An Enduring Timepiece

Our 1800's clock does work...

if one of us would wind it up...

which we don't. LOL

This is a little display I put together using our clock.

My prim Santa takes center stage here.

Flanked by my beeswax Santa and tree.

Someone else it seems wanted to take center stage.

{He is a persistent one}

Entire view.

Last year's photo of my clock display.

Santa was inside the clock peeking out.

Which version do you prefer?

An Enduring Timepiece Blessings To All!

Janice

Log Cabin Christmas

Good morning everyone!
Over the weekend I was
reflecting on my grandma/ grandpa B,
my mom and her siblings
spending their first Christmas
on their farm in a log cabin,
which gave me the inspiration for this display.

The farm was 80 acres,
and was full of red pines and other christmas trees,
among other maples and birch trees.
It even had its own natural spring.

I decided to add bottle brush trees
to look like the cabin in the woods.
The large bottle brush tree 
in the back is the newest one I bought.

One bottle brush tree is decorated.

I am still deciding how to decorate the small tree.
For now it has white lights and strips of red stained muslin.

I added gourds for a more primitive look.

Close up view.

Who is peeking through the window?

Makes me almost wish I could have

 a real Christmas inside a cabin.

{Almost because I know in reality, 

it was not an easy one for my mom}

Once I decorate the tree, will show more pics.

Rain moving in for tonight...

no snow yet.

Log Cabin Blessings To All!

Janice

Window Shopping

Happy Sunday my friends!
After breakfast,
Bob and I are off to do some Christmas shopping.
Although my mom and sis love the thrill of the hunt
on Black Friday...I would rather stay home.

I do remember as a child Christmas window shopping
the downtown stores in the small town we lived.
Priehs Department store was where you found everything.
{compared to a smaller version of Macy's}
The store had three levels.

My favorite floor was the basement.
That is where the toys, 
christmas displays, childrens apparel & appliances were.
The top floor was menswear.
While the street level was for woman.
I remember the women who worked the perfume counter.
Then there was the hat counter.
If you watched the show Mr. Selfridge...
the store was like that. 

Each floor had old oak flooring.
It creaked in places, but I loved it!

Of course that is where my parents took us to see 

the jolly ole elf himself.

Each Christmas Santa and his elves

 were always there to greet us.

Afterwards we were given a candy cane.

What amazed me was the sights and smells

that store had during the holidays.

It was magical!

Then there was Malbin's furniture store.

It was where my parents bought their furniture.

Where even I bought my furniture when I was first married.

Art O Craft was where we purchased

our school supplies.

It was where I bought my drawing pencils,

charcoal and sketch pads for art school.

It was also the place to buy greeting cards.

Gibbons Bakery was also a favorite.

My parents would take us there for a treat sometimes.

It always smelled so nice in there.

My mom would always come home with homemade bread,

and sweets for us.

I so loved the bookstore.

We would pick out our favorites.

One to take home that day...

Santa would bring us more later on.

My mom would go to another

women's store...cannot remember the name now. 

Then there was the five and dime.

My mom would get her fabric there.

Kresge's was where we ate lunch.
Usually hamburgers, fries and sodas.

I loved window shopping all of these stores,
as all of their windows displayed
wonderful Christmas themes.

Unfortunately all of the stores are now gone.
When the shopping malls came to be,
it was the demise of small town charm.
It's ironic that now the malls 
are now meeting their own demise,
due to online shopping.

Fortunately we currently live in a small town,
where the hometown charm is back and alive.
This is where our store is located.
Bob and I love to decorate our window
for the seasons.
Our Christmas window always reminds me
 of the shops I use to visit as a child.

I hope you enjoyed your visit of the front of our store
decorated for this Holiday Christmas season.

Do you like to shop the Black Friday deals?
Do you shop like I do?
Or would you rather do Cyber Monday?

Window Shopping Blessings To All!
Janice

Christmas Memories

I started decorating after returning
home from sis's after Thanksgiving dinner.
We had a wonderful dinner!
Hope you all enjoyed your day with family/ friends too.

Let the Christmas Season begin! Christmas for me was always about making memories.
Family was very important growing up.
We spent each and every Christmas
with both Gramma/ Grandpa H and
Gramma/ Grandpa B.
Even after my grandpa's passed,
 we still spent Christmas with both grammas.
Then when my gramma's passed,
the torch was passed down to my parents,
and now us kids. 

My most favorite Christmas memory
was when gramma H

decorated our playhouse for Christmas.

Our playhouse was a former chicken coop.
This coop was previously used for her baby chicks.
It was the size of an overly extra large garden shed
by today's standards.
She had a much larger coop for the adult chickens.
Once grandpa passed, she sold the chickens,
and the coop was converted to our playhouse.

We had a couch, table & chairs.

Even curtains on the windows.

Shelves for kitchen stuff..which included 

pots/pans, toaster and empty food boxes 

and used washed food cans.

Us cousins would play in there for hours.

We would play house, board games and cards.

Even though there was no electricity in our playhouse.

It was cozy!

One door and a row of windows on the South side only.

A row of trees lined the North side,

so it was cool in the Summer 

and even quite warm in the Winter.

{at least most of the time}

We played in there when it was sunny, raining and snowing.

The only time we left was during a thunderstorm,

or when it got dark.

Although I have many Christmas memories,

The one that was the most special, 

was when gramma H purchased her new

aluminum tree with the color wheel.

She sneaked her old artificial tree inside

our playhouse and decorated it...

minus the lights.

She also added garlands around the windows.

Then a live Christmas wreath was tacked to the door.

It was a magical Christmas treat for us that year.

We felt very special...

with our very own Christmas decor!

I wish now I had a photo of it,

but that Christmas memory will last forever with me.

Do you have a special Christmas memory?

Christmas Memory Blessings To All!

Janice

PS- Did you notice that the elf 

had to make an appearance in this post?

November CupboardScape

Happy Wednesday Friends!
With Thanksgiving tomorrow,
I wanted to feature nature's bounty
for this month's CupboardScape.

Pumpkins

Fruits and Vegetables

Gourds

Berries

Apples and Pears

Corn and Apple Cider

All inside this wonderful chest

Winnie sent me a Thanksgiving postcard which ended:

Pumpkin Pie Wishes from Sunny Florida.

To put a different twist on Winnie's quote to me. 

Pumpkin Pie Blessings To All!

Janice

P.S. Thank you Winnie for the card.

The Thrill Of The Hunt

First off,

A HUGE thank you for all of your best wishes

for our 1st annual 

Vintage Marketplace Show.

Everyone who commented to

Roger and I at the door

wanted to say it was a great show,

and they are looking forward to coming back

next year.

After Amy and Bob ran the numbers...

they did make a bit of a profit...

so with that said;

there will be a 2nd annual show.

Instead of taking the money,

they will put it back into the account

and use it towards advertising for next year.

For those who do not know about advertising...

it is a huge expense.

HUGE

We expected about 500 folks to come through,

but we had 315.

The weather was crappy.

It was pouring rain most of the day.

It finally stopped after the show.

Oh well.

With that said,

I want to show you a few of the items I purchased.

I so love cake crocks.

This one is a salt glaze version with a handle.

As soon as I spotted this adorable early teddy,

it was love at first sight.

I always say to my customer's to purchase

was speaks to them.

This teddy spoke to me right off.

He will soon have a meet and greet with the others.

I also found this flower inlay hat pin.

The bottom is shaped like a fan,

with a green gem.

It now resides with my others.

I am still on the hunt for an early

suffragette one.

{Purple, white and green colors}

I also bought some fun Santa mugs,

but forgot to take them out of the van.

Bob took the van to the store.

So I will show those when I do my display.

Hoping everyone will have a great Monday.

It will be a short week for me.

Have to take my mom to the eye doctor

on Tuesday for her annual check up.

She had a degenerative eye disease,

and they want to make sure it is not progressing.

Then of course  Thanksgiving is on Thursday.

Looking forward to being with family!

Thrill Of The Hunt Blessings To All!

Janice

It's Showtime

Bob and I are off to vend at our

1st Annual

Vintage Marketplace Show.

Bob and our friend Amy are organizing this one.

We have a table of vintage Christmas.

Fun Christmas goodies for those who love vintage.

Although our first love is prims,

Bob and I buy lots of items for our store.

Bob's corner of guy stuff.

We do have a table of prims...

but I only took a picture of half the table.

I forgot the other half. So sorry.

Then we have these three early phones.

One a candlestick.

An early duster made from feathers.

A turkey platter and green transferware platter.

Our customers have been requesting a vintage show,

so Bob decided to start one in our town.

He had 40 dealers, but two cancelled due to emergencies.

We are hoping this show is a success.

Bob and Amy spent lots of money on advertising.

Even paid for a billboard on the local interstate.

Some of the vendors will have handmade jewelry,

more prims and more guy stuff.

Homemade jerky.

Fabric totes using vintage fabric.

Vintage clothing.

Lots of vintage Christmas...

Vintage vintage vintage

Lunch will be served.

Pulled pork, chili and sloppy joes.

I did purchase a few prim items last night
during vendor set up.
Will show them later.
I could have bought much more....
but I stick to my budget with these shows.
I have to. :-(

Well we are off.

My job is to tend the door with Amy's boyfriend Roger.

Wish us luck!

It's Showtime Blessings To All!

Janice