Tag Archive | christmas tree

Decorate Your Home With Me…

Nov30

"Decorate Your Home" By, Nancy Alexander

With Nancy of Ladybug Wreaths…

A week or so ago, I posted some pictures of our home at Christmas since many of you have been asking to see how it looked all decorated.  I didn't have time to post many that day, so I will put up a few more today.  Okay… I know already what you are going to ask.  The answer is:  "No, I still have not had time to decorate this year — I am working on things for others!"  Well, that is the life of a designer… 🙂  Steve and I will get it done soon!

We have been blessed with many wonderful Christmas decorations that I just had to bring home from my shop each year.  Many are unique and one-of-a-kind.  There is only one problem!  As special and unique as they all are, it is a MAJOR ordeal to bring them down from upstairs each year.  I have so many, that we never put them all out, but we still have to bring them down anyway as we decide which to display, and which to pack back up.  Okay dear children of ours…lol…now is a very good time to take a few of these special "treasures" off our hands!

"Sebastian Greystone Piece de Resistance" is no longer with us, but this is still one of my FAVORITE pictures!

I LOVE a mantle decorated with fruit such as pineapples, apples, pomegranates, pears, as well as many types of greens and berries!

 

Close-up view!

 

An antique kerosene lamp (now electric) looks great stacked on my old gardening books and displayed with an antique (and very valuable) Tom's peanut jar from my Grandfather's old country store.  It is filled with treats for our Christmas guests!  And our grandchildren just 'need' a bowl of M&Ms sitting around for them to eat and eat and eat… lol

 

Started not to use this picture of our Christmas Tree!  My hair is way too short, and this was before I lost much more weight — but… oh well!  We have a very full 9 foot Christmas tree and that will still not hold all of our ornaments, berries, flowers, and ribbons.  We just stop when it looks full enough!

 

Do you spend much time on your Christmas packages?  Well, we do.  That is very important at our house.  I save many ribbons on the ends of rolls throughout the year.  I pick out about 3 to 4 patterns of wrapping paper which look good together and use those along with our left over ribbons.  I then use left over berries from my shop.  But the rest — the greens — are picked out in my yard.  They look very pretty with their stems tucked underneath a bow and smell great on our packages.  Our guests get so excited about the way their gift looks that they really don't want to open it…

 

We go UP with our Christmas decorating too!  If we didn't do that, then everything certainly would not fit.  I love one of my favorite Santas sitting on the top of my china hutch.  This hutch is filled with my red and white Johnson Brothers "Old Mill Stream" China.  This china has been discontinued for years, but a dear friend found most of it for me at flea markets in Switzerland.  She was an International airline attendant, which gave her access room on each plane to stash filled suitcases for the trips home.  She never broke a single piece!  And… this red and white looks so beautiful for Christmas!

Next week, we'll go outside with out Christmas Decorating!  That is always SO much fun…

Have fun decorating!  Be creative!  Use things you have never used before!

The Christmas Tree Lucas Made

Dec11

Yesterday was a VERY special day in my life that I want to share with you. This day is about "Mimi" (me), and my grandson, Lucas. Lucas just turned three years old in August. This child has been the apple of my eye, and Poppy's eye, since he was born. We are amazed as we watch his mind and his body develop as he learns and grows so fast! And now we have our first little grand-daughter, Ava Grace who is soooooo sweet!


But yesterday was about me and Lucas, so back to this special day. But first, I guess I need to back up a little and explain to you why each thing that Lucas does and says fills me with so much awe. I just cannot remember each one of these special things that our own boys did. You see, I was 23 and 24 years old when our sons Matt, and Andy were born. They are so precious and we love them so much, and they have grown up to be loving Christian men! Oh my, we are so very blessed!


I was a young, 23 year old when we had to move from our hometown. Matt was 10 months old, and I was pregnant with Andy. My Mother and Steve's Mother had been helping me so much to adjust to a new baby and being sick with a new one, and all of the sudden we were moving. We were moving three hours away to a town where I knew no one. This move was not our choice – my husband was being transferred, and we had to move or loose his job, which we could not afford to do. It was a good job, and a nice raise, but I would have gladly stayed home with the family and friends I loved and needed so much. I think that even though we doted on our children, and loved them dearly, those years were very hard for me, especially.


My Loving, doting husband was tied down with a new job with lots of responsibility, and I was just starting to not feel quite like myself anymore. Stress was starting to show its ugly head in my life. (It was just a few years later, at 28 yrs old that fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue hit). But these younger years were filled with a young baby who had colic so badly that I had to get up 5 to 8 times every night with him, and a pregnancy where i was sick – very sick – for the nine months. I feel robbed, I feel as though those years were taken away from me because I just cannot remember all of the special things that our little boys learned as they grew up.


When I look back to these years and try to remember each special milestone in our boys lives, the memories are just not there like I want them to be, so Lucas is filling that need in my life as I watch each and every step he takes toward growing into a little boy. These are wonderful, joyful steps to watch. And I'm sure any grandmother will probably tell you the exact

same thing.  Ok, now back to yesterday. I picked up Lucas (or Gucas – as he calls himself sometimes) at play school at noon. I had special plans for us after his most favorite lunch which is a peanut butter sandwich, potato chips, and an apple. Oh, and I guess I must confess, he didn't get his apple, he wanted two reeses cups instead, and Mimi gave in. So, as soon as lunch was over, I told L we had a

special project in my shop that he could make for Mommy and Daddy for Christmas.  We, or Lucas, made them a table Christmas tree. In the picture above, you'll see L "fluffin" the stem with colored berries, and fake candy. (Look at the cute Christmas Tree stamp on his hand.) Lucas loved the special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" which was chosen to be at the top and center of his special Christmas

Tree.  Making this tree with Lucas was so much fun. He knew exactly what he wanted to use in this creation. And he also knew exactly where he wanted everything to go. He was very particular about this. It had to have the stuffed Rudolph, stems of candy and berries, candy canes, candy striped balls, and ribbons. But to top it all off – and this was totally Lucas' idea, we had to have a frog, three birds, five

ladybugs, and three bumblebees. I feel like I am calling out the words to a "Partridge in a Pear Tree" here! lol  Lucas is SO proud of this tree and immediately upon his Mom's arrival, brought her into the kitchen with a "Ta-Da" and a wave of his arm, as if he was introducing something marvelous. (And he really was!)

 Here "Mommy" and Ava are beside the beautiful Christmas tree. And Sara was so very impressed that her young son had done this for her! Oh, by the way, Sara has a wonderful blog.  She is really an exceptional writer!  If you would like to check it out, here is the address:  http://www.alexanderbaby.blogspot.com .      


You can read more about Matt and Sara, and lots more about Lucas and Ava.  You'll see many, very sweet pictures as well!. I look forward to enjoying many more years of watching and cherishing Ava and Lucas grow, and learn. I hope I won't forget each of these special memories. I pray that they will stay with me for the rest of my years. So, when I say to people on my website, and on my blog, and on the phone that with my videos, anyone can learn to make an arrangement in two hours, they certainly can. If my three-year old grandson (although especially exceptional) can make this wonderful tree, then I know you can design anything you set your mind to! Smiles…. "Mimi"