my wish for you...

May this beautiful Christmas day surround you with 

love,

peace, 

and happiness...

love, Theresa xoxo

winner, winner, chicken dinner, and some family stuff...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to hang out with some of my favorite people...

 This is  not the best picture I know, but I asked a total stranger who had never used my camera before to get a group shot for us. I think she did o.k given the circumstances, 1.  the lighting was terrible, we were at a duck pin bowling alley (if you've never tried it and there is one near you, well then give it a try, it is so much fun! 2. there were ALOT of us! 3. we are obnoxious when we get together and 4. well I think the photo tells a great deal about the night...

the reason for our gathering?

this guy... my brother Patrick, he is in the airforce reserves and is heading overseas for a few months with his unit to help with the job of bringing our troops home.  I am incredibly proud of him and am so glad that we were able to visit with him for a bit before he leaves.  If you would be so kind as to keep him and the rest of his unit in your prayers I would sure appreciate it and I know he would too!

Now to reveal the winner for the sign...
I was able to use the random number generator but I could not get blogger to let me download the file picture of the winner, I'm sorry you are going to have to trust me!  I'm trustworthy I promise! 
The winning number is 36... congratulations Deb from Talking Trash! 

Thank you all for playing along, I wish I had a prize for all of you!  Theresa xoxo

what is old is new again - angel style...

remember this guy...

 

Well he got a little makeover!

Now he's my little primitive angel hanging outside the front door.  I'm showing him on my favorite old crackled door that I use for all of my 'display shots'    and I think I want to add a battery operated candle for him to hold outside.  I will take another shot outdoors for you later...  (he almost looks like he has a tear doesn't he) 

Love those chippy white 'wings' I've been hanging on to for so long now!

I hope everyone is feeling joyful and a little less stressed than I am right now... I had every intention of NOT feeling this way this year, so I'm going to end this with deep breaths and put on some Christmas music and put the lights on the tree! yup, they're still not on there... deep breaths.

If you haven't entered the giveaway stop by my post here and grab yourself a chance at a cool house sign!  Remember, you don't have to do all of the steps, just stop in and leave a comment if that's all the time you have!   I was really just kidding about the telling me I'm special part, but I do appreciate those of you who played along with that!!!  ~ you still get it as a 4th chance though, just to show how special I really am!  xoxo

Thanks for stopping by!  Theresa xoxo    (breathing normally now, I promise)

I got your sign... It's a GIVEAWAY!!!

I am thrilled beyond belief to share this fabulous giveaway with you!  I was contacted by Ramsign, a wonderful Danish sign company, and asked if I wanted to have a giveaway on my blog!   I know, can you believe it?   I am honored that they thought my little blog was worthy of the giveaway and well... LUCKY YOU!!!  I have been to the site and let me tell you, the winner is really in for a treat!  The signs are gorgeous, and they have many that will fit into an array of home decor styles. Just look at these...

Gorgeous right?  I would move into a sweet cottage like this any day of the week, now top it off with a stunning house number and I'm in heaven!

this would look great as my new front door!  These porcelain enamel signs are like the vintage enamel we are all looking for on our treasure hunts only it's personalized just for you!

Aren't they wonderful?  So all you need to do to win is leave a comment on this post for one chance, and become a follower if you aren't one already, if you are just let me know in a seperate comment, and because I really think you should go over and pay them a visit to see all of your choices, go on over to Ramsign and drool over the gallery, and then come back here (after you wipe your chin) and tell me which type of sign you would choose for your third chance.  That's it, that's all you have to do... of course for one more chance you can tell me just how special I am... HAAAA just kidding!  Man am I deperate or what?!!

The winner will be chosen by the random generator thingamajig on December 20th , so hopefully I can have it figured out by then!  The winner will be able to pick out a number or nameplate sign and will work directly with  Ramsign when they pick out their sign and then it will be sent directly to you from them.  Good luck to all of you!   Remember to leave all of your comments seperately for the most chances to win!

O.k. now because I am dying to show you the 4 out of 7 stockings that I have finished for our family,  here we go...

I made them out of our favorite material... drop cloth, and then the cuffs are out of soft warm and natural  cotton batting.  I am totally gaga over these!  I have the three for us girls finished, we are all getting a flower of some sort on ours, and then Max chose a snowflake for his.

the batting is super easy and forgiving to work with.  I cut a scallop for the bottoms.

So now I am trying to figure out 3 cuffs that are a little more on the masculine side, I'm thinking a reindeer, or star, any ideas are welcome!

I am linking this post up to Jan's Boardwalk Bragfest at Bobby Pins Boardwalk and Kathyleen's  White Wednesday over at Faded Charm, and Sachiko's  link party over at Tea Rose Home

Thank you so much for stopping by... and good luck to all of you, I am so happy to be able to give one of my followers a extra special present from Ramsign!   I feel a little like the jolly old elf himself!!  Theresa xoxo

it's not just a tree, it's an event!

We went on a winter wonderland trip to get our Christmas tree today.  We always like to have snow on the ground when we cut down our tree, well today we are in the midst of a winter storm and we figured it's the perfect day to get our tree!

These beauties and Hannah and Max became fast friends!  They took us back into the fields in a covered wagon, it was magical.  I know that sounds sappy, but I can't help it.  Even losing my glasses while carrying the tree couldn't make it go sour.  (luckily they were just cheapo reading glasses).

The snow was beautiful and the kids had a great time, isn't that what it's all about?  The roads on the way there probably deterred many people from heading out, we saw 5 cars in the ditch on the way there!  We just took it slow, and Duane is a great driver so after a white knuckled ride we were safe and sound at the tree farm.  We didn't realize that the roads were so bad until we got on the highway...

Max and Hannah cutting down the tree lumber jack style...

Dad taking over!

winter wonderland I tell you!

loved our ride.

Thank you Prince and Ben!

The tree is waiting on the porch to be brought inside tomorrow.  We are expecting more snow during the night...  and the kids are doing the 'no school snow-dance'. 
This is winter in the midwest!!!

Have a warm, beautiful Sunday night!  Theresa xoxo

decorating in bits and pieces...

Lets just say I'm going to do everything in small stages this year... the decorating is coming along and I am enjoying the process of doing it bits at a time.  I am constantly adding here and there and it will go on right up til the 25th so this just feels right. today.

My chipped up swan has made it all over the house both inside and out, I keep her indoors in the winter because she has endured enough damage and I don't know how much more she can take.  She wears  a delicate stran of pearls that also couldn't take much more wear.  This sits on the garden table I brought in from the patio, along with a little cloche with a spoon ornie in it that I made last year.  (boxes are still not upstairs, so I am using what I find in the workroom)

Now that I have taken the pictures a couple of times I want to add a little somethin,somethin to the table yet, I'm hoping the somethin is in the boxes!

Here's what I mean about adding... I remembered that I hadn't shown you these clock ornies that I made from a download over at justsomethingimade and well, I think there pretty cute so I changed the large rusty candleholders in the back.  Those were actually old rusty lamps that I found at a sale way cheap because the man couldn't believe anyone would even want them!  Yay me!!

 here is another version of the clock ornie all on the same download.

o.k. now on to the kitchen...

I moved the furniture around a bit (on Thanksgiving morning no less)  and really like the new arrangement, ofcourse ask me again in 3 months or so and you might get a different answer!
the light on this side of the kitchen changed as I was taking pics. so bear with me o.k.?  The little bird on the lid of the tureen is from Michelle Palmers etsy, isn't he adorable?  The banner I made with vintage white ladies hankies, some are embroidered and some are plain.  This one didn't sell at the show and now I'm glad it didn't because I love it in here!

 a close-up of the center, I ironed on the Madonna and child from Graphics Fairy.

Here is the little garage sale find fireplace in the kitchen.   I plan on painting it white and chipping it up a bit when I come up with the time.  note to self... find time!  I added the little chalkware cherub that I found at the GW this week.  These are my favorite new pictures of the kids all wearing the famous yellow mustache, love them... the pics and the kids ofcourse!

o.k. now to finish off this post of bits and pieces, I just wanted to show off something Hannah is making for a Christmas present...

I know... how sweet is that?  She started it when she was sick with the flu.  She just needs to fill in the snowflakes, she  did all of this without asking for a bit of help.  Her stitches are what she figured out by herself,  I hope the person who gets this will appreciate the love and care she put into it. 

Well that's it for today.  Most of the roping ended up inside, I couldn't get it to hang outdoors and well it was really cold out.  I like it in here, the kitchen windows got some, the mirrors, the fireplace in the living room, more pics to come!

I hope you are enjoying the process as much as I am!  Theresa xoxo

*******BRRRRRR******

did I mention that it is getting really cold here?  Combine the cold with a to-do list that is growing by the day and this is my new look...

so if you see me out and about I could use some hot chocolate and a good swift kick in the pants!

... I prefer the hot chocolate!

Thanks for stopping by!  Theresa xoxo

let the decorating commence...

Yesterday I went to our local fruit market and bought some cedar roping to hang outside, I'm hesitating going out there to get it hung up because it's 29 degrees out there!! So that's why all of my smart neighbors were putting their decorations up two weeks ago! go figure.  So I started inside to get the juices flowing...

I know I'm a week late but I just finished this advent 'wreath' this morning and I needed to show you the beautiful exvoto tags I bought from Rosemary over at Ozma Of Odds  they are really gorgeous and I knew when I opened them that I needed to use them on something special.  I love how this turned out!

These tags are stunning, truly.  I wrapped the dollar store candles in music paper that I printed onto vellum paper so that it will glow nicely and then just attached it with double sided tape, and tied the exvotos on with creamy string, tucked some cedar from the yard inside the old toolbox and waalaa!

One mantel down and 2 more to go!  I wish all three were real fireplaces, this one is simply the mantel, one day I would like to put a little electric fireplace in here.

  While I was at the market, I noticed that they had a couple of boxwood wreaths for sale as well!  Honestly I was doing the happy dance, went back inside to pay for those and get out of there before I saw anything else that I couldn't resist!  I planted boxwood this year just so that I could do things like this one day, but if I were to take any clippings from then well, lets just say I would only have little stumps in my dirt.

I quickly took the old picture down that was there and replaced it with the wreath tied with burlap (all while making dinner mind you).   Did you all know that in the floral section of Michaels you can find a roll of burlap ribbon that is about 6" wide?  I didn't and that caused another happy dance while in the store... hmmm,  no wonder my kids don't want to go shopping with me anymore!

This morning I replaced all of the cabinet card pictures that were hanging here and put up some of the vintage Christmas postcards that I found while cleaning the workroom.  I have a new mantra... cleaning is good, cleaning is good, cleaning is good...

I just love the graphics on them, so sweet and the little notes on the backs are even sweeter.

the view from the bench at the table.

So there you have it, the decorating has officially begun here at 612.  Now I'm off to brave the cold and do a little of it outdoors.  We'll see how long I last,  maybe some of the roping will end up inside!  Here's hoping someone will have hot cocoa waiting for me when I come in.

I'm joining in the fun over @ TeaRoseHome, stop by and see all of the inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful Sunday!  Theresa xoxo

the wheels are still turning...

No time to chat really, I tore up the workroom, which consequently means I tore up the entire downstairs... and I haven't even begun to decorate!  Can you feel the craziness?  I just thought I'd leave you with some pictures and a quick hello...

(sold)

look at that fabulous label!

 some vintage bottles that I decorated...

 Some big (o.k. I'll be honest, almost obnoxious)  poofy flowers to wear and feel all girly!  I love to feel girly and I swear these do the trick, I love to wear them and always feel a little special when I do! scouts honor!!

 So there you have it, the craziness ensues... I will be getting this house in order TODAY and then on to more creative endeavors!  I stopped at a friends house today and she was decorating for Christmas, and man oh man did I just want to stay there and play instead of coming home to work!  But alas here I am... I will play soon enough for now I really gotta roll up my sleeves and make some sense of this place!

All of these things will be added to my etsy soon, probably as I fall asleep tonight, so excuse any typos!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you are having a fabulous day!  Theresa xoxo