruce up or tweak things a bit

 

here and there, but after I get things

 

the way I want them, I keep them that way.

 

 

Just like this Santa and his sleigh.

 

I have had them for over twenty years.

 

This year the packages got "rewrapped".

 

 

We love our front porch.  It is the perfect

 

place to relax and watch the world go by.

 

 

If it isn't too cold, we can sip our

 

hot chocolate and visit for a while.

 

 

Here is something I haven't shared.

 

The parrots are named Bill and Ecie.

 

I give family names to interesting things

 

around our home.  Bill and Ecie were the

 

nicknames of my in-laws.  Their real

 

were Philip and Lillie which I think are

 

such nice names.  I suggested using those

 

names, but my husband insisted on

 

Bill and Ecie.  It just seems right.

 

And, isn't it nice that they are

 

Christmas green and red?

 

I enjoyed your visit.

 

Please come back tomorrow,

 

and we will take a peak inside.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

 

and

 

Kim at  Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

 

and Judy at DIY by Design for Fall Into Fall

 

and Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home.

 

 

 

Painted Pumpkins

 

 

 

You see those pumpkins, don't you?

 

They are recycled.

 

Yep, I have been recycling those

 

very same pumpkins for years.

 

Purchased, over times, at Michaels 50% sales.

 

Orange, white and even black.

 

But, those shockingly bright colors

 

have always bugged me.

 

 

Sure, year after year our neighbors

 

asked if it didn't get expensive buying

 

pumpkins every year.

 

I just giggled.

 

And, this year I got out my crafting paint

 

and some make-up sponges,

 

and I smeared and splattered those pumpkins.

 

Now I'm happy.

 

And, kind of proud of myself, too.

 

Not to mention we cut holes in them,

 

put in a piece of PVC pipe and a dowel,

 

and now we have topiary pumpkins.

 

... Because those light-weight and recycled

 

pumpkins had been blowing around

 

every time a good gust of wind came along.

 

Fixed them!

 

 

 

And, while I had the little paint bottles out,

 

I grabbed these three pumpkins off of our

 

yard sale table.

 

No make-up sponges this time.

 

Just a Q-tip.

 

Try not to be too impressed.

 

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday.

 

Really? $2.00?

 

 

 

We had a garage sale this past weekend.

 

I used to love having garage sales.

 

I love the hunt, the bargaining, the great finds.

 

 

You have to approach a garage sale with humor.

 

Like:

 

Yes, those earrings look awesome on you,

 

but only if you put them in one of the

 

lower holes in your ear.

 

or

 

That picture hanger on the back of the frame

 

is for hanging the picture on the wall.

 

And, thank you for the compliments on our lawn,

 

but I am not giving you my husband.

 

 

But, really?

 

The price sticker is marked $20.00

 

and

 

you are getting mad because I won't

 

take your $2.00 offer?

 

 

That is when garage sale humor

 

comes in handy.

 

I just laugh and move along.

 

No Arguments Permitted

 

at

 

Our Garage Sale!

 

 

We had a pretty good turnout.

 

We even had someone ring our doorbell

 

Sunday afternoon wanting to buy

 

some other items.

 

Works for me.

 

 

Today I am joining Cindy at

 

 

                             Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A "Wicker" Lift

 

 

We have all heard of face lifts.

 

And, we have all seen the results of some face lifts.

 

Many not so great.

 

Right?

 

This vintage plant stand had what is known as a "wicker" lift.

 

Now, if I was a really together blogger,

 

you would be seeing a before "wicker" lift photo,

 

but ...

 

We found this at the ReStore run by

 

Habitat for Humanity for $5.00.

 

We felt instant love

 

even as we looked at the chipped paint,

 

dust and cobwebs.

 

I think it looks beautiful.

 

All that was needed was a good brushing,

 

some glue and some paint.

 

And, it is the perfect spot on our front porch

 

to add a pot of pretty vinca.

 

 

Today I am joining

 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

and

 

Cindy at Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday.

 

 

 

Did You Notice?

 

I know.  I know.

 

  You have seen lots of photos of my dining room.

 

But, did that "huge" blank space behind

 

my bowl & pitcher bug you as much as it did me?

 

 

I tried to make it better by adding seasonal

 

clippings.

 

  And, while better, it wasn't quite right yet.

 

 

Yep, it still needs something.

 

Then I came up with the idea of a ceiling medallion.

 

Which led to a search for the perfect medallion.

 

 

 

And, I found it.

 

Perfection!

 

 

Did you notice?

 

 

Today I am joining Susan at

 

Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 

 

and

 

 

with Cindy at

 

Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday.