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

Friday, December 6, 2013

2013 Christmas Home Tour, Part 2, An Old Fashioned Christmas in the Living Room

  Linking up to these Christmas 2014 Parties!!

Christmas in July Party

Welcome to Part 2 of Our Christmas Home Tour, An Old Fashioned Christmas in the Living Room!!

Won't you please come in????
As you walk in the Front Door , you step into a small foyer like area and you look straight ahead and up the steps........
 This is the little foyer where I have ceramic tile.......
   Looking back at the Front Door.....
 I usually decorate every room, upstairs and downstairs, of our Home for Christmas......
However, I did not get to decorate the upstairs nor the Den downstairs this year.

For those of you who are not familiar with this Blog or my regular Blog, Debbie-Dabble , this is why.......

In September, we remodeled all the rooms downstairs except for the Den.........

Painted the Powder Room, Living Room and Dining Room, New Flooring in the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Hall way and Powder Room, New Medicine Cabinet and Light Bar in the Powder Room and new counter tops and sink in the Kitchen!

I had to pack up the entire downstairs and then put it back together again!

Then I was a Hostess for our church's Harvest Tea where I did a Theme Table.
 After that I was not only a vendor at our church's Holiday Craft Fair but I also was Co Chair of the event. Plus I work full time night shift as an RN!

So you see where I just ran out of time this year......

But all the newly remodeled rooms are decorated to the hilt so I will be showcasing them  this year on our Annual Christmas Home Tour...........

Let me take you around our Living Room.....

Looking back at the front door......
The small area to the side of the door......
A Christmas Tile that I bought on Ebay........
A Victorian Angel......
Nutcrackers stand guard.....
A Pair of vintage Boy's Ice Skates......
I always place a cane in the corner by the door as homage to the Christmas Movie, Miracle on 34th Street.....

Remember Kris's cane in the home for sale at the end of the movie?????
Decorations on the front door....
On the side of the Hutch......
Battery operated Branch Lights are in this arrangement.....
Now as you stand in the Foyer area and look to the right into the Living Room, this is what you see....
 But we will get back to that later on.......

A look at the foyer area......
Joe's Grandmother's Hutch......
Carolers on top......
Nativities displayed inside the Hutch......

The top of the Hutch.....
Carolers are from the Christmas Tree Shop .....
Churches are from Burlington's......
Left side....
Gold Star is from the Dollar Tree.....
Right side.....
The Nativities inside the Hutch.....

Top Shelf.....
Avon Christmas plates are also in the Hutch.....
Middle Shelf.....
Bottom Shelf......
Now let take a peek up the stairs.....
I have garland on the rail......
Thomas Kinkaid Stockings on the Railing......
At the top of the stairs.....
A singing Bear and a singing Santa sitting on the steps........
Looking at the stairs.....
On the other side of the Hutch.....
The corner by the stairs....
Some of my Old World Santa's on the steps.......
A Christmas picture....
See the red boots??????
My dear friend and neighbor, Ellie, had to be placed in a Nursing Home due to severe Alzheiner's last weekend.
She is now only a few miles away from her son in Phila.

However, that means we will never see her again as she will never come back to this area.   She was our neighbor for 35 years and was like a second mother to me ,another Grandmother to my sons, a best friend, and a mentor.  Up to only a few years ago, she decorated her home for every holiday and was an avid yard sale and thrift store shopper.  I learned so much from this incredibly cool Lady!

We said our Good Byes to her last Sunday and my heart was torn in two because she recognized us and knew who we were when she did not know her own sons!!

She had these boots and several other ladies boots displayed on her stairs. Her sons gave them to me along with some other things in her home which they need to clean out and sell.

So Here's to you , Ellie!!

Your boots live on!!!!
My Santas......
A Plaque I made....
Bearington Bears.......
On the Table.....
On the Chair.....
Under the chair....

You can see my new Pergo Max Wood Laminate Floors....
Angel on the side of the Curio......
Top of the Curio........
A Victorian Angel.....
Looking down the Hall Way.....
By the Window Dividers separating the Living Room and the Dining Room........
A Bird Cage decorated for the season....

Things are a little different  than last year.  The sofa used to be here but after getting rid of some furniture, I have a new arrangement this year so I have the chair, table and the ottoman here now that used to be on the other wall near the Living Room Tree.
On the table.....
 The little skater girl was mine as a child....
On the side of the table, I have more Bearington Bears displayed......
Pillows on the chair....
Looking toward the Dining Room....
Santas hanging on each side of the dividers.....
In the middle of the sofitt....
The other corner by the Dining Room....
On the wall.....
Instead of a votive candle holder in this candlestick, this year I placed this large ornament bought on Clearance last year by Joe on top of the canlestick....
I think it worked well...
On the table ......
This is where I have my praying Santa Collection displayed....
My MIL made this Praying Santa for me in ceramics when I was first married.....
You can see I also have a small Praying Santa picture frame.  I bought it at a yard sale......
I filled this Apothecary Jar with shatterproof Balls , mostly from the Dollar Tree!
This Santa plate was 99 cents in Salvation Army !!

And another Praying Santa....
The church was a Flea Market find.....
And one more Praying Santa....
The bottle is something that I crafted.....
Looking toward the Tree in the other corner.......
My fake window.....
I made the wreath years ago.....
 A plaque I made....
 Looking at the Tree......
 The other side of the fake window....
 Last year, I had 19 Trees in the house for Christmas.  If it had lights on it or decorated in some manner, I counted it.
I will not have 19 Trees this year though.....

This one is Tree # 1........
 Even though our Living Room is peach and aqua, I still keep the Traditional Christmas colors of Red, Green and Gold in this room......
This tree is done in those colors with a Traditional , more Victorian theme.....
As you can see, I used gold candle ornaments to create that Victorian feel.....
Most of the ornaments on this Tree have a Nostalgic feel too......
I also have gold glittered picks stuffed into the Tree....
And gold and white beaded garland....
Some red candle ornaments too....
My Dad made me this platform for my first Christmas that I was married.

We have since reinforced it with plywood and this year, I gave it a new cover of felt that I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.......
The Village is made by Lemax and I started collecting pieces over 30 years ago......

As I lay on the floor connecting the lighted houses, I think of my Dad doing the same thing on the platform we had when I was a child and he was assembling PlasticVille houses......
 I can almost hear him say " That a Girl!"
 Here are some close ups of the Village.......
I love the way it looks all set up.......
 The 3 Tier table on the side of the Entertainment Center......

A Dapper Snow Man.....
Top Shelf......
I love how the snow globe came out in this picture.....
Middle Shelf......

Bottom Shelf....
More Bearington Bears....
The Entertainment Center......
I use the top of it like a mantle top.......
Set of Carolers from Sam's Club bought many years ago......
Three trees are used in this display and since they have lights and toppers on them, we are up to 4 Trees.....

After I took all these pictures,I realized that I forgot the ornaments that I usually place here....
 Swags, I made years ago......
.Table by the Front Door....
Another Sam's Club set is displayed on this table......


And a Family of Carolers......
Well, that concludes the tour of our Living Room decorated for Christmas this year.....

Many  things are in the same place as other years but that is because, when I get out all the Christmas decorations, it is like seeing old friends again and they give me comfort and JOY!!

Now you are probably thinking......

WHAT????? No pictures taken with the candlelight mode of my camera at night??????

Well..................

 I will take you on a little Tour of the entire house, lit at night , as the last post in my Home Tour Series for this year.......

So you will have to wait......

LOL!!

If you missed Part 1, The Outside of Our Home, PLEASE click HERE.........

Please Click HERE for Part 3, A Pink and White Christmas in the Dining Room,o continue our Christmas Home Tour.....

 I will be linking up to these great parties this week:

 SATURDAY
From the Farm Blog Hop
Pink Saturday
Party Junk
 Strut Your Stuff Saturdays
One Great Idea Saturday Party
 Finding the Pretty and Delicious Party
Saturday Show and Tell 
  Serenity  Saturday
 Saturday SHO W-licious Craft Showcase 
 Check Me Out Saturdays

SUNDAY
Seasonal Sunday
Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
That DIY Party
Inspired Sunday( Formerly Vintage View Sunday)
Submarine Sunday
Share It One More Time Sundays
DIY SHowcase 
 Clever Chicks Blog Hop 
Sunday Showcase

MONDAY


WEDNESDAY 
Wednesdays Make, Bake and Create party
 Fluster's Creative Muster Wednesday's
Wow Us Wednesday
Sizzle into Summer Party
 Lovely Ladies Linky Party
What's It Wednesday
Wonderful Wednesdays
 HOME Party on Wednesdays
Creative Wednesdays 
Rednesday 
 Wednesdays Adorned From Above Linky Party
Ducks in a Row Wonderful Wednesdays Blog Hop

Home and Garden Party Thursday
  Homemaking Weekend Link Up Party
Time Travel Thursday
 Open House Party
Share Your Cup Thursday
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Inspired Creations Linky Party
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop 
  Grace at Home Party
All Things Pretty Thursdays
Create it Thursday 
 Catch a Glimpse Thursday

FRIDAY
Home Sweet Home Friday
Be Inspired Fridays
Thrifty Things Friday
Simple and Sweet Fridays
 Show and Tell Friday
Tickled Pink Party
 Flaunt It Fridays
 Fabulously Creative Friday Linky Party at Jennifer Rizzo's
 What To Do Weekends
 Eat. Create. Party
Inspire Me Please Weekend Blog Hop
 Inspire Me Fridays 
 Anything Goes Linky Party 
Ladies Only Blog Share Linky Party
 Weekend Blog Linky Party
The Party Bunch
Friday's Five Features Party
Friday Favorites
 Let's Get Real Friday Party

 Christmas Parties 2013
 All Things Christmas - Mondays
The Merriest Blog Hop - Thusdays
 Holiday Open House - Thursdays
Holiday House Walk Linky Party- December 9
Creating Christmas- A Vintage Christmas 
Creating Christmas-  Cottage Christmas
Holiday Cheer in the Blogsphere- O Christmas Tree
 Christmas Extravaganza Party Time 
 Christmas Tour of Homes 
 The 12 Days of Christmas Share Your Home Linky Party!

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



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20 comments:

  1. lynneDecember 6, 2013 at 9:29 PM

    Debbie, I am absolutely blown away again at your attention to detail and the amazing amount of time you must spend unpacking and setting up your beautiful things. I love your praying Santas! I thought at first glance your village was a Department 56 set, I collect those also, it is certainly close in style! Your family must love spending Christmas at your house!

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  2. FABBY'S LIVINGDecember 6, 2013 at 10:32 PM

    OMGoodness sweet friend, wow, you did an amazing job decking the halls for C'mas!!! After your beautiful house I feel I'm totally empty decor wise. I got so tired, so cannot imagine how you feel after, but it's all worth it's beauty. I love your house and every space you decorated, even all those gorgeous Nativity scenes you have. You have the most pretty C'mas things in all of blogland. Thank you for sharing it with us.
    Enjoy this lovely holiday season, although very short.
    FABBY

    ReplyDelete
  3. Musings from Kim K.December 7, 2013 at 9:01 AM

    For someone who said she was "cutting back" this year. You are amazing. This is absolutely breathtaking. You have the most beautiful decorations. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. NanaDianaDecember 7, 2013 at 9:36 AM

    Well, you might not have gotten the whole house done but what you did get done is AMAZING! I swear you could open your own Christmas store, Debbie!;>) What fun you have doing that and what fun we have seeing it. You are amazing! xo Diana

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  5. BetsyDecember 7, 2013 at 12:08 PM

    Delightful to see and so very pretty. So many treasures to feast my eyes on.
    betsy

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  6. Crafts a la ModeDecember 7, 2013 at 12:24 PM

    Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing all this, Debbie.

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  7. Crafts a la ModeDecember 7, 2013 at 12:24 PM

    Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing all this, Debbie.

    ReplyDelete
  8. JanDecember 7, 2013 at 7:59 PM

    Hi Debbie,

    In honor of The Sound of Music, these are a few of my favorite things about your living room tour -- the cane by the doorway. As long as Miracle on Thirty-fourth Street is watched by generation after generation I hope people will always have a cane by the door at Christmas time. It is so evocative of the power of belief and faith in the face of abject commercialism and greed. We need those canes in the corners even more, these days. The three incredible nativity sets that you have displayed in Joe's Grandmother's hutch in the entry-way -- just totally took my breath away. I would love for you to do a post on how each came to you and its history, if known. The churches -- love! I bought a porcelain church at a rummage sale in September. It is by Partylight and as I believe after doing some research on the internet (thank goodness for the internet), it's the Cathedral. It is perfect in its porcelain purity. Now I want to start collecting churches (in addition to ceramic, glass and eggs formed of various other substances, chess sets and pink elephants). So, I am interested in the churches that people have. I have become fascinated by them (obsessed might be a better word). The carolling dog with the wreath around her (or his) neck on top of your entertainment center, incredibly precious! I always find inspiration here, Debbie. Thank you!

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  9. AmandaDecember 8, 2013 at 10:54 AM

    I look forward to seeing your posts. Such a shame about your neighbour but lovely you have something to remember her by.

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  10. Celestina MarieDecember 8, 2013 at 8:53 PM

    Hi Debbie, So special to visit you again and your home for Christmas is amazing. Love your living room tree and the platform is a great idea to display your village. Everything is like a wonderland for winter and a special place for Christmas.
    I did 3 main trees this year and a few small ones, then my hubby came home with a vintage silver tree he had his eye on in an antique market. The old vintage style with the color wheel. It found a home in our master bedroom.

    Loved your tour so far.
    Blessings to you,
    Celestina Marie

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tea Cottage PrettiesDecember 9, 2013 at 3:32 AM

    How beautiful. So much to look at and admire. Just a beautiful Christmas Wonderland. Hugs, Beverly

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  12. AnonymousDecember 10, 2013 at 2:22 PM

    I'm sorry about Ellie, that must have been very sad, getting older isn't easy, is it? Love the hutch, it's really beautiful. And your carolers are fantastic - that's something I don't have. I do have a Santa w/ Baby Jesus, tho, loved that. Thanks for sharing at We Call It Olde - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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  13. UnknownDecember 10, 2013 at 8:46 PM

    You are just amazing, I love your hutch and your tree is beautiful.
    There is such wonderful attention paid to every detail. Again beautiful.
    Sandy

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  14. UnknownDecember 10, 2013 at 10:07 PM

    Debbie your home is truly Christmas Cottage! :) Just amazing!

    Merry Christmas!
    ~Liz

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  15. Scarlett @Scarletts Excellent AdventuresDecember 10, 2013 at 10:11 PM

    Catching up on your house tour! I love the village set up under the tree! Reminds me of my grandfather's tree when we were little. Love the felt idea! We always used batting with my mom's village but the felt is fabulous and flat! I inherited some of Mom's village when she downsized, so when LO gets older, I'll have to remember it. On to the next part!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Linda @ A La CarteDecember 13, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    I think the carolers are my favorite! They just make me smile! Thanks for sharing your incredible Christmas with us at TTF!

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  17. Sandi@ Rose Chintz CottageDecember 14, 2013 at 8:33 AM

    Thank you for sharing your Christmas in the living room at my HOME, Debbie. I love your carollers and your tree is lovely. The village beneath it makes it even more special. Christmas has a way of making us feel nostalgic, doesn't it? It was always my father who made Christmas so much fun when I was growing up. He was just like a kid himself. Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.

    Christmas blessings,
    Sandi

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  18. Katherines CornerDecember 14, 2013 at 8:47 PM

    wow, so many wonderful things. I collected the European Santas ( on your stairs)too. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. ♥

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  19. Adorned From AboveDecember 17, 2013 at 8:15 PM

    Thank you so much for sharing with Adorned From Above’s Link Party. We love having your join the fun.
    Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. KathyDecember 18, 2013 at 2:27 PM

    Your home is marvelous, Debbie - love the Nutcrackers and the Carolers! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    kathy

    ReplyDelete

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