Deck the Halls...

 We've been busy decorating the house...

But it's been happening bit by bit since we're all so busy with piano recitals, christmas and birthday parties, choir concerts and Grinch plays...

 We've got more advent calendars than you can count...

 All sorts of critters are stirring...

 The only thing missing was the snow.  It just isn't Christmas in Minnesota without snow...

Lucky for us we got about 12" of it last Sunday and another big storm is predicted for tomorrow.  It sure is pretty! (even if I did have to snowblow three times!)

Sick Days...

My 8 year old and I have been feeling pretty crummy since the Saturday after Thanksgiving...his cold seems to be fading while my seems to be getting worse, I've even lost my voice which isn't any fun at all. Here are some things I've been working on in between naps(although the progress has been very very slow!)...

A blue knitted bear for Sebastian...all I have left are the legs but I think I'm going to attempt to knit the clothes that the bear is wearing since those patterns are also in this fantastic book. A Christmas album for all the "Pictures with Santa" my kids have taken over the years...I'm making this from an old vintage file folder that I found in the "free" bin at a garage sale...
and this mini album showing pictures of Christmases past...these pictures include the ones from when my grandparents were young children, when my mother and uncles were young and when my siblings and I were very young. I love these pictures because it's so fun to see all the old decorations, the trees that were just swimming in tinsel and how my mother used to hang the stockings on the wall...with a nail...just pounded in the middle of the wall...it's so funny.

With all the concentration on getting rid of this awful cold I have I almost forgot to begin my "25 Days of Christmas" album but I remembered just in time. I'll post pictures of how that's coming along next week...Tom and I are off for a little weekend getaway, just the two of us. Hopefully I'm feeling better tomorrow!

December Giveaway...

I'm doing a little December giveaway...I made these little goodies with a kit I have listed in my shop so thought I would give away the samples. The kit is full of all sorts of Christmas bits, baubles and ephemera. You can be entered into the drawing a few different ways:

1. Your name will be entered once for every item you purchase from my etsy store
2. Your name will be entered for every comment left on my blog (any day or every day until the drawing date). The comment doesn't need to be fancy, it can be as simple as "hello".

Sebastian will draw the winning name on December 13th and the item will be mailed by the 15th so you'll have the goodies well before the holidays, it's my little gift to you...Here's what you'll get:

A little vintage ornamental hanging...

And three little gift tags

Thanks for stopping by!

Sugar & Spice

Yesterday I ran to a few estate sales (no Tom this time) that were really close to the house. One was in the most fabulous old farmhouse I've ever seen...most of the people there were more interested in house and the four out-buildings than in the estate sale, unfortunately the house had already been sold but I did find a few treasures! I hadn't realized that the sale started on Thursday so everything was half off but there wasn't really anything left. I got the two Santa mugs and the two vintage books at that sale...spent a whopping $2.25.

I'm not sure if the ledger book is actually "vintage" but the yellow-ish pages certainly make it look old...and I just can't seem to get enough of the old Christmas tags and seals.

My Santa mug collection is now up to 6 pieces...the one on my right is my favorite so far due to the cracks and crazing (doesn't show up in the pic)

And finally, I listed this little girly file-folder album in my shop this morning and promised to show pictures of the entire album here since pictures are limited on Etsy...

Now I'm onto my next project (after I run to Goodwill to do some treasure hunting). Tom found two old mahogony chairs FOR FREE on the curb in a surrounding neighborhood and knew I would love them so brought them home. They are in pretty bad shape so I'm determined to make them lovely again...and determined to get it done today!

Obsessed!

Lately I haven't felt much like crafting (my store can attest to that)...I've been spending all my free time junking and re-decorating the house. Every Saturday morning for the past few weekends we've gotten up at the crack of dawn to treasure hunt at various estate sales and the occasional garage sale that boasts antiques. This Saturday I hit the jackpot (at least in my opinion I hit the jackpot)...first we drove over to Wisconsin to an estate sale in an old farmhouse that was supposed to be busting at the seams with loot. We got lost (a few times) trying to find it...but when we finally arrived we were delighted to find everything was already half off the marked price. Here is what we (ok...I) found:

A tattered old lampshade for $.50, I've already got plans for it...a whole bag of old wooden and plastic clothespins, valentines, playing cards, an old tattered pincushion, an old curtain panel for $.50, an old box of puzzles, an old photo holder and two old metal compacts.
(I really need work on my photography skills!). The boys had plans to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs so I headed to the second estate sale alone. I saw a vintage Christmas angel and immediately fell in love with her...she was marked $12 but I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much. I left without purchasing anything although there were dozens of things I really wanted. I thought about that angel all day kicking myself for not buying her...I knew If I went back on Sunday she'd be gone but since everything would be half off I decided to go back. I got there right when they opened (along with about 20 other people) and the angel was right where I left her, I had planned on spending the $6 but found that the price had changed $12 to $2 (or did I misread it the day before?) so she was only $1. What a bargain...and her candle still lights up! Do you think it would be wrong to display her all year round?

Here's the other loot I bought for half off as well...I seem to have a Christmas theme going...

(again, my photography is crappy at best)
To top off my lucky weekend I headed to Goodwill to see what they had for the half off Sunday/Monday tag sale and found this absolutely ADORABLE vintage writing desk...I sat there staring at it, opening the top drawer, opening the bottom drawer, opening the little screened doors, back and forth, back and forth, trying to decide if I wanted to spend the money on it (although it was dirt cheap but hey, I didn't even want to spend $12 on that vintage angel), called Tom to get his opinion (he was no help)...I knew I had to make a quick decision because two other vultures were circling waiting for me to walk away so they could swoop in...so I grabbed the price tag off and ran to the check-out. I'm so glad I decided to get it! I'm not quite sure what else I'm going to add to it but everytime I walk past it I do a little happy dance.

Unfortunately I won't be doing any treasure hunting next Saturday, I'll be running the Boston Scientific 5K. Maybe I'll have time to check out some sales after the race???