the great beaded garland caper of 2020

I am anticipating the need for a holiday season distraction to help keep me distracted as we get closer to a holiday open house that won’t be happening… So, I’m moving forward with a holiday project that has been on the back burner for years… I removed and destrung the glass bead garlands from the […]

through the whole damned house…

I think the mantle display is as complete as it will be this year. I think… Last night, I completed the shelves for the “upstairs” vignettes. Installation proved difficult hooks and pegs allowed the shelves to lean and pull away from the wall. Cleats were the way to go. Fast forward through pre-drilling, and levelling, […]

fall beds, fall cooking

Today is a chili kind of day, but dinner got started late, because darkness at two-thirty is messed up and tomatoes need to cook down. While the remainder of our green tomato harvest roasted with onion and garlic, I headed outside to tend the fall beds. We’ve already had snow and numerous frosts, so I […]

meet the family:

Grandpa Joe (and little Cousin Emily Ann): Grandpa Joe (Ann Marie’s husband) enjoys reading stories to his grandchildren. The holidays with the gathered extended family gives Joe many occasions to revive his well-worn jokes (to the family’s dismay). Joe is fond of moustache wax, pocket watches, and his comfy purple house slippers. He adores his […]

eternal bliss

I don’t think I’ll ever tire from watching a tiny little starship circle our tree…

unicorns and glass walls

Be a unicorn: The teal tree that started the unicorn tree last year really needs to be the bedroom tree, so I was on the market for a new unicorn. I’ve always had pink in mind, but the one that set that tone disappeared from the market. Well, from the affordable market. The teal tree […]

meet the family:

Ruthann (and Baby Patrick): Ruthann is Mr. and Mrs. Bell’s eldest child. Outside of schoolwork, Ruthann spends most of her time helping with the younger kids. She certainly appreciates the bump it gives to her allowance. She is wholly committed to both braids and bangs, and her favorite color is red. She has yet to […]

meet the family:

Uncle Pete: Martha’s husband, Pete, is a retired professor of music. He offers music lessons to anyone in the family that shows interest. He loves filling the house with music throughout the holidays, eagerly enlisting the help of any available grandchildren. Pete loves his signature red suspenders, Ann Marie’s old painted upright, and has made […]

letting it snow…

I decided to revisit faux snow for the external vignettes, using glittered blanket snow and iridescent flakes.

meet the family:

Aunt Martha: Aunt Martha is more than happy to help her sister, Ann Marie, through the holidays. She steps in every year, preparing meals as Ann Marie handles all the holiday goodies. The sisters are so close, Martha and her husband, Pete, moved into the carriage house on the property this past spring. Martha enjoys […]