Monday, January 05, 2015

New Chandelier & Christmas Boxed Up!

Christmas is all boxed up now, and the weather has turned from mushy-wet to icy-frozen in the space of one day. Personally, I prefer the colder temperatures in winter, and a little snow would be welcome as well. 

Over the holidays we picked up our new kitchen chandelier. I just love the country look it gives to the kitchen. We also got the beadboard up around the sink counter, and it's all painted up. Those two details really made this a country kitchen for me, and I'm just loving it! I forgot to get a photo of the beadboard for this mosaic. The little plate here is one I picked up from the dollar store one year in a rush to use for Santa's cookies when my kids were very small. My kids then insisted that this plate be the official plate used for Santa each year ... and so it is ... or was, now we use it for our own cookies ;)

Now I'm going to do something which will probably make most of you groan ... I've wanted to post photos of some of my Christmas decorations since last year, but my time always runs away from me through the holidays and I've not been blogging too much while my family was home together. If you've had quite enough of Christmas and would rather not look at the decorations, you can slip away now ;)

I bought a set of pewter decorations through the mail from the Canadian Nature Federation  way back before I was married. They're still my favourite decorations. The china bird was purchased at an antiques store years ago, and the mini Santa has a tiny bell inside him (he's really tiny and actually meant for a miniature tree).

The little mouse on a spool of thread and the little bear working on sleigh bells are Hallmark decorations that my husband and I picked out when we were first married. I like to sew, and he likes to work in his workshop. The partridge in a pear tree decorations are printed on leather, and I bought them at the One of a Kind craft show in Toronto many years ago. I couldn't afford the full 12-piece set at the time, and had to be satisfied with just these three. I probably picked these three because they depicted birds. And another pewter decoration from the set.





 A couple more of the pewter decorations, and a glass moose my daughter picked out for my husband's gift one year when she was about 3 years old. 


The first Christmas I moved out of my parents' house and rented a century-old farmhouse with friends, we brought home a live Christmas tree and I made all the decorations for it. These little felt mice and the hazelnut angels were some that I still treasure. 


I have a few decorations that my kids made through the years. The globes hanging from the lamp are made from circles cut from old Christmas cards and then glued together. My daughter's handprint is made from cinnamon and apple sauce and is 18 years old! The star decoration is made from flour dough and made by my son in kindergarten. (my daughter is 20 and my son is 17 now)


The music box was a gift from a previous employer when my daughter was born, and West Coast decorations from my brother and his wife who live in Victoria BC.


A little fishing fox (I like his candy cane hook and the fish underneath him in the water). The trio of crocheted trees was a gift last year from a fellow blogger in New Zealand. The wooden Santa has about six nesting Santas inside him. We bought one set for each of my kids when they were small from a Christmas store in Toronto one year. Behind Santa is my special Venetian cat mask that I bought in Venice a couple of years ago. The little glass snowmen I bought on a whim quite a few years ago.


My kids and I love our nutcracker soldiers, and we have them scattered around the living room at Christmas. Father Time sits on top of the grandfather clock with Baby New Year standing by his side (you can just make out his black top hat). The angel is from my parents' decorations and she adorned their tree every year until my mom died. I repainted her wings in silver paint.


A ceramic snowflake with a piece of sea glass melted on top. I really like this new decoration from my sister-in-law. She always sends the nicest decorations. This particular snowflake was made by one of her friends in Victoria. The advent calender is from my childhood, given to me by my grandparents from Sheffield, UK, in 1964. I'm glad I still have this as it was the one thing I eagerly dragged from our Christmas box as a child each year. The photo is of my two kids when they were little.


My great-grandmother's buffet with various decorations set up around her old oil lamp.




A few years ago, we cut down some scraggly cedars alongside our fence. I peeled the bark off some of the twigs and keep them in this pottery vase. I hang a few nature-inspired decorations on it at Christmas.


And last of all, my tree! As I removed the decorations on the weekend, I took some photos to show my felt-circle garlands that I made a few years ago. I'd be quite happy with just this garland on the tree ;)  I cut the circles from felted sweaters and using a very large tapestry needle, threaded them all onto crochet thread. The circles can slip around a bit which works well when I have to fit it over branches and around decorations.


And that's it folks! I make no apologies for sharing my Christmas things in January, but I did want to have a record of them on my blog. Hope your eyes didn't glaze over too badly ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy




23 comments:

  1. I like your pretty Christmas tree and all the ornaments.. The Pewter ornaments and the China bird are some of my favorites. The felt mice and the hand print are wonderful memories and ornaments. And I love your new kitchen chandelier.. Very pretty. Thanks for sharing, enjoy your new week!

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  2. Well I just love your Christmas decorations post. I enjoy collecting them myself & each one has a story to tell. All the best for the new year. xx

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  3. I am in love with that buffet!!! It is gorgeous!!! And all of your ornaments are just fantastic...as is the whole living in a farmhouse with friends and making those adorable mice!!! That is too cool Wendy!!! And your kitchen with its new chandelier is jaw dropping! Your home is so warm and lovely buddy!!! And your decor is just perfect! Happy week to ya...winter came pounding this week for sure here too! Nicole xoxo

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  4. I love the chandelier and your gorgeous Christmas ornaments put mine to shame. Ali x

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  5. How lucky you are to have your great grandmother's buffet - it is gorgeous! I don't mind the late Christmas photos. I love ornaments and I enjoy seeing how others decorate their trees. I am so glad your kitchen is coming together so wonderfully - the chandelier really pops in the room.

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  6. Wendy,
    Your home is so, so pretty and I love beadboard too, my husband added it in two bedrooms,kitchen and staircase. I just bet you are thrilled with the chandy, it looks great and lighting makes such a difference to a home.
    I was also admiring your Great Grandmothers buffet-what a beautiful keepsake and it is in such great condition. I am wondering if you refinished it?
    Your Christmas decorating is perfectly charming!
    Hugs,
    jemma

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  7. Aw,that was a sweet trip down memory lane! Did your grandparents give you selection boxes at Christmas? They were always under the tree for me.
    Jane x

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  8. I loved seeing your Christmas decorations. And so many with memories. Your tree was fantastic.
    Rosezeeta.

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  9. Each Christmas is like a trip down memory lane. My favorite ornaments are always the handmade, especially when they're made by our children. Wishing you a super duper new year!

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  10. I love that chandelier Wendy your kitchen looks beautiful, the santa plate is lovely too and i'm sure Santa won't mind you using it for cookies:) I enjoyed looking at your decorations I think it's nice to bring them out each year when they have special memories attached it's like revisiting old friends. So many people buy new each year to blend it with their current colour scheme what a waste. Have a great week. :) xx

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  11. The new light is lovely!!!! I can imagine that it looks really great in your lovely new kitchen! Great too to see all of your beautiful ornaments, especially the pewter ones which are especially nice and the ones your children made too, they have certainly lasted very well and must hold so many memories for you! xx

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  12. Thank you so much... That's brought all those happy days straight back to me. Happy 2015 to you and your family xxx

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  13. Happy New Year, wishing you lovely things for 2015! :) xxx

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  14. The chandelier looks perfect! Have a great new year!

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  15. No apology necessary - I loved seeing your decorations! You have a real treasure-trove there! Happy New Year to you!

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  16. I love your new chandelier, Wendy! It's so simple and streamlined, and it has a very classic look to it. The kitchen really looks beautiful. I love the color on the walls. It's calming and peaceful. Your decorations are wonderful. I always love seeing others' special ornaments and holiday mementos. Thank you for sharing.

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  17. Well, it's FUN to look at your pretty tree on the day we should be packing it all away. I have a few things remaining, but for the most part it's in the boxes. It's nice to meet you! I popped over from Amy's blog. Your house is VERY cute! I really like it!

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  18. everything is so wonderful and special-thank you for sharing with us. I am loving the garland! love that idea very much. so glad you got your kitchen finished in time for the holidays-I love the new chandelier too

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  19. Our kids are about the same age ... mine are 19 and 16. I especially love all the handmade ornaments. Very sweet! And your kitchen is so pretty now. Best wishes, Tammy

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  20. P.S. Tomorrow is the Orthodox Christmas so you are still good with the Christmas posts. :)

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  21. Hello Wendy

    Thank you for your fabulous post. Your chandelier looks perfect in your kitchen.
    Wonderful ornaments and what family memories they hold, each fragile and so precious.
    Thank you for sharing them with us.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  22. I love the birds and mice pewter ornaments in the circle. I think that except for Beatrix Potter mice, these are the first I've ever liked. :-) They're darling! I have yet to take down the Christmas stuff, and will be playing Christmas carols for at least another two weeks.

    You're right about March. It is my least favorite month because it's 'supposed' to be spring, but is anything but springlike. Springtime comes to Wisconsin the 1st of May.

    Have a wonderful, chilly day, Wendy.

    xo

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  23. I take my Twelve Days of Christmas pretty seriously, so the view of all your decorations seems very timely to me and is very welcome! I love the little felt mice, especially :)
    My tree went up on Christmas Eve, and I am still enjoying it so much, I may keep it up until there are more needles on the floor than on the tree. It smells wonderful on the porch, and the colorful view of the lights is making all the evening chores much more fun. Sometimes when all the goats are munching on their supper hay, I sit out in the barn with them for a while, admiring the colorful lights reflecting off the many windows...it really is quite magical!

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