I Will Honour Christmas In My Heart

I will honour Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year.
I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.
The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.
I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!

~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

ANNE MARIE'S HOME 2011 and MORE of my CHRISTMAS STORAGE!

On Sunday, we visited with our dear friends Anne Marie and Tony.
We had a lovely time and what a break it was for me from taking down Christmas decorations.
A break I truly needed.
And I am so glad that I took TIME out to spend TIME with our friends. Remember TIME is my One Little Word for 2012!

I am going to take you on a Tour of our friend's beautiful home like I did last year but first, I wanted to show you some of the spaces in our home where I store our Christmas decorations. In my last post, I told you there is storage under our stairs through a trap door in the Hallway closet.

As you can see, our hot water heater is in there too and we are on a concrete floor with no basement.


I also have mentioned that our attic is floored and the rafter system actually creates sections.
You can see that below.....

Years ago, I numbered the Sections and keep a list of what was in each section. Everything from the Living Room is in Section 3.

Instead of taking down all of these boxes in which many of my Santa's are stored, I haul them up and down in a laundry basket after I take them out of the boxes.

I do the same thing with the living Room floral as it is stored in this massive tub.


So that is what the attic looks like . The Kitchen and Dining Room decorations are in Section 2. Some outside things that are not kept down our Storage Unit is in Section 1.

Well, enough of that and now on to my TOUR of ANNE MARIE and TONY's HOME.....

When you walk through the front door, directly to your left is Anne Marie's Grandmother's sewing machine.

She decorates it for every season and holiday. I love the black and white floor tiles!

You can see the stripes that Tony painted on their walls. Stunning!
How beautifully she has this basket decorated along with the ornaments on a silver tray.

The sewing machine is so pretty with all of the original markings on it.

This Santa is to the right of the front door.

Looking down along the hallway along the stairs ( which I forgot to take a pic of!) is this sweet little tree.

Sorry it is a bit blurry......

This vignette is set up as you walk into the Living Room. The cat was a gifted to Anne Marie.

A curio filled with all kind of pretties.....

Looking into the Living Room......

Anne Marie has displayed many of her silver pieces on the Entertainment Center....

Another pretty vignette set up in the corner.....

Love this piece hanging on the wall.....

Some of Anne Marie's Bearington Bears.....

Don't you just adore this top hat and shoes?????

Some of her Silver Bridal baskets filled with ornaments.....

A pink Christmas tree......

A Pink Victorian Style tree.....



So pretty.....

Please click on pics to enlarge.....



The sofa table.....

Just beautiful.....

Love that you can see the tree and the mantle in the Dining Room in this pic......

Lamps were bought at a local Antique Co Op...

A carriage full of dolls to the side of the sofa table and their kitty also had to get in the picture...

This pic has the fireplace screen in front of the tree to keep Kitty away ......

The Dining Room......
Tony did the ceiling himself.
What you can't see in the pics is that in both the Dining Room and the Living Room, there is glitter in the plaster so the ceiling in these 2 rooms actually sparkles , especially when the lights are on.

Anne Marie always does Tablescapes and keeps her Dining Room table set.
I so wish I could do that......



This is the wall to the right as you walk into the Dining Room.....

And then there is the magnificent Fire Place and stunning mantle!

I also want to point out the windows that Anne Marie did using Gallery Glass....

The beautiful angel was a gift from Tony and that prompted Anne Marie to change her whole theme for this year to mainly white and silver.....

The trees are from Country Folks .....

She used several silver candle holders and silver poinsettias.....

On the side of the Fire Place....
I love her carpet in the Dining Room.....

The buffet to the left of the Fire Place.....

In keeping with the theme of the mantle , Anne Marie simply hung several Angel Wings from the mirror and the lamps........

A Chocolate set on a silver tray and faux pastries displayed on more of Anne Marie's Silver collection....

In the back ground , you can see Tony's Grandfather Clock in the corner.
Anne Marie has told me in the past that it was Tony that wanted the Clock.

It was wonderful sitting at this beautiful table with the fire roaring , enjoying the company of good friends....

Look at how the silver on the table gleams.....


Anne Marie decorated her table mainly in white and silver for Christmas....

The plates that she used are from a set of dishes, The Twelve Days of Christmas , that she bought from our church Flea Market. All the stem ware came from an estate that was donated to our church flea market that Anne Marie bought.

In the center is a silver Bridal Basket filled with ornaments....


Looking into the Living Room, you can see the love seat.

See the antique butter dome on the table....

In the hutch, is Anne Marie's grandmother's china....


Anne Marie showed me some of her new treasures......

Aren't they cute?

And don't you just love this??????

Beautiful!!

And now we go into the Kitchen....

More of Anne Marie's Bearington Bears......

Just Darling!!

I love how Anne Marie displayed the Christmas tile I bought her for her Birthday!
More Silver baskets and the rest of the Twelve Days of Christmas plates which she used for dessert....

Another wall in the Kitchen by a counter bar that overlooks the Dining Room....

This is Tony's display in the downstairs Bathroom...

Men's antique shaving items....

Many of the items in their home were bought on their Sunday trips to various Antique shops , gift stores, etc. around Penna., N.Y. and N.J.

I want to create a vignette something like this for Joe on Joe's dresser in our bedroom.....

View of the Living Room from the stairs....

And now we are upstairs. This home originally had an apartment upstairs and an apartment downstairs. The whole home was completely remodeled several years ago and made into a single home.
As you walk up the stairs, you enter a sitting room/library .

On the one wall....

Another Bearington Bear in her nightgown.....

The door on the left leads out to an enclosed porch....
Love this chair.....

Also love this set.....

This was the Kitchen area of the second floor apartment.....

Love the blue, white and yellow......

There is also another full bathroom upstairs and in the area that used to be the kitchen is a refrigerator. I would never get Joe to go downstairs if I had a sitting room like this off the master bedroom!! LOL!!

Bearington Bears dressed in their P. J.'s on the sofa.....

An antique candle holder on the coffee table....

And now for the Library part.....

I so wish I had room for something like this in my house!

Needless to say, Anne Marie is an avid reader!

More of her collection of Bears....

This is on the left as you walk into the Master Bedroom....

A beautiful lamp and another sweet Bearington Bear....

First glimpse of the Master Bedroom.....

To the left, are the double closets...

And isn't this simply to die for????

Again, Anne Marie did the window with Gallery Glass...

Can't you just imagine yourself laying on this chaise ( or fainting couch) , sipping on a cup of tea and reading a book that you chose from the library in the other room??????

Another Funeral basket....

I could kick myself for throwing out several of these baskets that were in my parent's garage when my Mom sold the house....

The dresser...

And will you look at this bed!!!

At the base of the bed.....

A Victorian Style purse.....

In the corner......

Anne Marie's collection of Antique and vintage wedding and christening pieces....

Please click on pics to enlarge to see these beautiful pieces better....






Bridal dolls.....

Antique Wedding Gown.....


Stunning!!

I just have to mention that the parasol was my Christmas gift to Anne Marie. I am so glad that it matches so well with all her beautiful pieces in this room.

Another beautiful piece.....

An antique Wedding certificate....


And that concludes my tour of Anne Marie and Tony's beautiful home. I hope you enjoyed it.

Anne Marie changes her Christmas decor every year and does not put out the same things year after year. Many of her things are stored in the basement and that is where she unpacks things and then chooses what she is going to use.

You cannot imagine how I wish I could do this. I have to haul everything down out of the attic. I guess I could use my guest room or the Craft room to unpack things...

My problem is that I do not have the self discipline to not put everything out. Maybe I should try that.......

If you would like to see Anne Marie's Home decorated for Christmas Last year, please click HERE

Please leave a comment if you visited to tell Anne Marie that you stopped by to see her home!! I am trying to talk her into blogging even though she visits many of you, she does not have her own blog!

I am linking this post up to these great parties:

Masterpiece Monday

Blue Monday

Mod Vintage Mix Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Cozy Home Party Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Tea Cup Tuesday

Tabletop Tuesday

Home Decor and Organizing Link Party

Wow Us Wednesday

White Wednesday

Rednesday

Tablescape Thursday

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Open House Party Thursday

Delightfully Inspiring Thursday

Home Sweet Home Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Potpourri Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Homemaking Link Up Party

Pink Saturday

Seasonal Sunday

Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and every day that you take the time to visit with me!

Hugs,
Debbie

28 comments:

  1. Wow Debbie! Her home is stunning! She does have a way with decorating. I can see why you wish you had a basement too to store all your gorgeous decorating items.
    The chocolate tea set is divine! Wow! And that tea set too!
    Thank you so much for sharing with us!
    Hugs,
    terri

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  2. I enjoyed the tour from my cozy chair with my coffee and p.js on.The best way to take a tour.Thanks for the enjoyment,it was fun.She has a lovely home.Denise

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  3. Her house is lovely. She must have so much fun decorating for Christmas. She has some really gorgeous little treasures.
    Hugs, Cindy

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  4. L-O-V-E the terrarium house with the tree. I have a smaller house that I may have to copy this idea for next year!

    I also really like her sewing machine area!

    Thanks for sharing your storage tips and this lovely home on my party. Hope to see you next week!

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  5. Wow! Debbie, I can see why you love her home! What's not to love! I love the chocolate set and the bear family. Her white angel is gorgeous. But her bedroom is my favourite; lovely! Love the bedding and the chaise as well as the bench at the end of the bed. Just lovely. Thanks for the tour.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  6. Wow! What a fun blog! Coming over from Faded Charm and I'm truly amazed. Can you come over and organize my Xmas stuff?! ;) Love that old sewing machine and the black/white flooring. Stunning! Happy new follower.

    Jeanine

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  7. Wow Debbie!!! Anne Marie's home is simply stunning!!! OMG!! I spotted the Bearington Bear with the dachsuhund right away!! Please ask here where she got it!! It is from 2008!! Trust me, I left and went to Google and then to ebay! Ebay has another one of the bears that is in that collection but not that one!!! Oh my, I am on the hunt now!!!! you know me, if has a doxie on it, I gots to have it!!! Your home and her home are true inspiration homes and pure beauty! I love that the pride that you take in your home and family shows in the way you decorate your homes and it just shouts from the pictures too!
    Hugs,
    Lynn

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  8. Debbie, your friend's home is so elegant! You did a wonderful job of capturing it all for all of us. Please thank Anne Marie for sharing with us! I've actually got quite a few of the exact same items in my home ~ like a beaded lamp, a cherub compote (mine, too, is filled with Christmas ornies), and some other pieces, too. Tell her to PLEASE start a blog! Love the Christmas tile and the battenburg parasol you gifted her with!

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  9. Her home is beyond gorgeous. I can't imagine dusting it...but it looks beautiful! Her bedroom with all those vintage clothes is beyond description! She definately should blog...she probably could blog everyday for years!! Thanks for the tour!

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  10. The library is my favorite part!

    HESTER’S LETTER

    Hester’s letter, scarlet “A,”
    Gave the gossips much to say,
    But their rudeness she forbore,
    For she knew she was no whore.


    © 2012 by Magical Mystical Teacher

    Reddish Aqueduct

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  11. Amazing - it is just so lovely!! I love homes where there is something beautiful to see no matter where you look. I would be so happy if I could decorate like that, but alas, my dh is somewhat of a minimalist and so all of my "stuff" gets squeezed into my sitting room. Thank you for sharing this wonderful home.

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  12. you are soo organized. Loved the house tour also.. quite lovely.. xo marlis

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  13. Hi Debbie,
    what a stunning tour through this interesting house. All is so nicely decorated. Thank you for taking us with you.
    Best greetings, Johanna

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  14. Magnificent home. With my cup of coffee - I sat here and had the most wonderful home tour. I love seeing these decorations and get ideas from them. Thank You for sharing. I have Christmas on my mind for 2012 and I just finished crawling out of the attic putting my things away.
    Thanks again for the tour,
    Betsy

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  15. Anne Marie's home is amazing. Thanks for the tour (thanks to you and her). Your system of putting your decorations away is pretty amazing.

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  16. Well you know that I just want to move right in don'tcha?

    Love that home! And I LOVE your organization my friend!

    Leann

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  17. Found you at no minimalist and now I'm your newest follower-stop by for a visit!

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  18. She has a beautiful home Debbie! I love her dining room, the angels, and angels wings! Thank you for joining me at Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  19. Hello my over the top friend! Happy New Year. Your friend's home is just beautiful. Love the bedroom the best. I hope you are doing well. Take care of yourself. Hugs, Martha

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  20. Thank you for sharing your friends beautiful house with us. It is just lovely and it looks like a bed and breakfast! I loved the dining room table and wish I could share in a meal there! I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!
    Love Tammy

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  21. Thank you for sharing your friends beautiful house with us. It is just lovely and it looks like a bed and breakfast! I loved the dining room table and wish I could share in a meal there! I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!
    Love Tammy

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  22. Beautiful and interesting collections. Thank's for sharing.


    Visiting for Pink Saturday! Here's my share-hope you can stop by:)

    http://www.loveablecassandra.com/2012/01/pink-elephant.html

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  23. Hello Debbie,
    Barb from Australia again, Your friends house is amazimg and beautiful. I'm going to share it with my sister.Thanks to you and her for showing it to us.
    God Bless
    Barb

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  24. She has paid so much attention to detail. It's incredible! Such a lovely share.

    HPS visit, have a great week!

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  25. Thanks for sharing your friend's bits of blues.

    Happy Blue Monday, Debbie.

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  26. Thank's for sharing your blues! You have a lovely blue eyes:)

    Visiting for Blue Monday! Here's my share-hope you can stop by:)

    http://www.mommys4seasonsjourney.com/2012/01/mango-juice-and-strawberry-banana-smoothies.html

    ReplyDelete
  27. First of all I have to say I wish I was as organized as you are up in the attic. We have the same "dividers", I love your idea of making them into sections. May have to steal it...some day ;)

    Your friends home is simply stunning! Right out of a magazine! Wish I had that much patience..but then between the kids and dogs and cats...no way would anything stay put. LOL
    So fun to enjoy tho.
    *hugs*deb

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