The Tiny Tree Vignette

To say this Christmas is....slim, financially speaking, would be an understatement.  

HOWEVER...   

One thing I appreciate about not having much money this year (did I really say that?) is that it forces me to be extra creative with what we already have. After all, I have plenty of "stuff" to be creative with, right?   

Yesterday, I was talking with my daughter about what, if anything, I had purchased specifically for Christmas decor this year, and all we could come up with was the ornaments the three kids chose, and this:

Isn't it cute?! It didn't start out looking like this, though. 

My oldest daughter called me from Hobby Lobby last weekend (an hour away from our house) and said they had 12" trees for $1.50, and did I want one? 
I told her to go ahead and get one for me. I was totally thinking I would give it to the younger kids for their dollhouse "forest". 

I wish I had taken a photo of what it looked like before, but I think everyone has seen these, right? The little bendy wire branches and a plastic base?

Perfect for a little dollhouse pine tree!   

But then something happened.

I had the tiny tree in my hand, and I happened to walk past a can of spray snow on the kitchen counter. I found 2 cans in my "stuff" that I had bought several years ago. 
Well, I had to see if it still worked, didn't I?

Well there was this tiny tree all frosty-snowy-cute, and I knew the kids weren't getting it for the dollhouse. I feel so selfish! 

The next thing you know I had my vintage looking glittered bird in the tree. The bird is sort of heavy and kept tipping the tree, so I needed a sturdy container to hold it up and just like that, it was in a cute clay pot.

  

I tucked in some of those pearly things on wired sticks, ripped up some cotton scraps to make tiny hand stamped peace, hope and joy banners, added my tiny bird flag to the top and I knew I had my inspiration piece for the wintery decor on top of the piano.




 As I have complained about incessantly mentioned before, we don't have a fireplace in this home. I showed you how I put together a faux mantel for my little electric fireplace in the master bedroom. 

Downstairs, I'm doing what many of you who don't have fireplaces do. I'm using the top of the piano as substitute mantel. 

 I strung my handmade "Let Heaven & Nature Sing" banner across the front of the piano and hung my twig wreath, with the vintage sheet music leaves, in front of a large antique mirror surrounded by a large white frame.

 
Lots of white details, some silver ornaments, bottle brush trees, candles, and the tiny tree as the centerpiece. 

  

Peace, joy and HOPE to you, my friends. 

Jeanette

Sharing over at:

CHRISTMAS PAST at SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE 



The Ivy Cottage Blog-Cowgirl Up! 
Family Home and Life-Wow Us Wednesday 
Between Naps on the Porch-Metamorphosis Monday 
The Dedicated House-Make it Pretty Monday 
Vintage On a Dime-Welcome Home Wednesday 
Savvy Southern Style-Wow Us Wednesdays 
Cozy Little House-Tweak It Tuesday
Embracing Change-Creative Inspirations
StoneGable-Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits
Common Ground-Vintage Inspiration
The Vintage Farmhouse-Creative Things Thursday

The Charm of Home-Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage-Feathered Nest Friday
Craftberry Bush-Happy Hour!  
Liz Marie Blog 
Debbiedoo's-Power of Pinterest Party
Fox Hollow Cottage-Power of Pinterest Party
Faded Charm- Holiday Home 
 

Too Good To Be True

"Lord of all to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise!"

This morning I was thrilled to see a post on the "At the Picket Fence" blog sharing the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" as a song of Thanksgiving for today! 

We sang this at my daughter's wedding last Fall, but it hadn't occurred to me to use it for our Thanksgiving celebration. I'm grateful to them for reminding me to take out my copy and sing it today! 
 
 



Potatoes happily bubbling on the back of the stove, turkey just about perfectly brown.......

I'm so grateful for a 15 year old who peels potatoes and makes yummy pumpkin pies and makes me laugh! An 8 year old who says, "Mom, we should eat like this every day."  A five year old who says that Mom is the #1 thing he's thankful for (aaw). A 21 year old and her husband who stop by to drop off PUMPKIN SQUARES! Oh my, I have to post that recipe some time. 
Later, while eating one, my son said, "These are just too good to be true!" I started thinking about how many of the the things in our everyday lives really are that......

I accidentally (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!) stuck my finger in the pie, and attempted to "fix it" only to make it look worse.

I'm so thankful for music. In my ears and in pretty frames. Too good to be true.......

 I know, my table cloth is rumpled. It's only me and the kids today, and suddenly I like it this way : )
 
  
I'm thankful I have a table to sit at with my family and a really pretty view out that window. Too good to be true....

I'm thankful that nature provides so many lovely things to cozy up our homes and remind us what a wonderful Creator we have-the author of beauty! Again, too good to be true...
 

I'm very thankful for candlelight! It helps me not miss having a real fireplace quite so much. Cozy, warm, happy light. Especially in an old pickle jar : )

 
For apple cider in pretty goblets, unexpected hugs, crazy kids dancing to this right now, hot water, comfy blankets, HUMOR, so many beautiful and inspiring blogs to read, new friends here, starry skies, my slippers, flannel pajamas, good books.....just so many things that really are "too good to be true"- I am truly thankful! 

Wishing you peace and warmth in your hearts and homes this Thanksgiving night-

Jeanette 

See you at Knick of Time Tuesday 
Savvy Southern Style-Wow Us Wednesdays 
French Country Cottage-Feathered Nest Friday 
Vintage on a Dime!-Welcome Home Wednesday 

Farewell October

On this almost last day of October the sun is warm and the air is cool. Many of the trees and fields in the western part of the valley have mellowed from outrageous red and yellow to rust and gold and brown.

As much as I love Autumn, this is the part that brings out the melancholy in my heart. The fading....the dying...the goodbye. How can it be so beautiful and so painful at the same time?

Farewell, October! You were hard and challenging and wonderful and beautiful and I'll never forget you.

Autumn Entryway (More Fall Love-Sickness...sigh)

Falling in love again...what am I to do? I can't help it....
Consider yourself fortunate you can't hear me singing it. 
So, I have a little antique dresser in my entryway that I recently painted. It was looking pretty cute, except that (you know how this is) it started to become the junk-dropping spot. Library books, mail, toys...a shoe? What the heck? Today I decided to give it some much needed attention with a little Fall love.

 
My friend gave me these lovely chippy candlesticks for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. And the log piece came from someone's firewood pile {sshhh}

I wasn't kidding when I told you that nature is art in our home. Cover your firewood, people : )

 

Last Fall my oldest daughter got married and we collected and pressed these gorgeous oak leaves for decorating the ceremony and reception. Yesterday I made a little hanging leaf banner out of them simply by tying some twine around each stem. Simple, natural, my favorite kind of decorating for Autumn!

The chunk of firewood natural log pedestal serves as a display stand for some of our collected bird's nests.

My little leaf banner hung on a vintage window. Sweet memories!

There you have it. I love that you come in the front door to a little moment of Fall happiness before you walk around the corner and have to see the dishes! -haha- Grab on to every bit of Autumn deliciousness you can, my friends!
Jeanette

Sharing my little Autumn entryway over here: http://theinspiredroom.net/2012/10/22/holiday-nesting-and-party


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Sticks & Stones

At our house, nature is art. Branches from the lake. Moss from a friend's forest wedding. Pieces of bark from a tree in my brother's yard in California that we used for my oldest daughter's Colorado wedding last fall. A special stone paperweight one of my kids made for me last Mother's Day. To us, the beauty of our collection isn't just in the form and texture of the objects, but also the memory attached to each item collected.
Sticks and stones adding charm to our home. I like that!