Thursday, December 27, 2012

around the house for Christmas...

I hope that you all had a beautiful Christmas,
ours was very special, filled with lots of family time,
laughter, love, good food, games,
mixed with
the flu.
not once,
but three different times and not just for one person in the family,
but many of us in varying degrees of flu fun, during the time when
we would have been preparing for the big day.


I thought I was on the verge of being ready early when I went
clipping greens around town with my friend Julie.
We now have a tradition started where we play what I like to refer to as
"City Workers"
and go around to abandoned buildings and clip greens from bushes and trees.
We are also not above doing a little curb clean-up and taking 
branches from the side of the road that have been thrown out by our
very generous citizens!


I got enough for all of the urns,
and little spots around the yard.

So the porches were decorated and I thought,
surely the inside will be a cinch...


did I mention
the flu?
three times?


I know that I have said how much I love all of the inspiration on Pinterest,
and the chalkboard creativity is no exception.
I love me some chalkboards!
A good friend of mine, Val, gave me this super heavy duty sandwich board
because she knew that I would find something to do with it.
I painted it with chalkboard paint and used it for the last of the shows that we did.
When I was putzing on the porches I made it up for the
side porch...
and then the rain came, and washed the message away.
lather, rinse, repeat.
It hasn't been put back outside though...
did I mention 
the flu?
three times?

Not just one of us,
but multiple people, even those that showed up from out of state 
to play with us over the holidays got 
the flu.


I did get one box upstairs days before, and that was our beloved
Nativity given to us by my parents years ago.
See the new insert in our mantle?  I had a brainstorm one day
and took it from the small mantle that is up in our bedroom, as it 
really never got used up there and brought it down for the dining room,
I love it here!


this was our advent calender last year, stapled to the chalkboard.
This year I wrapped it around a burlap bulletin board and used the chalkboard
for another Pinterest inspired message...


gotta love Pinterest!


The one bottle brush tree that I saved for us, it 
hangs on the bathroom door.


Hannah painted this St. Nick years ago,
(maybe 4?)
I love it, she did such a great job!
 It also decorates another bathroom door.
Smallest bathroom ever with 3 doorways!

On to the kitchen...


I took the same St. Nick class as Hannah and did this one,
it is on the industrial shelving in the kitchen.


The column and bird cage are sitting on the barn door counter 
and the star got a bit of a make over with the beautiful 
round picture placed in the center.


I have kept this mercury glass bird on the shelf of my work room
for a few years now, knowing that it would be used for 
something special,
it loves its new home!


I think that she is exquisite and will be gracing my kitchen long
past Christmas!

The most loved decoration is of course the people I love...


Dad giving Max a chess lesson...


and then later taking on one of his much earlier students.
The game has been out and played by different opponents everyday now.

p.s. same day, different flannel!  My man loves this ratty old shirt!


We waited for Danielle to get home to cut down a tree, so that her and her boyfriend, Justin,
could get it with us, but then they got sick too so just a couple of days before
Christmas Duane and a couple of the kids went alone to pick out a
tree that was already cut. We almost never do that but you learn to roll with the punches.
I think they did a wonderful job, finding just the right tree for the space!

The tree never got past the lights part of decorating, but we all decided that 
we were okay with that!  I was on the couch not feeling very well at all, 
and said that I could direct them to the boxes down in the basement, but
the simplicity of the lights won hands down.
At first I thought, REALLY?  but when I thought long and hard on it,
(for about 5 seconds)
I completely agreed...
simple is good.


We did make sure to have special messages on every chalkboard,
and I am so glad that we did!
I mean how can you take a good duck face, new hat and jammie picture
without a beautiful backdrop?
:)


So there you have it,
our Christmas was almost comical at a certain level
and compared to Christmas Vacation. 
I told my friends that if a backwards cousin driving
an RV pulls into my driveway, and a squirrel jumps out of our enormous tree,
  I would start looking for the hidden cameras!

Never happened,
as it turns out,
having the flu so much was all we needed to learn to roll with the punches.

I will end this with how it began...
we had a magical Christmas filled with lots of  family time,
laughter, love, good food, games 
and most of all the knowledge that we are
blessed beyond belief.

I wish the same for you.

love,
Theresa 
xoxoxooxoxoxo


last one,
I think we started a new tradition around here too.
No more fancy stockings for us,
we are going to be using the real deal from now on!

yup, you guessed it we didn't go searching for the stockings either.










13 comments:

  1. Hope you're all feeling better ~ sure do love the simple Christmas, Tree with just lights is Beautiful (your starting a new trend) Love all the chalk boards & the design on them.... I also Love, Love, Love the Santa Paintings ~ you need to do more & Sell them (like you don't have enough things to do}
    Stay Healthy for the up coming New Year ~
    xox
    Cheryl

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  2. Hi Theresa,
    Sorry to read that you all had the flu, at the worst possible time. Bet you will never forget this Christmas, at least that is a bright spot I suppose. Regardless, love your decorations, and especially your outdoor chalk board, and those lovely stockings hanging with care!
    Maureen

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  3. Hi Theresa!
    I've missed you. I see that you made the best of your Christmas despite the awful flu. You and your poor family....you are all real troopers and I also love your decorations. Who needs lights on a tree anyway.

    Hope you are all feeling better.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  4. Sounds perfect to me, minus the flu...:D

    If I had not decorated early - same thing would have occurred here. Sinus infections and colds all week...Darling daughter is returning to NYC sick..poor baby.
    Glad your holiday was magical for all the right reasons...
    <3

    a blessed New Year to the Hein family

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  5. Well your attitude is great for having the flu visit you all at Christmas Theresa!!! I love your 'lights only' tree too! In fact all of your decorating is beautiful. Your porches are so inviting my friend.

    I laughed at your husband's ratty shirt...those are Dale's favorites too. He has good ones but no one would know it if they stop in unexpectedly at our house : )
    I want to wish a a wonderful New Year Theresa!
    hugs from here...

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  6. I loved your post and all the pics (your chalkboards are awesome)...thanks so much for taking the time to share it all with us. I'm so sorry to hear y'all had the flu....three times I think you mentioned? Wishing you a Happy New Year!
    Smikles, DianeM

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  7. So Sorry about your flu but your home is gorgeous! LOVE all the creative ideas and vintage thru out! Our taste is very similar! Have a WELL Happy New Year! Roxie

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  8. I think if we all spent a little time "rolling with the punches" during the holidays we'd all be better off. Hope the family is feeling better and the new year brings more inspiration from your home.

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  9. Isn't funny how God steps in and takes control? The flu might have put you down...temporarily, but it didn't steal your Christmas. It made you slow down and you got to enjoy what's important...the little things like real socks. I on the other hand, rushed around like a mad woman right up till the last minute and almost forgot to savor the moment.
    I love that idea of using real socks and girl I'm gonna do it next year.
    You are so blessed Theresa...in more ways than one...maybe 3 times over.
    Blessings in the new year from my home to yours.
    XO
    Deb

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  10. Hello Theresa!
    Love all your decorating, looks like you had a wonderfully simple Christmas, like it should be! Sorry about the flu, we are on the verge of getting it, have heard that it's a doozy this year, get it, get rid of it, get it back. Not looking forward to it, but know it's coming!

    Have a great start to the new year!
    Kate

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  11. beautiful decorations, theresa! have a healthy, happy new year:)

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  12. What a beautiful Christmas you had, even with the flu, three times!! My goodness! I hope everyone is on the mend!
    Happy New Year dear friend! I look forward to your posts in the new year! Much Love! Cindy

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  13. Well, it sounds like you had a pretty wonderful Christmas, in SPITE of the nasty flu bug, three times! I love these photos - your blog always leaves me with a smile and happy heart! We had bugs here too, but they were in the form of sinus infections, which I have a feeling has dropped into pnuemonia in my lungs this evening...part of the reason I've missed out on my blog reading this past week. Here's wishing you a happy, HEALTHY 2013, full of charming duck faces, warm jammies, and no more FLU!!! XOXOXO Tanya

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Thank you so much for visiting me here at The Old White House, your comments make my day! ~ Theresa xoxo