December Mantle and more...

 

My mantle for December doesn't have the same primitive antique feel that it has the rest of the year.

Instead a lighted village pays homage to our family's favorite Christmas movie:

 

 

"It's a Wonderful Life"

There's Gower Drugs and Bailey Building and Loan.

Ernie's cab, Uncle Billy and Mr. Potter, too.

 

Welcome Home Harry Bailey!

 

The boys playing on the ice before Harry fell in.

 

The old Granville House, Bert and Ernie and Mary in the hydrangea bush.

Lucky for me, my youngest son has taken over setting up the village.

 

Most of the other Christmas decorations have a primitive or at least vintage feel:

 

Love the old trees with red bases.

 

My holly table.

 

A lovely Schneeman Folk art swag inside the front door.

 

A nutcracker collection that had to stop as we ran out of room on the shelf!

 

Vintage nativity sets

 

I love the combination of rough and shiny.

 

Just part of our family's nativity scene.

(This table top was too small)

 

A German made Christkindlmarket

 

The nativity set from my youth

 

A Schneeman centerpiece

 

A little vignette of Santa in the woods

 

A favorite cross stitch piece with Schneeman fruit. 

 

Vintage ornaments

 

I have so many Christmas things that I need to post about - I may be talking Christmas through January!

I think I'll try to blog every day this week to share it all with you.

We'll see how I do :)

 

"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

~Isaiah 9:6

 

Blessings, Patti

Estate Sale Finds

A few weeks ago I attended an interesting estate sale. The home, in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, was built in 1920 and was home to multiple generations of the same family. The gentleman that passed was a retired Lutheran minister who was one of the creators of Uncle Mistletoe - a tradition at Marshall Fields in Chicago and a local children's program. The Uncle Mistletoe above has been on my tree for the past 20 years. 

This picture peaked my curiosity for the sale along with this one: 

Oh my! Be still my heart! Look at those incredible German rabbit candy containers! I wanted them all! Or at least one :)

When I went to the sale, I realized the house was tiny so only a few people could be inside. There were at least 25 people ahead of me, so I left :(  Late in the afternoon of the last day, I found myself back in the neighborhood, so I thought I would try again. 

Of course all of the items in the first two photos sold in the first half hour of the sale, but I did manage to find a few little treasures...

There was an entire bedroom filled with antique toys. The gentleman working the room told me that the minister didn't collect toys, these were all his toys from his childhood and they were very well cared for.

This little box with its winter scene caught my eye.

I opened it up and found this!

Snow White and the 7 dwarfs are now part of my Christmas decorations. 

This sweet little velvet tabby kitten came home with me along with 

the teeniest tiniest jointed teddy bear that I ever did see.

His mohair is so worn and well loved :)

Other little treasures found:

This little box will be a pincushion someday and I loved the graphics on this matchbox.

And since I love all things Abraham Lincoln, this coin came home with me as well.  

And finally a single button shoe. Not sure what happened to its mate, but it looked awful lonely.

When at several estate sales, I met a lovely woman named Wanda. Wanda and I have the exact same taste in antiques. I try to go whenever she has a booth at a show as I know that I will find treasures. Last weekend she had a garage sale and I found these:

A wonderful salt box.

A wooden folk art bird who will live in my garden next summer.

This great green bucket 

Some vintage red velvet, a Ball freezer jar, a clock bank and several tin items.

With my new finds I added some greens and lights and came up with this:

Of course, I should have been preparing for Christmas, but sometimes you just need to take a break :)

"The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea."

~Isaiah 11:6-9

Blessings, Patti

Ever Thankful

"Be Thankful"

design by Maggie Bonanomi

for Country Sampler Maggie's Girl Club

The original design said "Be Thankful"

I chose to change it to "Ever Thankful"

Ever (adv.) at all times, always, continuously, without ceasing

Yes, I try to be Ever Thankful.

I tried adding tongues on the ends, but decided that I preferred Maggie's version - beautiful in it's simplicity.

I added this tag to the back. This is the last project that I worked on while Orion would sit on my lap, happy to have my wool project keep him warm as I worked :) I finished it after his passing.

I am Ever Thankful to have had Orion as part of our family.

"but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

~Isaiah 40:31

Blessings, Patti

Jewelry & A Big Thank You

I can't thank you all enough for your very kind comments and emails.

They mean so very much to me! It has been a rough week and I haven't even felt like stitching. Instead I've been admiring what others are stitching.

I have to share some wonderful jewelry that I have been wearing lately. 

One of the best parts of attending needlework retreats is meeting very talented, creative women that work in a variety of mediums.

I have been wearing this bracelet a lot lately - it helps me feel that God is close.

I love the mix of metals - it really goes with anything and everything.

 

This beautiful bracelet is the work of Kim.

I had the pleasure of meeting her and becoming immediate friends at Stacy Nash Stitch Camp as you can see here. You can follow Kim's "I love samplers" blog here and her Early Work Mercantile page here. 

I've been trying to convince her to start selling her beautiful jewelry on line :) Don't you agree that she should?

I've also been wearing another beautiful bracelet from my other new dear friend and Stitch Camp table mate, Ella.

Isn't this wrap bracelet beautiful and elegant!

I love that I can wear it with my suits to work and then leave it on with my casual clothes.

The pearls, grey, silver and black make it so neutral and easy to wear.

The old mother of pearl buttons are a perfect accent and help share my love of needlework and old textiles.

Ella doesn't have a blog or Etsy shop, but I think that she should recruit some help and get started!

My final piece that I wanted to share is from my friend, Jean Elliott, master of so many mediums!

You may remember that she taught one of our classes at Boxwood & Berries.

Isn't this great?! I love the little pincushion that she created in the thimble, the old buttons, pieces of old wooden rulers (and extra hooks for other future treasures) all hanging from a fish stringer on a hemp cord.

I love it!

It's so nice to have such talented friends!

I'm so glad to be able to wear their lovely heartfelt handmade creations!

I'm hoping that I will get back to stitching soon and maybe even have something to share in another week or two. Thank you again so very much for your kind comments and emails! I really appreciate you taking the time to help me at such a rough time.

"She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

~Matthew 1:21

Blessings, Patti 

Rest in Peace

 

Rest in Peace

Our Beloved Pup

 

You were with us such a short time,

but then again would 10 years or even 15 have been enough?

I think not.

 

Your passion for toys and playing fetch were undeniable.

 

It's amazing how much personality could be packed in your mere 14 pounds.

 

When you arrived at our home as our very first dog,

we had no idea what an incredible journey you would take us on.

 

Why we were so blessed to live with the best dog in the entire world?!

 

You were a dream come true. (Read here.)

And every one of the hundreds of allergy shots have been well worth it.

 

 

Your fetching of golf "birdie" balls made you a living legend.

 

Orion, you lived in our home a short time, 8/1/2010 - 12/3/2014,

but will live in our hearts and memories forever.

 

Please consider adopting a rescue,

it is always the best choice and the right choice.

 

Thank you Midwest Dachshund Rescue for matching us with a dog that was beyond our dreams  and expectations.

 

Blessings, Patti