Christmas Collections

Another favorite Christmas collection are my Shiny Brites ornaments. Except they're not just the actual Shiny Brites, some of the ornaments are from Germany or Poland. Shiny Brites were manufactured in New Jersey from 1937 into the 1960's. Many of mine are from earlier.

Many are on our tree, some are made into a wreath and others are sprinkled throughout the Stone House. Sprinkled in the nativity scene or piled up in a bowl, my Shiny Brites are my favorite at Christmastime. All garland is new, it's pretty hard to find yards of the old garland intact. Hubby and I enjoy the hunt, locally and whenever we travel.

As much as I love my wreath my guys still want to take it out back and shoot it. With a bb gun. But they better not! Deep trouble, deep, deep trouble if they try to get away with it!

My favorite Christmas collection is my eddie bauer snow globe collection. This year is eddie's anniversary and the globe features the dog, eddie. Eddie Bauer brought the first black lab to Washington state in 1930. We're glad he did, our Hawley is pretty special.

Sam bought me my first globe and it had the little pickup parked in front of a snowy cabin in the woods. Since Sam drove our '54 this was a good gift from Sam.

I've had to move some to the top shelf of our mantle as my collection has grown. The globes are the first Christmas decoration to come out every year and the last packed away.

All are a wintery scene, most have a black lab or two and some are musical and one has a train that circles around the lodge when you wind it.

Last year Whistler was featured because of the Winter 2010 Olympics. I love this one because we have had some great family times at Whistler.

In the past I got one for Christmas but now I am so worried I won't get one or that eddie bauer will sell out that as soon as I get the catalog I order the new one.

It's the best package of the year!

Setting the Table

For the women's evening at our church I set two tables. The tables paled next to the table of birthday cakes. So delicious and pretty. It is neat to see the many talents of the women in our church. Now I know who the cake decorators are in my church. I would love some lessons.

My first table was woodsy and green with some glitter. I found the dessert dish set at the local thrift store this fall. I knew they would be a good addition to my collection. A month later I found the footed green glass dessert dishes at the thrift store. I kept looking for goblets but never found them so I borrowed my MIL Esther's green goblets for the water glasses. Hubby remembers them from Sunday dinner while growing up.

I mixed live trees in clay pots with my Smith & Hawken pine cone ornaments. Added some live greens from our garden and some pretty bird ornaments.

I have tag green dinner plates that I could add for a pretty Christmas brunch table. I added the oranges and really liked what they brought to the table.


For my second table I used my Christmas china (Target) with silver chargers. At home I have a red tablecloth but at church I used white since I don't have a red round cloth. In the end I liked the white. My napkins have old fashioned black ice skates and greens. Under the cloches it was an ice skaters dream. I used three with different skater scenes under each one. Around the cloches I sprinkled snow, snowflakes, red, green and clear jewels and red votives. The votives are from Crate and Barrel and add a nice red ring to the table when lit in the evening. I used Pier One water goblets, they come in a box of twelve, are reasonable in cost and can be stored back in their box. The jeweled green, red and clear napkin rings are from tag, my sis Kathi and I both have them so between the two of us we can set a large family table. We also have the same silverware pattern.

It was hard for me to set a table away from home. I layer and build as I set. But since I brought half my house to church, it went okay. ;)

Tomorrow I'll post one of my favorite Christmas collections. And NO, it's not dishes!

Blessed by Creativity

Last evening I went to my church's women's Christmas Social. Prepare Him Room. It was a nice evening and it was good for me to be reminded what all the hustle bustle is about,

Jesus birthday.

I was invited to share my love of setting a table for the event. I set two table for eight each. Why two? I have a lot of dishes to share. Later I'll post my tables and how they came about but today I am sharing some of the other tables.

I loved that some of them were set by more than one woman, and I loved that so many had stories to go with their tables.

Not only were the tables beautiful and the lighting so pretty, we had cake. I LoVe cake! Yummy, beautiful cakes! Birthday cakes!

And we Prepared Him Room.

Lamentations 3:21-26

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because the of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion: therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

This post doesn't cover all the tables and my photography doesn't do them justice, some photos were taken during set up and some at the event.

Saturday Night Live

Saturday evening Hubby and I went to the Lighted Christmas Parade in our little town. There were some amazing floats covered in lights. No good pics though, it's dark, I have a small camera and it was windy and cold so I was shaking. You get the ideas though, right? It sort of kicks off Christmas and makes for some good community spirit. My favorite was the Grinch on the fire truck that ran into houses and grabbed gifts from under trees. Funny stuff.

After the parade we turned on the TV to finish watching the Apple Cup. Oh my, that was exciting! The bad guys won but I am happy for Jake Locker, and all, blah, blah, blah.

Then I started writing my Christmas cards. I'm not sure why. I mean it was Saturday night and I should have been sprawled on the couch with Hubby after the parade, the tense game and all, but I started and couldn't quit. I drank some wine.

We have two different cards this year. One for our more conservative, nice friends and family and one for our open minded, good sense of humor, parents of guys, friends. I was ambushed at our photo shoot and things were outta control and the Snapsister was snappin'. Almost everyone is getting the nice card. So, there was decision making in the process.

I'm mailing cards today, hand delivering others as I go this week. Done and done.

Tomorrow I'll share how I justify my china, dish and linen addiction.

Nicely justified, I might add.

Seattle Sista's Trip

We shopped until we dropped. And then we took breaks. The breaks involved Starbucks and good food. I took the girls to Dragonfish in downtown Seattle. It's Hubby and my favorite hangout. Dragonfish has a yummy happy hour, actually two happy hours.

They offer a late one too. Our hotel was happy to shuttle us there and back. Perfect.

In between all the breaks, we Christmas shopped and shopped. I was successful. Kathi, Jodi and Melinda decided that I won. I had the most bags. Whoo hoo, lucky me!

And of course, we went to Trophy Cupcakes.

Salted. Caramel. Chocolate.

We made a group commitment to join Weight Watchers in January... fun!

Weight Watchers even has an app for Jodi's phone.

Now I am off to the museum and tonight I am going to prep the house for decorating.

Christmas is coming!