Sprucing Up Fever

 All the cedar boughs were drying out and the decorations looking sort of worn and frazzled and the grands are all gone for a few days along with all the boys off to hunt at grandpa's farm in NC - so Chelsey and I gave the main part of the house a total deep cleaning - I was so in love with so many of the pretties in this room I just tidied them up and rearranged and plan to leave it that way to start off the new year.  I just love playing house!  We tidied and cleaned to our heart's content.  I made sure I told Carpenter when he got home from his hunt how thankful I was that he spent so much time to build me this home and I thanked the Lord for His Mercy & His Grace I've experienced all through 2011.

 I saw this idea on a blog to paint old thrift shop candlesticks...pop in a cork...slip in a paperclip and display photos! I knew this one had to be done right away and I love what I ended up with!

 We are thrilled that we are able to heat this 4200 sq foot home with this one lovely little CENTURY woodstove we bought in the want ads. The heat pump has not turned on this entire winter! It keeps it just toasty in the entire home .... I suppose because we have such an open layout-design. . .

 I saw this easy applique pillow idea on a blog and sewed one up - I just love it!

 I had a great time making this burlap print - the frame is a treasured one my sister got for .75 cents at a yard sale back in the 70s! I found the wheat bundle graphic at The Graphics Fairy.

 My lettering is from http://www.fruitfulvinecreations.com/  I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at it!

 Benjamin got married almost a year ago -- he gave me some of the big silver pinecones he painted for their wedding decorations that were left over -- I made the trees from scrapbooking paper and assorted embellishments.

 I tidied up the mantle and think I will keep it up this way until the new year gets old! It makes my dining room sparkle during the bleak, rainy winter days!

 Jesus brings JOY and is the LIGHT of the WORLD!

 Pieces of glassware from my momsy bring her memory to me every time I see or use them!

 We keep our utensils out -ready to use anytime! I put these labels on my tall glasses.

 I just added this shelf Carpenter built me - it completes this wall and makes me smile when I see it!

My amaryllis is blooming like nobodys business! I'm having a hard time keeping it upright it is so heavy with blooms. I hope I can keep blooming where I am planted and bring beauty to those who live around me.

Seasons in our Home

No matter what there is still left to do - you should always take time to sit and watch the leaves fall!

 These little squirrels are now new little favorites in my seasonal collections...I try to add something new to my collections every so often - these I got on sale from http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ and I crocheted "theodore" a little hat from jute twine to deck him out.

I don't have a fireplace mantel as our wood stove is in the open area so Carpenter had built

this shelf for me years ago in our first home and we drug it out of storage from the barn and he put it up for me in the dining room for my stuff. 

Winter is coming on. . .

I added crocheted snowflakes with a glitter sticker to my little winter tree.

They are assorted shapes I acquired from  my momsy's things.

I could just sit and stare at twinkly lites indefinitely...they give me warm fuzzies!

Luke made me my glitter "J-O-Y" letters! I made the cone trees

from scrapbook paper and topped each with jingle bells, stars or pompoms.
Some have buttons or pearls stuck to them.

These were momsy's carolers - she just loved them and put them out every Christmas season.

I found an old Christmas music book and decided I would use

it enjoy it more in a wreath than in the book that no one played from!
It only took about 45 minutes to roll up the sheets into cones and glue gun

them onto a cardboard "doughnut".

This is one of treasures - Ezra built me the manger from his own design

and initiative a few years ago when he was still a young fella and Adam

made me the figurines many more years ago when he was my little fella too.

I love my boxes and have taken to filling them each season with something
different.  These hold a bed of "tulle" One has my cockscomb and glittered berries

and the other some gray and red yarn balls and some knitting needles.