holiday decor – Page 41 – Karla's Cottage

Am I losing it?

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, Food and Drink, holiday decor, paintings, parties, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / January 29, 2009

Even puppies agree- there is nothing more cuddly than a puppy! These guys are hugging each other.

And they aren't the only ones who feel this way. We had a "Puppy Party" yesterday, and my friends brought their kids over for cookies and milk after school, to hug puppies. I'd say these pups will grow up to be well socialized and kid friendly. A lot of small dogs don't like small people and can be afraid of kids. But these little ones have been handled by kids since the day they were born and should grow up to be outgoing, friendly dogs.

Typically, I don't post recipes, because I make stuff up as I go along when cooking. But I was soooo happy with these cookies that I paid attention to how I made them, so I could tell you- here it goes:

Kansas Style Oatmeal Scotchies

MELT one cup (organic) butter

mix with a beater, the butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar, one cup natural sugar

add 2 (organic) eggs, a teaspoon of real vanilla, and continue mixing with the beater

In a separate bowl, fluff together:

1 cup whole wheat (organic) flour

1/2 cup flax seed

3 cups instant oats

dash of sea salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Stir the dry ingredients with the liquid mixture and then add 1 cup butterscotch chips and a cup of sunflower seeds (the Kansas State Flower, of course!)

Roll in balls and bake for 11 minutes on a non stick cookie sheet at 350

I made half on one of those air-bake pans and half on just a plain cookie sheet and honestly, the air bake pan was much better. I don't use it often because it is too big to fit into my dishwasher, but I will re-think that one, it does make a difference. The cookies on it were more evenly cooked and crisper.

What I liked about these cookies, was that I could lie to myself and pretend they were good for me. Sunflower seeds, flax seed, and organic ingredients made me totally overlook the butter, sugar and chips! I only used about half the amount of chips usually called for too, so that made me think I could eat twice as many.

While the kids were here, we started the Puppy naming contest. I took down their ideas and began a list. Are you ready to play? Here is Puppy #1, the first born and the tiniest. I'll get some photos of the other 5 girls and in my next post, you can start sending in the names. Details upcoming.

I've added my hand painted fairy box to my Etsy Shop.

The inside was in amazing shape for an old box. The exterior showed the wear you'd expect, but I wonder if anything was ever stored in it? The interior was about perfect. Of course, I had to foof anyway, I used flocked wallpaper, millinery flowers, crystals, all my faves on this little "royal emblem".

This box is listed in my Boutique. I plan on using both stores and going back and forth. Here is my criteria to decide which store to list what in (besides wanting a variety in each)- if the item looks better in a non-square shape, the photo will go in the boutique. If it needs more than the 3 photos allowed on the website, it will go in Etsy.

Okay, now if this post isn't already random enough, here is more. Am I going crazy? Lately my computer screen has been speaking to me through comment word verifications. Does this mean I am schizo? I don't actually hear it talk, if that makes a difference. Sometimes the words are very clear, like this one, "BLESS". Other times, they take some deciphering.

Like this one. To me, it says "mothering".

I might just be losing it. First, an actual, written recipe, not guesses and abouts, actual measurements. And now my computer trying to get messages to me?

An Elf Celebration

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, parties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 2, 2009

Today we had an Elf Celebration. Sugarwings was so excited, and talked about it all day yesterday, she just couldn't wait. She thought it was the elf's birthday and sang Happy Birthday all morning.

She and I drew an elf, then painted and cut it to copy onto this little rhyme that I wrote about the party's theme, then we made up gift bags for the kids who were coming over.

Each small guest got some treats, a black and white copy of the elf picture to color, and an elf of their own.

I have had a fondness for these cuties since I was a kid and have a big collection of them, that I was happy to share with my friends today.

We started with edible snowflakes, cut from soft flour tortillas. The idea was to saute the cut tortillas in butter and add powdered sugar and color sugar sprinkles, but my little fairy grand baby enjoyed snacking on the corners she cut out of her creation. She also really got into dumping colored sugars onto the finished product.

There were lots of other goodies to eat, along with sparkling fruit juice in glasses you could toast with.

At Michael's after Christmas sale, I bought lots of supplies to make elf hats for 75% off, and rolls of snowman wrapping paper to use as table clothes.

The work could be pretty serious at times.

But at others, jumping up and down was called for. Sugarwings was a blur most of the day. My friends are a bit shocked at how much energy that little one has coiled up inside of her. She is always on the go!

But, with her buddy, Julia's help, she slowed down enough to get a elf hat completed.

Shawn's daughter, Bethany made a really cute hat. She is an accomplished crafter and when Shawn comes out for a craft day, I always know that Bethany will create something sweet.

Max made a snow guy hat. And asked me to paint a matching snowman on his face.

When it was Sugarwing's turn for some face painting, she turned the tables and painted me instead.

We both ended up painted, although, most of my paint is on my saggy, baggy, old lady neck and when I look down, like in this photo, it is hidden.

I just can't imagine a more fun way to spend a morning. Time to sit and talk with best friends while drinking coffees and eating quiche, hot Cinnamon rolls and crunchy snowflakes, then crafting elf hats with some of my other, smaller pals. This is a good start to the new year, I can't wait to see what other fun is waiting for me in 2009!

edit- Shawn has a great camera and just sent me photos from today, so I am adding them on-

Family Bliss

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 26, 2008

What a wonderful holiday! I had such a relaxing, family day. How nice to have such a fun, easy going houseful of people. Dinner was tasty and simple to fix, and the dessert thatBeth brought was over the top, wonderful! (frozen tiramisu)

Beth also made this wallpaper encrusted box for me and filled it with tidbits and ephemeral treats.

Who else knows me well enough to give me a box loaded with with pretty little things like this?

And this? Not to mention, she also gifted me with a Magnolia Pearl book! This was my year for gifts, I raked them in, a pink cashmere scarf from Ryan and a GPS from my husband, as well as a drawing on pink paper from Sugarwings! She knows what colors I like, just like Ry did. And with the GPS, I will never miss out on finding a garage sale again.

Sugarwings was entranced by the treat cabinet.

She made a few trips back to it.

There was some singing and dancing.

Handsome sons opening gifts.

New friends getting acquainted.

And promises kept. Yes, Santa brought the Mermaid that Sugarwings was waiting for. I can't imagine a better holiday.

Sugarwings and I are going to go hang out and play with her new friends, and maybe see a movie. So, I'll leave you with a few photos of the Christmas Dinner dining table. I tend to fill the center of the table with odds and ends of pretty things, so that each person sitting down to eat, has something interesting to look at.

OK little girl, let’s give someone else a turn!

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, holiday decor, paintings, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 23, 2008

We took Sugarwings to see Santa today and she wouldn't leave him alone. She sat there on his lap and waited for the Mermaid doll she asked for. Finally, she got down for the bribe of a candy cane, but then went back and got another candy cane to give to Santa. Then went back for another sit on his lap. Then for another hug. It looked like St. Nick was enjoying her visit, I think it might be nice for him to have someone with no fear come to hang out a while.

I think this little one loves Christmas as much as her Grammy does.

She stopped to speak to every single Santa she saw at the mall.

And she didn't think it would hurt to put in a word with the giant cow for that doll she wanted.

When I got back from my trip, there was a stack of packages waiting for me! One was from a sweet reader pal, Jean, who lives in Virginia.

Not only were there surprises for Sugarwings, she sent me some treats too, including a box of these white doves.

I've added the glass doves to the dining room chandelier along with other birdies and some snowflakes I have received this year. They might just all stay there a while after the holidays as more "winter decor" than Christmas decorations.

One of the snowflakes was from Tiffany, a Silver Bella pal. I'd ordered this cute little bottle of Christmas wishes from her shop, and she sent along lots of pretties, including this card. It brings back memories of a class we took together in Omaha, where she was helping me with using hot wax over parts of my project. I really like the way she has applied wax over the scene in the center of the card.

Previously, I had shown you some of my little paintings that I was making into cards. Here are a few (of the dozens) that I made while in the hotel room.

And in case you were feeling sorry for the poor dorkies, at home alone while I was out on a fabulous vacation, they had some fun while I was gone. Twinks was invited over to stay at the farm where her true love, Teddy lives. And the other two dogs were so happy to have Twinkle away and not bothering them, they felt like a queen and king with the whole house to themselves. (Twinks can be a little bossy)

I'm off to go work on my Christmas shopping. Typically, I am not a last minute shopper. When my kids were little, we used to love to go to the mall on Christmas Eve and eat lunch at the food court while we watched all the crazed last minute buying, and I'd bask in a warm glow from the knoweldge that my packages were wrapped and under the tree. Not this year!

I hope all of you are having a lovely holiday week. Merry Christmas to all of you from Sugarwings and I.

Itsy Bitsty Christmas Card paintings and a giveaway reminder

give away, holiday decor, Moving to DC, paintings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2008

This may be a vacation, but it doesn't mean I can't get some work done!

My husband and I are in Virginia at our cozy little apartment, and while he is at work today, I've been doing some tiny paintings to make Christmas cards from. I guess our vacation hasn't officially started yet, it just kind of feels like it to me, since I am away from home and have been able to sit around in my jammies all day and do what ever I wanted to.

And what is it that I always want to do, when I have my choice of doing any thing at all? Create things, of course!

So, I have been painting away. I packed up enough supplies to make up holiday cards, as well as envelopes and even remembered the printed labels, to get them all into the mail. Today was spent making a couple dozen itsy bitsy pictures (the largest is about 4" tall), and tomorrow, from our hotel room in Richmond, I will make the cards. Hopefully, I will get them all finished by Saturday morning. That is when we leave for our romantic getaway.

And I have a feeling my husband wouldn't appreciate me ruining his surprise get away by cutting and gluing and glittering all weekend. (well, it sounds like fun to me, but I know it wouldn't to him!)

Don't forget that I have a surprise for you guys too. The December Giveaway Secret Gift!! I will be out of town for a few days,and maybe not near a computer after this- but you can still leave a comment to enter the drawing and have a chance to win.

Here is a hint of what the surprise is. Surprises are such a fun part of the season,aren't they?

If I don't "see" you again while I am out of town, I hope that you are all having a good time with your holiday preparations and are getting all glittery too!

Recycled photos

holiday decor, magazine pictures or articles, Moving to DC, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 16, 2008

Wasn't Heather's party a fun one? I am looking forward to having time to go through all the links and visit the holiday homes. I've only had a chance to look at a few, and was blown away by the ones I saw! Bloggers know how to do a holiday, that is for sure. There are some beautiful decorations out there and luckily we get to take a peek at them!

Thanks to everyone who came by my shop for my Blog Readers Appreciation Sale. I enjoyed wrapping up packages and getting them out to you all, I hope you enjoy your treats.

Have I ever mentioned Ashwell? My shabby chic colored cat? Actually, he lives in Ryan's apartment,and Ry thinks his name is Ash, from the hero of the Evil Dead trilogy. You might have noticed a few pictures of Dorkies and fairy grand babies around the cottage, but we have a whole menagerie here, lots of people, lots of pets. That makes the home even more special for the holidays.

My husband and I will be out of town for a few days, so I won't be mailing any purchases from my Etsy shop after Tuesday afternoon. Thanks so much for your support of my shop! I do appreciate you coming by to browse. I'll restock after the holidays and will also be opening a new on line store. (Details to come)

Since I have been packing up oodles of items to ship out today, and running last minute errands all over town to get ready for Christmas and my trip, I have NOTHING new to show you.

So here is some stuff from a few years ago. These photos are by the talented Bill Mathews and styled by the skilled Gloria Gale. (who have both given me permission to show photos we worked on together, don't ever show magainze photos on your blog, it is not legal without permission!!!) We did the shoot for Victorian Decorating magazine and they were done in the most elaborate and gorgeous Victorian house. We were lucky to have access to it for the day.

My job was to come up with easy decorating tips and ideas and then display them in the home and write how to's for the magazine.

This photo is of something I didn't do this year, but I really like it and might use it for my table scape during Christmas Eve dinner. I've taken the metal cap off the top of ornaments, filled them with water and used them as vases. To keep the balls from rolling around and the water spilling out, I used a bit of that clay like stuff that you can hold things together with. And of course, I forget what that is called.

The tip for these two pictures, is to use stickers on bottles or ornaments and add glitter over them. The previous pictures showed a garden planter as a buffet server, with glittered and painted terra cotta pots to hold silverware and napkins. I used this idea at a friend's's wedding reception and it was a nice touch.

Lets see, the other one is making place card holders from pictures of Victorian ladies and more stickers. I was on quite the sticker kick that year.

Here is a variation of an idea I also had published in Somerset Life, making a magnetic message board from an old ceiling tin.

This one is about as easy as it can get, punch holes in the top of old Christmas postcards and add a hanger made out of tinsel, and hang the cards on your mantel or tree.

Beth loaned me the birdcage full of ornaments, and that was going to be the picture, but we decided that we needed more, so asked the homeowners if we could borrow some mail, and tucked it in the cage to show it used as a display for Christmas cards. Sometimes, you aren't quite sure what the shots will be till you get into it and see what develops.

This is another quickie, last minute idea. Gloria turned over some stemware and made them into mini cloches.

Well, I am off to pack for my trip to who knows where. It is just killing my husband to keep this secret! He is bursting with wanting to spill the beans. I won't let him, though! I want to be surprised when we get there, wherever it is. Although, not knowing does make packing complicated.

Hopefully, I will get to post from our apartment in Virginia, but I might not. So if I don't talk to you until Christmas, I wish you all the very, very best of holidays!

I’m loving my pretty little Christmas!

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Etsy Goodies, fairies, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 15, 2008

Have yourself a pretty little Christmas!

Heather is having a holiday gathering for us to show our pretties. I had a "What do you LOVE about your Holiday Home?" party last year and am so sorry that there is no time for me to squeeze that in this year. So, I am so glad that Heather is doing this, I love parties, and any party Heather throws, has to be an extra pretty one!

Since time is short with shows I've had, and trips I'm taking and a two year old that I am running after, my decor is about as "edited" as I've ever seen here at my cottage.

Sugarwings has her own little pink tree in the living room, right at her level, so she can foof and refoof it all she wants to. I've kept my hands OFF of her tree, trying to teach her that I won't mess with her stuff if she won't mess with mine. She has been in complete charge of her tree, but does still tend to want to get into my things when she thinks no one will notice.

So, this year, there is no big tree in the living room. A few small, white trees are set out, and kept pretty simple too.

Using what I have and adding some embellishments really appeals to me. For the top of this armoire, I plopped some white trees into urns, and draped them simply with ropes of beads (the beads don't show up as well in the photos, sorry). Then I set out a wintry branch, with a single white ball next to it.

Fast and easy!

Another little tree with beads and no ornaments sits by the sofa. If tiny little fingers decide to explore this one, there is nothing breakable to worry about.

But I was missing the pretty lights that would have gone onto a big tree, so I filled an urn with white lights and topped it with clear, plastic balls. Its not the same, but does have a nice glow.

All of the rest of my pretties went up high, like on this cabinet in the kitchen.

The vintage tree is a music box that plays Jingle Bells. Sugarwings likes for me to wind it up while we visit the reindeer. The deer represent Pop Pop, Grammy and Sugarwings. Hmm, I should add some rhinestone jewelry to the Grammy deer. Or at least a millinery bloom.

Now, I do love snowmen, and Santas, and angels, of course. But my favorite at the holidays is the deer. Oh, and the elves! Santa's little friends and helpers!

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And I am big on using my regular decor and just spiffing it up with a few little additions.

Like filling my kitchen window with pink roses and sweet pixies.

Yes, there were dirty dishes in the sink in the last picture I showed. But look at how pretty they are! Beth got dishes she didn't want in a box at an auction and passed them along to me. Of course, I wanted them!

There are many more pixie pals lurking in the boxes under my stairway. Lots of well loved ornaments and beautiful things, that I just didn't unpack this year. I do miss all the elaborate displays, but on the other hand, I am really enjoying my "Pretty Little Christmas". Heather's title for her party really touched on my feelings for my house this year.

Normally, I am all about being Over the Top. (yes, with capitals)

But this year, my compromise with the fairy grand baby with the the time constraints has made me happy.

There is a little something in every room. Just enough to make me smile and know that Christmas is just around the corner. Not enough to have taken up much time or to have been any trouble at all.

2008's decking of the halls probably took less time to finish the whole house than I usually spend on one tree.

Well, that right there is enough to make me smile!! Is there ever enough time? I might make this year's streamlined Christmas a new tradition!

Remember I was saying how lucky I was to meet so many wonderful friends through blogging? One of them sent this dainty fairy pin to me. Later, she'll go on a jacket, but for now, she perches in the dining room centerpiece. Thanks, Hannah!

And thanks, Heather, for hosting this get together. I look forward to having time to follow the links and visit all the homes participating.

Also, thanks to all of you for your overwhelming shopping spree for my Christmas special on Etsy! The shop is half gone, but there are still some goodies left. Please check for details in the previous post if you'd like a chance to win a present from me, while you are visiting my Etsy store during my "thanks to my readers" sale-a-thon!

Please remember to ASK FOR AN INVOICE FROM ME.

A second sneak peek at the December Giveaway and some tussie mussies to unload. (I mean offer to you at a special price.)

Books, Etsy Goodies, Food and Drink, holiday decor, I do tend to run on, don't I?, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2008

This is sneak peek number 2 of the December Giveaway– it will stay a surprise until it is sent off in the mail to it's new home on Jan. 1. If you want to enter the drawing, every comment counts, all month long.

Louisa is hosting a Home Sweet Home blog party today, please go to her site and see some of the linked blogs and thier holiday decor!

I've been extremely good about returning comments this month (I hope Santa is watching!) but they are not all going through!! I get about 20% of them bounced back to me as non-deliverable. ( I just made up that percentage, I don't really do math much, this is a guess).

Sugarwings got the sweetest gift in the mail from our pal, Robin in VA. If you'd like to see a couple second video of her hanging it on the tree, click HERE.

The present itself was the cutest Glinda the Good Witch ornament, she is inside the clear ball like it is the bubble she rides down into Munchkindland. And of course, since Sugarwings loves to make things, we saved the box and cut out Glinda's picture to make another ornament from that.

I did the cutting, she did the glue and glitter, then we tied a ribbon and bell to the piece so that the fairy grand baby could hang it on her little pink tree.

You know how kids always loved playing with the box a gift comes in? We have discovered that the boxes always make good project materials. If I cut out the logos, or characters, Sugarwings is happy to get out the glue stick and glitter to turn the packaging into one of her smeary, yet sparkly creations. We even cut the pictures out of cute paper plates we use to eat snacks off of in the studio. Nothing goes to waste around here. (and peanut butter does hold glitter) And as prolific as she is, creating one thing after another and flinging the finished pieces over her head, then calling out "more", we need all the supplies we can get!

Her Grammy tends to be prolific too. Of course, getting the items I make photographed and listed on Etsy, I am maybe NOT so good at. I can crank out the goods, but I can't seem to get them uploaded to sell. You should see the backlog in my studio.

Yesterday, when maybe I should have been trying to clear out some of the junk, I mean trying to sell some things, I took a day off for a fun crafting afternoon with some blog friends. We all worked on books like the project Teresa McFayden had in one of her classes at Silver Bella.

For this, we decorated the covers of old books in pretty papers, then hollowed out the book with an exacto knife, clamped and glued the pages together and filled the scooped out portion with a pretty scene.

I tinted this old sepia toned photo with some pink to go along with my vintage pink wallpaper and this perfectly aged, old Christmas sheet music that is printed with BROWN ink! how pretty is that? I had been using some of this paper as the packaging for the mini dyed trees I was selling on Etsy, then realized it was way too cool to not keep and use a couple pages for myself. I'm glad I did, I think that it was just what I needed for this book.

If you are interested in purchasing this book it is $35 includes shipping (in the US). sold, thanks!

The guests brought goodies and we ate fresh baked Christmas treats all afternoon.(Sugarwing's Daddy was a bit irritated at me for letting her have a chocolate and candy cane free for all in the treat cabinet)

By the way, my treat cabinet is featured in the latest edition of Romantic Country magazine, I'll let you know when I see some copies on the stands. A friend told me she has received hers in the mail already.

Of course, here is just one more thing I didn't get listed on Etsy for this season. Tussie Mussies are so pretty on the tree, or can be filled with treats or small presents and given as gifts.

They are made with vintage materials and decked out with loads of pretties. Maybe I should sell them from the blog instead, because who knows if I will get them onto Etsy?? So, here they are, if you'd like one, I can send you a pay pal invoice for $8 each (half price from what I usually sell Tussie Mussies for) plus postage. They aren't heavy, but require a box. I will ship them Priority Mail for $4.80, as many as you'd like to fit into one box.

Also, thanks so much to those of you who asked about the bird ornament from yesterday, it has been sold and was one of a kind, I can't make another. I appreciate your inquiries, though.

Sugarwing’s Christmas Tree

Etsy Goodies, family, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2008

Things have been busy here at the cottage. I've finally unpacked all my wares from Silver Bella and Miss Frenchie's sales and cleaned up my studio! Wow, it feels good to have the space reclaimed from the piles of junk and boxes and back to usable work space!

Tomorrow, I have a group of blog friends coming over to do Christmas crafts, so got the whole room rearranged and ready to go. But, sadly, half of the group had to cancel for various reasons. Well, we should have plenty of space to spread out at least, but the rest of the group will be missed.

I've gathered bits and pieces of trims and baubles and set them out to use for our projects. Everyone is bringing goodies to share, and I have a feeling there will be lots of glittering and chatting. I can't wait!

Did you notice that I found a spot for the table I bought from Elizabeth? It now sits next to my buffet garden of old hats.

After cleaning the studio today, Sugarwings and I solved the Christmas tree dilemma. We just decided that it was all HERS. Because no matter what else I had tried to do, this is how it would have ended up anyway. I gave her a box of (unbreakable) decorations and let her go. After settting out a selection of small trees, and giving her a choice of which one would become her masterpiece, she immediately went for the pink one. Durn, I wanted that one!!

Of course, holiday decorating is a pretty serious job. Miss Sugarwings put her heart into the work.

Some how, I think the tree decor will be going through a few transformations in the next couple of weeks. It has already been done and redone a few times tonight.

I wonder who she gets that from??

I did manage to get a few things listed on Etsy this week.

And I want to thank all of you who purchased little dyed bottle brush trees. I have a few left, but all are listed, once they are gone, I'm out of the tree game, at least for this season. I think I'll miss them tho. Dying trees reminds me of dipping Easter eggs, so I am considering some little pastel trees covered in eggs this spring….

There is only one putz house left ( out of the 30 or so that I had! That was lucky!). I use the original old houses, then foof and refoof them up. This one has a flocked wallpaper roof.

A couple of boxes got added to the shop, and I hope to add a couple more before I have to close down again. I shut the Etsy shop (there is a handy "vacation mode" you can switch on and off as needed) for Silver Bella, and now I will close next week when I go out of town. My husband says he has a special surprise planned for me, and I have no idea where he is taking me. I was told that I needed a swim suit and a nice dress.

I don't know any more details than that! We'll be in Virginia at the apartment, then down to Richmond for a business trip he has to take. From there, I have not a clue about what or where the surprise is. I was hoping that the surprise present was someone to do my end of the year taxes or to clean my house while I am out of town. But it sounds like he has a romantic getaway planned. So, I'll enjoy being whisked away and will have some fun memories to get me through those horrid tax and housework chores when I get back.

So, the shop will be open until Sunday, all packages sent out on Monday. Be watching for new things added each day until then!

putzing around the neighborhood

Etsy Goodies, fairies, give away, holiday decor, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / December 3, 2008

Happy December! Time to deck the halls! Well at least it should be for me- I usually go all out by Thanksgiving weekend, but this year a combination of things is slowing down my tinsel flinging. Guests, parties, shows, more parties, another show, and biggest of them all, a 2 year old fairy grand baby. I'm wondering if I even will decorate much at all this year.

We might not be decorating the house much yet, but Sugarwings and I have been dying bottle brush trees. She unwraps them and tosses them in the sink to soak, while we sing Christmas songs. With her help, I have colored about 120 some trees. It almost seems more like Easter than Christmas, with all the dipping and dying going on!

I've re listed a few on Etsy today,(5 minis for $11) and will have more to add soon.

There is a little bit of Christmas foof around the cottage. We had a dinner party on Saturday night, so I did a quickie holiday centerpiece for company.

When Beth and I used to share an antique mall booth, I noticed that any odd object she put under her "magic cloche" would sell right away. Our theory was that ANYTHING looks more important under glass. Put something under a dome, cake cover, or a cloche and you have an instant display! So, I put one of my decorated bottle brush trees, a $4 blue deer from a friends's shop (wearing some old rhinestone jewels, of course), and some ornaments under this one and then surrounded it with old ornaments.

More old ornaments are nested in glittery faux branches on the old chandelier I use as a candelabra (there are tea light candles in the sockets where the light bulbs should go). A few more Shiny Brites spill over onto the runner, and next to them is a cast iron fairy that Sugarwings brought in from the garden. There has to be a fairy somewhere in all my table scapes, of course!

After our party, I started feeling a bit "iffy" and went to bed early. I stayed there from Saturday night till late Monday morning, ugh. Some nasty bug got a hold of me, and I hear that our dinner party guest didn't go to work today, I think the same bug bit him too. Yeah, he'll really have fond memories of coming to visit us in Kansas and eating dinner at Typhoid Karla's.

While I had the box of vintage balls out (and before I realized I was coming down with Typhoid) I stuck some in a few cabinets.

It almost seems like cheating to just stick a few old Shiny Brites around for holiday decorating, but I like the simplicity of it. After going whole hog last year and having a few hundred people over for an open house, it might be nice to scale back a bit. Or a lot.

Plus Sugarwings has been in a redecorating mood lately. She loves to rearrange all of my stuff. The other day, an old mermaid figurine was missing and in its place was a potato masher. The figurine turned up in the bathroom, and the soap dish from the bathroom was in the living room on the coffee table. Then, I found my alarm clock (it doesn't really work, it just runs on "pretty time") on the kitchen counter. I can just see what fun she'd have with my heirloom holiday treasures.

She and I will have to figure out something. Maybe she can have her own little tree that is mess-with-able?

When I was a kid, I fell in love with little putz houses, and sitting elf dolls. Maybe this year, I can unpack all the elves and let Sugarwings deck the halls with those. In the meantime, I am having a blast of my own with a big box of putzes that I bought!

They seem to go so well with all my little Easter Egg colored trees!

There must have been about 15 or so houses in the box I bought, and most were pretty cute as is. But, it isn't like me to let well enough alone….

So I created a whole village of these houses on decorated boxes.

On most of the boxes, I covered the insides with coordinating wallpaper. All the bottoms are covered in pretty papers. And I have added extra trinkets and sweet little ornaments, and extra glitter to the scenes, even repainting some of the garish colors on a few of the houses. Yes, I know they are vintage and probably worth more before I messed with them. But I HAVE TO.

I just have to.

All of these little houses will come with me to Miss Frenchie's sale. As soon as the glitter and glue dry, I'm taggin and packin them up. I know I have too many for the sale, so will most likely be listing on Etsy when I get home this weekend.

If you are interested in coming to the sale, there will be some amazing vendors there! I'm impressed with the line up and have been pinching myself about being a part of the whole thing! Here is the info, please go by and take a look.

And before I forget- did you want to know the winner of the November gift that I made as a Silver Bella souvenier? It goes to Vicki.

Thanks to all of you who left a comment and entered the drawing. Don't forget, a new one has ALREADY started. Every comment all month counts towards the present I give out. I don't know what it will be for December, but I have a feeling it will be something glittery….