Christmas Traditions: Decorating

Christmas decorating begins slowly here. The nativity set and Advent calendar appear first, followed by a wreath on the door, and bits and pieces here and there. I'm fond of bringing nature indoors and that means, for us, a real tree. Sometimes we go to a pop-up Christmas tree shop a little ways out of town, but this year, time being short, we found fresh-smelling, narrow tree at our local grocery store. 

Tim stood the tree in its stand as soon as we got home, first cutting off an inch or two of the trunk and giving it a good drink. After some minor rearranging of furniture the tree stands in front of the window. Lights first, never my task. I shudder to think of doing that. 

We've collected and received ornaments over the years and there is little theme to our tree. It's fun to reminisce about ornaments as we hang them on the tree. Today we were at our son's home and on the tree there I recognized many ornaments I'd made over the years, or purchased. We gave one to each child every year. I often made one for our tree, too, so that it wouldn't be so bare when the children left home. 

Tim and I both agreed that decorating the tree isn't quite as much fun without the children here, but they are grown up and decorating trees for themselves and their families. We put on Christmas music and had a good time, after all. 

And the finished tree, smiling brightly. 

I like bowls of greenery - we have a holly bush with fat red berries that I clip, and cedar and rosemary from the garden. Pine cones sit in clusters here and there. 

The house looks so cozy and welcoming with the lights on the tree and mantel and other surfaces. Our weather has been so dull and dreary lately with dark skies and much rain. Any light is welcome. 

Over the years there have been a few tree mishaps. The year Tim and I were engaged, my parents' tree started smoking and was on the point of bursting into flames before Tim dragged it out the door. It was too close to the fireplace. 

One year, in Ecuador, we decorated the tree and the next morning found it taking a rest on the sofa. Tim stood it up again, and it stood well all day. The next morning we found it once again lounging on the sofa. Tim made sure that it wouldn't happen again. It didn't. It's made a good story. 

Another event this weekend was the celebration of our eldest granddaughter's 8th birthday. It's hard to fathom where the years have gone.

One more week until Christmas. Classes finish on Friday, the 21st, at noon. So very late.

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.   

Frosty outdoors, Cozy indoors

It's my first week-day morning at home in at least a month. The 8:30 a.m. class I've been teaching has been turned over to the regular teacher and I'm back to my usual afternoons. It's delightful. 

Yesterday morning was frosty. Before dashing to school, I zipped out to the garden with my camera. Rosebuds shiver, but still stand straight and pretty. 

The fig leaves have all dropped. The late crop of tiny figs is still on the tree, but they will soon fall, too, unable to flourish in these conditions. We rarely get to enjoy the second crop here.

I mentioned bathroom renos in my last post. We still haven't chosen the tile, but I did get something done. I had two of my photos printed onto canvas. These are 9 inch canvases because our ensuite is very small, and they fit perfectly. The shadows are awful, but that's the weather these days. When the work is complete, I'll show before and after photos of the rooms. But don't hold your breath. It might be awhile. I'm just glad everything is functional. 

I've been puttering away at some Christmas projects. These silk, beaded hearts are one of them. I have so many sewing supplies and am trying to use what I have. The beads and silk are leftovers from weddings. The hardest part of this project was threading the beading needle. Wow! That eye seems to have shrunk since the last time I beaded! All that's left is attaching thread loops for hangers. For that I can use a regular needle.

There are other projects in the works. I'm enjoying the handwork while sitting by a cozy fire with a cup of tea beside me. Time to get back to the stitching.

Are you working on any seasonal projects? 

Lemons, Fleur de lis and Daisies

Have you ever cooked with preserved lemons? They are often used in Moroccan foods and add a salty tartness to dishes. They are easy to make at home and I used some of our home-grown lemons to make a few small jars yesterday. It's a simple matter of layering lemon wedges and kosher salt, squishing the lemons down until the juice covers them. I added a bit more lemon juice to make certain everything was covered. Seal it up and let it sit for a month or so. I keep the jar in the fridge after that and it lasts at least a year.

While I was working with the lemons, I also made some lemon finishing salt, which consisted of grating the rind of a couple of lemons and rubbing it into sea salt. I dried the mixture for about 20 minutes at the lowest setting on my oven - 200 degrees, let it cool and put it into jars. I think it will be good on salmon and other fish dishes.  

 In the spring I painted the little lavatory off the laundry room. It was a dismal beige and now it's a beautiful green/blue color called Vienna Lake which is hard to see in this photo. Does the name of a paint color influence your decision? It does mine, so I've learned to cover the names while picking a color. 

The fleur de lis canvas was a simple idea. I drew the design on a folded sheet of paper - just one half of it, then cut the whole thing out and traced it onto a white painted canvas. I used a black Sharpie to color in the design, rather than paint, just because it was handy. It also made it easy to get an even line on the edges of the design. Someday we'll replace the vanity and fixtures, but this will have to do for now.
 

The past couple of days have been deliciously warm. I'm gardening in the early morning or evening to avoid the heat. These daisies are flourishing just now, but I wonder how long they will last.

It's the season for summer meals - salads of all kinds, and some kind of meat on the grill. Simple and satisfying. Thank you for all the ideas for flavoring water that you shared in the last post, and for your kind comments. I'm looking forward to fruity flavored water!

What's keeping you busy these days? Are you laying low trying to stay cool or feeling energetic and getting a lot accomplished?

Making Progress

"Up the stairs go the bears, up, up, up. Step by step, step by step, up, up, up." I sing this little ditty with my grandchildren as we climb 10 steps up, turn and climb 4 more. It's a memory of my own childhood - a song/story 45rpm recording of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The little misses have caught the tune and often sing it with me. Mr. F will learn it, too.

Along the long wall upwards there are three wedding portraits of our children. At the head of the stairs I've started a gallery wall of family photos. Some professionally taken, others casual snapshots. I love looking at them as I climb up or down the stairs. When I took everything down to paint the hall a couple of months ago, I determined not to rehang the photos until I had painted them. Some of the frames were naturally finished wood (made by Tim in Ecuador), until this week. I've had them laid out on the newspaper covered countertop and gave them a swipe of white paint several times. Today I finally cleaned the glass and hung the photos. One project more or less completed.
 

Finish number two - this shirt. It would look best on a person, but no person was nearby for modeling it. The fabric is a lovely soft printed lawn, just right for cooler days or as a loose cover-up over a t-shirt. I made it strictly according to the pattern, to determine exactly how I adjust for my own shape. I knew it probably wouldn't fit, and although it does, the next version will have some adjustments. This version will go to my younger daughter.  I'm happy with the way it turned out - flat felled seams, cuffs, collar and band. Can't wait to start my own.
 

Tim made this wonderful armoire/television cabinet 8 years ago. Since then we've purchased a flat screen tv that doesn't fit. The bottom now houses our printer/copier. The top is empty for now, but he's planning to fit it with shelves and I'll use it to store table linens.
 

For a minute there I couldn't remember why I was including the armoire. Scary. Oh, yes - I changed the stuff on top. A large hand-painted Italian platter bought in Quito, a French flowershop pot, a cake stand (also made by Tim) and a plant. Nothing new, but new to this space. I so love puttering with the things I already own. I don't need new stuff, that's for certain. But I like rotating displays, do you?
 

And a flower. We really can't have a post without a flower at this time of year. A wild rose growing on one of the islands we visited last week. Wild roses always make me think of the way Anne of Green Gables decorated the tea table for the minister and his wife - all ferns and wild roses.

It feels good to finish a few things. Are you a start-something-and-finish-it-before-starting-something-new kind of person or a million-things-on-the-go kind of person? I'm the latter, but I wish I were the former.

Five on Friday

Today slipped away in a flurry of phone calls, stacks of fresh, folded laundry, bathroom cleaning, and a walk in the sunshine. Blogging took a decided back seat. But here we are, and it's still Friday.

First of all, I did a little spring freshening up of my living room mantel. A stack of books. Trading out brass candlesticks for crystal, a piece of driftwood to hint of summer, and a leggy bunch of tulips, pink with blue centers. Here, I'll show you.

Blue! Amazing. The black flecks are all the pollen that is falling off. 

Two: We've had a lovely week, weather-wise. We mowed the lawn. I push the mower until he's finished doing the edging - by then I've usually completed the flat sections and he finishes off the rest. The smell of freshly cut grass sings summer to me. 

Three: I planted kale and radish seeds on Tuesday. The latter should be poking up through the ground tomorrow or Sunday. 

A quote for number four, well-known, but I read it with a new perspective this week:

"We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring will be to 
arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
T.S. Eliot (The Wasteland)

And last, but not least, a new song. I heard this on CBC while driving today in the bright sunshine. I find the words compelling and the music folksy and lovely.  Do listen and watch. The lyrics show up on the video, a good thing if you, like me, sometimes often have a hard time deciphering the words.

Matt Epp's Never Have I Loved Like This 
 
Have a wonderful weekend. Do you have anything planned? There's not much defined around here, so whatever unfolds will be spontaneous. 
 

On the Giving of Advice

Do you blog about controversial subjects? I don't. But that's about to change. Just a little. With this post. 

I am not a professional decorator, cook, seamstress, travel guide, or gardener. I enjoy learning new things in all of these areas, and more. The blogging community is so great - a grand sharing forum where I can read, learn, apply, adapt or ignore ideas and actions. The wealth of combined expertise is staggering. Such a great resource.
 

So who better to turn to for a little advice? A couple of years ago I asked a specific question about a specific feature in my living room - the window coverings - hoping for an "aha" comment that would solve my dilemma. 

What I got in the comments was advice on wall color, on furniture arrangement, on what to hang on my walls, a few window covering comments plus a comment that my room looked cold and uninviting. Well. 

I've not asked for decorating advice since. In fact, I haven't posted a photo of a room in my home since. Corners and vignettes, yes. Whole rooms, no.

I ignored the comments and still haven't found a solution I like for my windows. It will come. Decorating my home is a work in progress. I'm always tweaking something, adding here and taking away there, without buying new stuff very often. My style is mine and I'm happy with it.
 

Recently another blogging friend asked for advice on what color appliances to put into a condo she needed to sell quickly. Black or white. That's it. She also received all kinds of unsolicited advice on painting the cabinets, putting in stainless steel, changing out this and that.

In her next post, she graciously explained all the reasons why she wouldn't do this or that. So sweetly.

I look at a lot of blogs over the course of a week. Everyone's style is unique. I appreciate that. Some decor I like. Some I don't. Some I really don't. What matters is that the owner likes it. 

As a takeaway here: Read carefully. What question does the writer want answered? Answer it. Give opinions on why, but don't feel free to redecorate the entire room in your comment. Judge not. Pictures don't tell the whole story. Homes, like people, like blogs, are works in progress.

There. I've said my piece. Nicely, I hope. 


 

It's Beginning...

...to look a lot little like Christmas. The wreath is on the door, but there's nothing like a photograph to let you see the work something needs. The splayed out ribbon definitely needs some tweaking. I'm liking the plain green against the red door, though. Maybe I'll wire in a few pine cones.

The wood carved nativity is set out on the china hutch. I've played with putting it elsewhere, but like it best in that spot. On the bottom of one shepherd carving is written, "purchased in 1983 in San Antonio de Ibarra." (Ecuador) So that makes it 30 years old. One of the cow's horns fell off, but it was a clean break and can be glued back on.

Guests for dinner on Friday night combined with never knowing when I'm going to be called in to teach mean that I need to get my decorating done while I can - like today. Except for the tree. That will come later. And I'll have help. At least for the lights.

Is it beginning to look a little or a lot like Christmas at your place?

Another Item Ticked Off the List

What's wrong with this picture (above)?
 

"Nana, this chair has a HOLE in it."
 

Well, yes it does. In March (time really flies) I found a set of 6 dining room chairs for a really good price. The seats were in terrible shape; someone had attempted recovering them and the foam was thin and squishy, and the fabric improperly applied.

The cherry wood chairs themselves were in good shape with labels inside from a very reputable Canadian chair manufacturer.

I did not use the new-fangled Chalk Paint on these chairs - my husband (Mr. Woodworker in his spare time) is highly suspicious of things that don't require proper preparation like sanding, washing with TSP, and a coat of primer. I did all that and then I applied 4 (FOUR) coats of white paint. Thin coats, and there are still a few drips.
 

Then I took the seats to the foam store where they cut and glued firm foam to the chair bases. Last week Tim and I spent a couple of hours one evening and managed to cover one seat. Things were not looking good. But the next night, the remaining five seats were covered lickety-split. We'd figured out the system the first night. First a covering of polyester quilt batting, then the fabric tightly, tightly applied with a staple gun, then a dust cover underneath. Then Scotch Guard and finally, on Saturday morning, we screwed the seats back onto the chairs. 

And I'm very, very happy with the way they look and how comfortable they are. Very happy. I like the mix of painted and wood finishes in the dining room and how the light paint makes the room brighter. The walls are pale blue and go well with the grey hutch. Another wood piece sits behind this chair at the end. And I love the upholstery fabric - a Robert Allen print from Fabric.com.

This was a bigger project than I'd anticipated and I'm happy to see it completed. Just one more thing to tick off the list. Have you ticked any projects off your list lately?

A Little of This and That

Last week I received my copy of Susan Branch's A Fine Romance. I've admired Susan's style for many years, and have enjoyed reading her blog. Oddly, this is the first book I have of hers. I'm so enjoying her rambles through the English countryside with her husband Joe and am thinking that in a few years, a trip to England might be the thing to do. We'll see. I'm pacing myself with this book - a hard thing for me to do.
 

Does it seem to you that some summers are filled with more home maintenance projects than others? This is one such year. I've never liked the outside of our home - pale vinyl siding, and a few years ago when we added the garage we had the idea of trimming it with this pinky beige color. It's really awful and I can only assume that I was on some sort of medication at the time I chose it. Anyway, this is the year it disappears. I'm working on that. I also painted the front door which will be revealed sometime.  Maybe.

We're having a few cooler days now and painting isn't a bad thing to be doing. All that stretching has to be good for me, too. 
 

Every year I plant green pole beans around the wooden teepees Tim built for me. Every year I wonder how those little plants will ever grow to produce beans. And every year I'm wowed. There are lots and lots of green beans to harvest and the plants have entwined themselves around the teepees, the kale, the rhubarb and anything else they can reach. I pick green beans every other day, cook them for us, freeze them for soups and stews, and give them away. Want some? 

 

I Learned Something New Today

I learn so much from other bloggers. Like creating a color palette on photos. Jen of Muddy Boot Dreams created some beautiful palettes from her photos and gave a link to a tutorial on how to do it in PicMonkey. In the above example, I created the color swatches on top of the photo. They are not as visible as in the image below, where I created a strip underneath the photo.

I've been thinking of enlarging this photo for our bedroom, but wondered if the colors would go with what I already have there. I thought there might be too much green. But I see that it will go perfectly. 

My mind is whirling with possibilities. Do you use PicMonkey? This was my first visit there - I've stuck with Picasa and Photoscape thus far. Another tool to add to my editing file. Have you learned anything interesting from the blogging community recently? 

Things Take Longer When Ikea is a Ferry Ride Away

Some people like Ikea, some don't. I'm in the first category. I find wandering through the store inspirational, especially for organization. Last December I purchased a set of tab-topped curtains to make new coverings for our patio doors. I also purchased a curtain rod for the kitchen window. Alas, when we got home, I discovered that the curtain rod was too short and I should have purchased two sets of curtains. "Oh well," thought I, "we'll be going over again soon."

We planned a trip for February 15 - Tim had to go over for a meeting and I would tag along, spend the day shopping, and we'd spend the night with our daughter and son-in-law. By the evening of the 14th I knew I wasn't going anywhere but between my bed and my bathroom. Tim thought he would stop at Ikea on the way home and at least return the curtain rod. Not so. By noon he was feeling a little queasy and stopped eating - a very good thing. He managed to get home on the ferry (after passing out cold as he came up from the car deck and spending most of the sailing in the first aid room). Let's just draw a curtain over that weekend.
 

Last week while in Vancouver, Ashley and I went to not one, but two Ikeas. There was job action at the first one which meant no returns and no restaurant. So we drove all the way across town, using about $12 worth of gas, just to return a $2.00 curtain rod and have lunch. But I did get another set of curtains and completed the project. I cut the tabs off and hung the curtains from clips at the top. Then I added a wide border at the bottom and topped it with some navy grosgrain ribbon. The kitchen curtain is still in the works. Hopefully it won't take another 7 months to complete.

Can I also add how difficult it is to take photos of curtains on windows? I'll bet professional photos are taken on fake windows. Or they have better lighting equipment.

Before and Mid-way

I've been looking for new dining room chairs. The ones we've had for many years were made in Ecuador and are not very comfortable. They catch me in just the wrong place in the back and I've noticed others wriggling in them from time to time. In March I found a set of 5 of the above chairs plus one captain's chair in a secondhand store. I like the lines. The price was right so they came home with us. 
 

They've been obviously and incompetently recovered. The edges were uneven, the foam didn't extend to the edges of the frame and while sitting, the frame caught oddly behind the knee. When I started taking them apart, the incompetence was revealed. Foam cut nilly-willy, pieced in places. No batting between foam and fabric. 

I pulled out nails and staples and took the chair seats down to the solid wood frame and burlap-covered springs. The seats are at a foam shop and I'll pick them up later today. 
 

 Meanwhile, every morning this week (save today) I've put on my painting clothes and spent 2- 3 hours painting the chairs. This photo was taken after the second coat. Four have been done (including the primer) and I think I'll do one more. Couldn't face it this morning, though. Can we say drips? Chairs are fiddly things to paint.

The original tags are still on the chairs and I looked up the company. Anthes-Baetz Furniture built solid wood furniture in Kitchener, Ontario from about 1915 to 1970 or so. These chairs were built in 1962. 

The next step will be covering the seats. My penchant for blue and white is well known. But I balance it with lots of greenery, colorful flowers, and warm wood tones.

Little Miss A takes her naps on the bed in my sewing room. The other day when I went in to get her, she said, "Nana, everything is blue in here - that's blue, that's blue, that's blue" as she pointed at the walls, the quilt, the picture and some books. Yes, blue's my favorite color. No doubt about it when a two-year old notices.

Bedroom Curtains

Because the light comes in from two sides, it was hard to get a good picture of the bedroom curtains. This early morning one seems to be the best, although it looks very cool. Be that as it may, I'm happy to have the project done, and happy with the results. Since we never turn on our bedroom heat I decided to make the curtains full length in spite of the baseboard heater. Artwork and some other arranging needs to be done before I show you the entire room. Recovering that chair is also on the list.
 

The walls are a pale blue and the curtains have various shades of blues, grays and creams in an ikat pattern. These are my favourite colours. Cool and soothing. Calm. I add warm colours and brights in small doses.
 

A couple of free grandbaby photos to finish the post. Little Miss A is happy to be outside in the yard, squelching as she runs on the soggy grass. She's talking up a storm and narrates her own play in a way that I love to hear. Yes, those are stickers on her hand, her nose and her forehead. She decided where to place them.
 

Little Miss S is growing up, sitting and playing for long stretches of time. Two little white teeth have appeared. She's showing no desire to crawl, but loves "walking" with assistance. I've read that with the emphasis on back sleeping, fewer babies crawl than they once did.

And now, on with my day. My first class today will be challenging. The class is viewing "The Question of God" - a video series highlighting the opposing viewpoints of Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. I'm to lead a discussion on one episode, which I have not seen, but have read the transcript. Should be interesting. This will be followed by three English classes, two studying "The Chrysalids" and the other "All Quiet on the Western Front." Both novels I enjoy. 

I'll catch up with you all later. Hope your day is filled with wonderful moments.

Tweaking the Living Room

My sister-in-law, who visited last week, is a nurse. She told me that after work one day/night, she came home in the wee hours and rearranged her living room furniture. "Aha!" thought I, "this is a woman after my own heart." 

The two of us set about rearranging my living room furniture, with Mum sitting on the side, giving advice. I like the new arrangement. Tweaking my home perks up my spirits. There will be more tweaking after I write this post because, I was in such a hurry to write this that I didn't vacuum the carpet first.
 

The carpet mess is from the sticks I was playing with, now behind the couch, in front of the window. I wanted to ask some advice of all my savvy decorator readers. Even if YOU don't think you're savvy, I'm still asking your advice. The window is a shallow bay. There are white wood venetian blinds on it now, with a funny sort of valance topper. I would love to change this out and add more fabric for softness. Long panels would be ideal, but we have electric baseboard heat and the curtains cannot be floor length. The window coverings do need to close at night for privacy.
 

While you're thinking about the window, here's a view of the corner opposite the window. That chair was a wedding gift from my in-laws and is in excellent shape. During the years we lived in Ecuador it was stored in my parents' basement and rarely used. I would like to recover it someday. 
 

I hope you're still thinking about the windows because the same window coverings will be used in the dining room, seen here from the living room. There are two of them, in the corner, with a baseboard heater under one of them. Why do builders do this? 

If you have ideas, please share them. I've been pondering this for many months and don't like the only solution I can come up with. It's likely one of you has better ideas.

A Christmas Mantel

Have you ever done one of those questionnaires that help you to figure out what your decorating "style" is? I have. The results are always inconclusive. Sometimes I like the rustic woodsy look, sometimes I'm classic traditional, sometimes cozy cottage. There are so many wonderful looks out there.

These days I'm liking simple more. Pared-down, but not austere, clean, with natural elements. I think my mantel reflects that. I layered a sanded door from the china cabinet I painted a few months ago. My husband thought we should just throw the doors away, since they are not going back onto the cabinet. I rescued them, knowing they would come in handy at some point. 

Cedar clippings from the yard, which will be replaced once again before Christmas since they dry out in a hurry indoors, big pine cones from Ecuador, a candlewick embroidery projects done years ago, candles, and bits of mercury glass. 

You'll notice that to jazz things up a bit, I added borders to the photos with Photoscape. I haven't finished decorating yet, but I'm not in much of a hurry. We like to leave everything out until the 1st of January and enjoy it after the celebration of Christmas Day. 

Is your home decorated already? Have you figured out your decorating style?