Santa Love

I have been in love with Santa since the first time I crawled into his lap at a local department store and whispered into his ear all the toys I wanted for Christmas.      The jolly old fellow had me at Ho Ho Ho.   My Santa love has grown over the years and while I no longer climb into his lap, I do surround myself with reminders of him.    I have so many Santas that I don’t have room to set them all out so I alternate each Christmas. 

This wrinkly Santa resides on my nature themed Christmas tree.   I love his piercing blue eyes.

This vintage looking Santa has a coat and hat of white ice crystals.

Another vintage looking Santa with a glittery red coat.

This Santa plate is back lit and was purchased at Kirklands a few years back.

My Santa head is in the hallway and watches us coming and going.    He knows when we are sleeping.    He knows when we’re awake.    He knows when we’ve been bad or good so we have to be good for goodness sake!

Howdy Partner.   I bet you didn’t know that Santa ropes cows during his off-season.

This Santa portrait was bought at Kirklands a few years ago.   Sorry for all the shadows in the picture.    However, I do like the reflection of my angel themed Christmas tree on the left side of the picture.

I love the white and gold sparkly coat.

This handsome fellow lights up.

The woodland Santas stand guard under my nature tree.

Love a Santa who bakes.

Could I have a fresh baked gingerbread cookie please?

A nod to my Irish heritage.   He is part of my International Santas collection.

God bless the U.S.A.

Thank you for taking a look at my Santas and sharing in my Santa love.

Marlee

I am linking to the following Holiday parties:

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Holiday @ French Country Cottage

Favorite Things @ Bargain Hunting with Laurie

Favorite Things @ Funky Junk Interiors

Viva Las Vignettes!

The lovely Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is hosting a Christmas Vignette party and I am thrilled to be participating in it.

I may be stretching it a bit to call this a vignette but hopefully the vignette police will not come after me.    I simply placed a garland with white lights run throughout it on my sideboard in the dining room.    I added a gold mesh ribbon, some glittery ornaments bought on clearance at Crate and Barrel, two glittery Christmas tree candles, a faux glittery candle in the middle and flickering faux candles.     The flickering faux candles were purchased this year at a Christmas store.    Everything else I already had.

This vignette is on my demi-lune table in the foyer.    The candleholder which I bought for $1.00 at a garage sale this past summer is topped with a gold glittery candle and a bow that my honey made last Christmas.       I bought the glittery reindeer at the Dollar Tree a few years ago.     The Santa is one of many in my Santa collection.     In years past, I placed them all together but this year I have spread them throughout the house and I like that much better.     They don’t get lost in the crowd.

The Martha Stewart glitter houses are on a shelf in my kitchen.     They were purchased on clearance at Macys a few years ago.

These woodland Santas and gnomes are hanging out under my nature tree on the sun porch.

I will conclude my post with the true reason for the season as depicted in my nativity sets.     The porcelain figures in the large set were purchased over 20 years ago.     My talented hubby made the stable for me.     It’s hard to tell from the picture, but there is  moss on the floor of the stable.   The two angels on each side of the nativity were gifts from a co-worker a few years ago and the angel prints were gifts from my sister.     The two white ornaments in the front were purchased at Cracker Barrel a few years back and the small wooden nativity scene on the right was purchased at Dollar Tree last year.    I don’t remember when or where I got the glass nativity that is sitting on a mirror but I have had it for a few years.     This vignette is backlit with white lights which makes the glass nativity really glow.

Thank you for stopping by.    Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

Marlee

Peace, Joy and Angels

I am linking this post to Layla’s mantel party at The Lettered Cottage and to Kim’s Boring to Better party at Savvy Southern Style.

Each Christmas I agonize over how to decorate my mantel.    I love a natural, simplistic look but never seem to achieve that despite my best efforts.

I was recently given a Kirklands gift card so I purchased a couple of things there for this year’s mantel and used other stuff I had on hand.

The battery on my camera died because I took so many pictures trying to get the best shot of the full mantel.     This picture doesn’t accurately reflect how it glows but I am going with it because it was the best of the bunch.     You can see the reflection of  my angel tree in the mirror and of old Saint Nick in the corner.

Thankfully this picture is clearer.    The mosaic angels were a Kirklands purchase.     I bought the Peace sign at Trees N Trends last year.

The bronze and gold beaded garland is so sparkly.    It is back lit by a string of gold lights.

The lit gold sisal tree came from Kirklands and the Joy sign was bought at the same time as the Peace sign.

That concludes the tour of my mantel.    Thanks so much for visiting.    Don’t forget to head over to the mantel party @ The Lettered Cottage and to the Boring to Better party @ Savvy Southern Style. 

Marlee

A Charming Village

On Thanksgiving Day the bookcases in my den were full of books, nick knacks and a small Harvest village.

The day after Thanksgiving they were magically transformed into a charming Christmas village.    Each picture can be clicked for a larger image.

If I lived in this village, I would be a regular at the Mistletoe Tea Room since there doesn’t appear to be a Starbucks in town.

The bookstore would be another one of my favorite places to go.

Santa’s elves are having a jolly old time making toys for all the good little boys and girls.

Can’t you just hear the choir’s angelic voices singing Silent Night?  This beautiful chapel, which was a gift from my husband, was the piece that started it all.     He purchased it at Gayfers Department Store (which went out of business in the 90’s) and he is amazed I remembered that because he didn’t.    I still miss that store.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this charming little village and will visit again to see more of my holiday décor.

I am linking to Metamorphosis Monday.

Have a great week!

Marlee