I know I downsized the amount of Christmas decorations last year and even with that smaller stash, I only used a fraction of them this year
But I do have some very favorite vintage Christmas things that I hope I always can use.
I baked a big batch of butter spritz cookies with my mom's Mirro cooky press. She thinks she got it when I was very little, with S&H green stamps. That cooky press has been used a lot but it still works as good as ever.
Our elf on the shelf belonged to my husband's grandmother. My grandson tells me that if we give that elf a name, then he will come alive and move around at night when we are asleep. His school classroom has an elf on a shelf named Ralph and Gavin says he is lots of fun.
I think our vintage elf is also called a tree hugger. But he is going to remain nameless, there are enough messes at my house, I don't want more mischief from an elf :)
This green tree is decorated with Chrismon ornaments, all hand stitched by my mom.
the stockings are doubled up on some of the holders. I think we have 13 stockings for ourselves and all our children but I only have 9 holders. One thing new this year is a just sewn stocking for youngest grandson.
our nativity set, the brown ceramic pieces were made by a longtime family friend.
The blue ceramic piece was made by son Bobby at a Sunday School party, probably 20 years ago.
But I do have some very favorite vintage Christmas things that I hope I always can use.
I think our vintage elf is also called a tree hugger. But he is going to remain nameless, there are enough messes at my house, I don't want more mischief from an elf :)
The blue ceramic piece was made by son Bobby at a Sunday School party, probably 20 years ago.
That is all the decorating for this year. Many of the gift are bought or made but not one a single one is wrapped.
I am thinking I may have to look for some gift bags on sale or at the Dollar Tree, that would be simpler than wrapping, don't you think?
Do you all wrap or bag?
How nice to have keepsake items to decorate with! I don't have any from my childhood. I'd love to get my hands on Granny's old fashioned bubble lights or camels and wisemen that decorated her mantel every year. And Mama's pretty vintage ornaments including the tree topper with 'angel hair' in it.
ReplyDeleteJohn has a stocking and a Santa that are his keepsake items and they come out every single year even if they don't fit my 'theme' decor, lol.
Your home looks nicely decorated. I don't know what happened this year but it seems my tree has enough baubles on it even though I used only a fraction of them. I left off the silver and red baubles this year and just used gold except for a very few smaller items in red and silver.
ReplyDeleteI can still remember the nativity scene my mother would put out every year. I wish we still had it and I would put it out too. I've never seen another one like it.
Your cookies look yummy and look store bought too! That spritz works really great.
I haven't finished making my presents let alone wrapping them. I got the store bought pressies wrapped and sent off and will have to work on the rest next week. I usually use gift bags and tissue paper from the dollar store but I don't put any writing on the tags that are attached to the bags in case the recipient would like to re-use and recycle the bags too. This year I managed to wrap most of the store bought pressies in wrapping paper. I got some wrapping paper at a very good price and wanted to use it.
Your home looks lovely. It is great to have all those memories surrounding you during the season.
ReplyDeleteSo many lovely vintage and hand made treasures here!
ReplyDeleteI may use a gift bag here and there but most are wrapped and then I use the old fashioned curling ribbon... I have not wrapped a thing yet. I am not crazy about it, and have to set the stage...Christmas carols playing and all that to get me in the mood.
Had to laugh out loud over your elf not getting a name, I can so relate too enough mess makers!! What lovely things you have, my favorites too are ones that have been passed down or made by our kido's when they were young. Wrapping is done!! I use wrapping paper I pick up on sale after the holiday's. Thanks for sharing your home
ReplyDeleteThings look ready for Santa at your place! Not much here yet, only five village houses, the nativity set, and a Christmas tablecloth. We just give the kids cash so it usually doesn't get wrapped. Anyway, my wrapping skills aren't too good :) If I try putting a gift inside a bag with tissue paper, the paper ends up looking wadded up; any ideas on how to make it look professional?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful stuff....it's always fun to see other's Christmas decor. I love the old stuff. How fun to have that cooky press. My mom used to buy things with those stamps, too!
ReplyDeleteI almost always do gift bags but this year I did wrap! I found several rolls of new christmas wrap at the thrift store and auction this year so I put that to good use. I think it depends on the gift...size and shape.
I love your nativity!
ReplyDeleteI have a new cookie press that is all plastic. It drives me crazy because it keeps getting stuck. They sure don't make quality things the way they use to.
I more of a wrapper. There is just something about ripping the paper off!
It all looks very lovely Rhonda. Your family room is very cozy. I have one very special angel ornament I received from a friend way back when we were 12. I think of Kristen every Christmas and hope she is well.
ReplyDeleteblessings, jill
Your home looks lovely. Look at all those stockings. Your cookies look delicious too. As far as gift wrapping goes I do a combination of bags and wrap. Depends on my mood and how much I have to wrap up. So far this year I've managed to stay on top of it.
ReplyDeleteYour home looks cozy. This year our home looks like a tornado went through it because of our kitty. Not many decorations out but the tree is up and is barely alive lol. Wrapping presents consists of bags and paper. It depends on how big the present is or how ambitious I am :)
ReplyDeleteI love your vintage decorations! Especially the cookie press, My grandmother had so many items like that and i never thought to set them aside to hand them down. Also my Grandfather had a bird that lived in our christmas tree, it was a ball that you put in the tree and plug it into the lights that you put on the tree and every so often it would chirp. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I cant find anything like it anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet picture of you and your mom! I too have that same cookie press. It was a gift a few Christmases ago. All my friends know I love to bake and love vintage (even wrote a vintage novel: www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com), and when they find vintage things they pass them on to me.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made cookie's yet this year and you reminded me to get out my press and bake!
I have a Christmas elf too, my sister had the twin and we called them "jingle" and "jangle."
I put gifts into gift bags, I guess I'm just too lazy to wrap them. The gift bags are always second and third hand, so it works!
ReplyDeleteYour nativity set is beautiful!!!
So beautiful.... I have to say, I absolutely adore your Nativity set!! xo
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same nativity set but mine has 11 pieces including the stable. I'm missing Baby Jesus. Do you know when it was made? I just got mine from the Goodwill.
ReplyDeleteI think it was made around 1975 or so. A friend made at at a ceramics shop where the shop poured the pieces, then the customers clean and paint the pieces and the shop fires them a second time to cure the paint, my other grandmother had a nativity set made the same molds but her set had many pieces, maybe 20 or more. My daughter has that set now,
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad you are missing baby Jesus, have you looked on EBay for a replacement?
The Spritz cookies you made with the OLD cookie press was my "most favorite 2013 Christmas treat". Thank you for baking them - the Princess flavoring is special!
ReplyDelete