ALL AROUND THE HOUSE ~ ~ ~

 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!   This could be the last installment of Christmas decorating ~ there are more pictures but maybe enough is enough already!!  We'll see!  This great iron reindeer was a garage sale find this summer ~ you may have seen him then!  He's looking good with pinecones and winterberries on a bed of fresh pine!

A small Santa collection done by an artist that I never met ~ she sent her work along with a friend and I bought each one as she would make them.  The bodies are muslin and after she painted the faces on, she dipped the head and hands in parafin.  All the clothing is stitched by hand ~ each one very different!  I felt very lucky to be able to own them ~ she was elderly and soon quit offering them for sale.  The little cupboard is very old ~ the tiger maple we bought from someone at a show years ago.

Two redware Santas keep company with a very old chenille Santa ~ he's pretty fragile ~ he's seen a lot of Christmases! Ginger Cazan, redware artist and rug hooker, made the little one on the top right and the bottom one is by well-known potter, Ned Foltz.

Handmade Santas on the top shelf of the corner cupboard  ~ one carved, the middle one is wool made by an old friend, Dottie Schmitz, and the third one is papier mache by Tom Coe!  The three on the bottom shelf are all antiques ~ the middle guy is a bank! 

Here's Marge's cabinet ~ that's what we seem to call it ~ decked out with a little greenery and old bottle-brush trees.













 The little tree resides at the bottom of the basement stairwell ~ years ago, I made hearts out of antique quilt pieces ~ and friend, Carol Mowry, made this little treetop angel out of muslin strips ~ lots of memories on this little tree!

This week we attended a high school choir concert and Camden's 5th grade talent show!  We were amazed at how good these kids were ~ Cam was in a dance troupe that did a routine to "Thriller".  And you'll be pleased to know we got our shopping done!!  I took Tad out yesterday afternoon to do his ~ he buys for everyone in his family ~ that's a lot of presents!  Last night, Sonny and I went out to finish up and stopped for a bite and beverage!  Then we hit Walmart and got home at 11:30 ~ woo hoo!!  Earlier today, I baked the cakes for my Black Forest Cake and will finish that in the morning ~ Sonny baked a fruitcake  and has an apple pie in the oven! Dora Domestic rides again!!!!  With a little more wrapping, we'll  be ready for the big day! 

Grandson Luke came over this morning for breakfast and to set up Tad's Ipad for us ~ call a 12 year old if you're in need of technical help!!  Tad is going to love it!  In fact, he is over at Teddy's now for a Christmas Eve celebration with their step-mother and family and Luke is going to show Tad how to use it!!  Tomorrow he'll get all the accessories to it ~ SmartCover, stylus, etc.  It's very impressive to me that even though Tad has Downs Syndrome, he can use these 'newfangled' technologies ~ these kids have their limitations ~ but they have wonderful and far-reaching capabilities, also!!  One of God's blessings!

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve ~ whether you're alone or with somebody ~ think good thoughts and have some Christmas cheer ~ that's what we're going to do! 

Talk to you soon ~ Alice