Lesson Learned from a Child

Today I had the wonderful privilege of hanging out with my brother and my nephew. Can I say that being an aunt is the greatest thing??? We did a little Christmas shopping and one of the stores we went into had mobiles and kites on the ceiling in different places. Every time Caleb would spot one his eyes would rivet to the ceiling and he would just be enthralled and filled with joy! It was so much fun to watch. After I got home and I was spending some time with God and thanking Him for the blessings of my day, I realized a lesson that I could learn from this sweet little one. It wasn't that the colorful things on the ceiling were the absolute end-all, be-all in Caleb's world and that those things are the only things that would make him so joyful. It was that Caleb chose to be absolutely joy-filled and enthralled in the moment he was in, with his surroundings in that moment.

Similarly, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the surroundings that He, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords found Himself in upon entering this earthly world, certainly weren't the end-all, be-all from many viewpoints but His being in them made them joy-filled and enthralling for us all of these years later!

Merry Christmas! May you have the joy of a child not only on this holiday but throughout each and every mundane and not so mundane day of the year to come!

Vintage Finds

Wanna see my vintage finds for the day? I'd like to share them with you.
I decided that finishing a semester of school as well as my Christmas program
was reason to treat myself to a n antique mall visit. Here's what I found!
a really great plate of our 49th state to add to my state plate collection
I couldn't resist the yellow and gold swirly border!

doll hangars that I got for less than two dollars!
Aren't they fun?

I got one more thing too but it's a stocking stuffer so
I'll have to wait to share it but it's oh so cute!

Holiday Home Tour - bedroom

striped ball on door knob

Christmas charm bracelet from Mom! Thanks so much!

pipe cleaner stocking that Robin made for me last Thanksgiving!

snowflake on doorknob

Holiday Home Tour - Kitchen

I don't know why I think this sign is so fun/funny, I just do!

stocking my Sweetie and Poppy made for me!

top of my refrigerator, lamp bought at thrift shop in Colorado while visiting emily, $2! working!

I like to think these airmail envelopes are at the ready for letters to Santa

pretty vintage dish towels from Mandy! You know me so well, Sister!

Poppy!

aprons!

Sweetie's bell that plays music hanging in my laundry room ;)

Harding swing, box Adrian made for me last January and books in the hues of the season

newest deer to the herd with handmade wreath around his neck

dish towels in a locker basket and blocks

Holiday Home Tour dining room

my dear friend Emily before her wedding

four cubbies in my IKEA shelf

one of my cake plates, a vintage measuring tape, three plates for a quarter
at the consignment shop in Missouri, an old pitcher and the wooden spoon
Adrian carved to be able to eat lunch one day on the job site!

deer, another birdie from Germany, silver beaded heart (thanks, Erin!) two Anthropolgie mini bowls, vintage gold ornament, cake plate and dear deer!

decorative ironwork, milkglass loaf pan handed down from my Grandma B., beans, rickrack and turquoise and green - my favorite color combo for this season right now

Frosty, snowflake scrabble tiles bought at the thrift store in Pittsburgh, Shiny Brites, etc.

Holiday Home Tour - my dining room

reindeer roaming in sparkling snow on favorite cake plate

silver tree and church in living room actually

emily, do you remember when i bought this? "do you work here?" :)

close up of tree in buttons

sweet deer and frosted trees

Delight in Him!

this is Adrian's chair that he is graciously letting me borrow while all his stuff is in storage and he's living in a furnished house. Ever since I first saw a picture of it in his house in Missouri
I've liked it. I picked up the "g" (it's felt!) at an antique sale a couple weeks ago.
The teapot is from a market in Scandicci, Italy.

one of my collected cake plates on a vintage handkerchief with a pretty silver snowflake, ornament and jingle bell

dining room chandelier crystal tree, silver trays, stars and window "eyebrow"

dining room chandelier bedecked with plastic vintage snowflakes I found while rummaging in box in the attic of an antique store in Houston

clock family

Holiday Home Tour living room

I like to use things in unexpected ways like this faucet knob as an ornament on my tree.

More ornaments! Marla, thank you so much for bringing the heart back from Hungary for me! Thanks for letting me ask for it! I really like this wooden candy cane Mom got me. Grandmother gave me the little blue wooden angel. The red and green glass balls used to adorn our family's tree when I was growing up. Mom, are they from when you and Dad were first married or more recent than that?


I don't know why but this present always catches my eye under the tree,
green polka dots, crisp red paper and sparkly silver star!

My first time to use my red bakers twine that I'm so excited to have gotten!

Ice skates hanging from the coat closet door knob.

Snowman on front door knob

mini knit stocking hanging from table drawer pull