The Living Room at Christmas

The mantel, with stockings hung from antlers.  I told the kids I was making new stockings and they formed a rebellion.  So these are probably going away tomorrow.

Here are the old stockings.  A little too much color for me, and they are HUGE.  That's a lot of stocking to fill.  Skinny stockings are the way to go.

  I would have been happy to retire the Noel stocking holders this year in favor of just antlers.

The tags were punched out of an antique poetry book, and stenciled with initials.

  The "G" at the end is for Gracie Ireland the adorable mutt, an animal with a name lovelier than she deserves.

I made these out of old linen clothing: an outfit I had somehow held on to for 10 years, and an ecru skirt from the thrift store. The trim is cut from antique linens.

Here is our tree.  We went into the forest (friends' now-defunct tree farm, where we feel like Narnians).  My husband thought he was topping a Balsam, but this is either a Frasier or a Canaan, which is a volunteer cross between the two.  I like my trees spacey, open, and not too fat at the base.

The tree is decorated with vintage ornaments and old family photos.

Last year I found wonderful three-inch-wide brown paper to use as flat "ribbon."  I can't find it now, but I like the paper flowers.  White butcher paper is my favorite wrapping ever.  It's cheap and beautiful.

 Grandpa John on the left, my Dad on the right.

 Merry Christmas!  Light a candle and remember to breathe.

A Pretty Natural Christmas Porch

A driftwood and evergreen-filled urn, dusted with fresh snow.

I started a week ago, on a warm November day.  All the greens came from our trees.  If I fill the urns both at once, they turn out more symmetrical.

Pine cones gathered from the yard cover the dirt.

Burlap roses, sprinkled with fine glitter.  I love how they look against the driftwood.

Above the urns, the only color on our porch.  I am not a fan of the color red (as all my friends know).  But it's Christmas.  And our house is white with black shutters and a green door.  A touch of red is allowed.

We were happy with the snowfall, which made everything look beautiful.  But the wind was blowing like crazy, making the bough to the right crooked and blasting the sap bucket on the left clear off the porch.  That's okay.  I like symmetry with a twist, as evidenced by the unmatched old windows behind the urns.

(I am selling the burlap roses at Les Junc in Zimmerman, MN.  Open every Saturday from 10-4, and the third weekend of every month).