Tag: christmas

#AtoZChallenge | Book folding to add some Christmas tree love to Bedford Falls

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My favorite movie is It’s A Wonderful Life. I have a wall dedicated to memorabilia from the movie. Vintage pictures from magazines and behind the scenes photographs of Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed hung together are a visual love letter to this Frank Capra classic.

While those pictures are on display all the time, I also have some decorations related to the movie that I only put out at Christmas. Each December, I relocate the pictures that line the top of the bookcase along the landing of my stair case and turn it into a miniature Bedford Falls. I put down a white fuzzy blanket and line up my Cape Craftsman village pieces along with a snow globe depicting the final scene from the movie. Porcelain ornaments hang from a garland that drapes down in front of the shelves full of more memories from my favorite movie. Continue reading →

Winter in Maine

Ten activities to get me out of the house this winter.

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A few weekends ago we were surprised with unseasonably warm temperatures. We jumped on the opportunity to enjoy dinner alfresco with friends. It was beautiful and all the sweeter because we know those days are numbered.

Winter is coming and with the pandemic’s second wave in full force, it’s inevitable that there will be less opportunity to go out. The problem is that I live in Maine. When winter arrives it will bring snow, ice and incredibly cold temperatures.

Where does that leave us during a pandemic?

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#AtoZChallenge | Y is for Yuletide and always having room for one more tree.

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As you enter our house, there is a small mudroom. The floor is raised slightly above the adjoining living room and, on the left, there is an alcove with one large, single window that opens onto the road leading up to our house. It’s the first thing visitors see as they arrive.

If you come in December, it will also smell like pine. It’s the first place in our house where you’ll find a Christmas tree. It’s not the only one.

I’ve collected Christmas ornaments since I was a girl. It’s my tactile memory keeping project where each ornament connects back to a memory or significant event from my past. Each tree lets me explore those memories further.

This entryway tree used to be the one my girls decorated when they were younger. It wasn’t an attempt to engage them and allow them personal expression. It was far more selfish. I didn’t want them touching my tree. I invested fully in the ruse, picking out ornaments that matched their passions at the time. I still have two bins worth of ornaments hoping to find a new home some day with the grandchildren.

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#AtoZChallenge | G is for Goats and an Adorable Way to Recycle Our Christmas Trees

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I put up five Christmas trees each year. One stands in front of the window in our mudroom and is covered in ornaments that I’ve collected from my travels over the years. You can see it from the road as soon as you come over the hill leading up to our house.

The second is a slightly bigger one in our living room that I insist on putting colored lights on even though the rest of my family prefers white ones. The colored lights are nostalgic and remind me of my childhood. The lower third is where all the non-breakable ornaments hang, an attempt to dog proof it. It’s also tied to the ceiling for reinforcement since it has some irreplaceable ornaments on it including a glass elephant my grandmother gave me.

A third table top tree in our breakfast area showcases my Superwholock obsession although in actuality it is covered only in Doctor Who ornaments and one determined mini-bust of Dean Winchester that I converted into something that I could hang in the tree out of desperation at not being able to find any other Supernatural ornaments. I’ve yet to locate a Sherlock one that I like either.

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Holiday Adventures | My list of things I want to do this December.

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‘Tis the season that always seems to go by in a blur. My house is currently covered in boxes filled with Christmas decorations waiting to be unpacked. Decorating is a multi-week endeavor for me. While there never seems to be enough time to do everything on my holiday list, I’m going to give it a shot this year. We’ll see where the holiday spirit takes me and what I can squeeze in this coming month. Below are a few things I’m hoping to do.

Check out some Local Artisans.  I have a brown felt covered advent calendar with perfectly symmetrical numbered tags hanging from hooks on which we place ornaments to count down the days until Christmas. I made it during a crafting weekend with a friend who brought her sizzix die cutting machine and let me play with it. I  often blog about my love for crafting and always get to a few craft shows each season. It’s the best place to find something unique and personal.

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