Monday, December 28, 2015

Bringing in the New Year

Hello everyone, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. For this post I am creating some vignettes using antique New Year's ephemera and bringing out the symbolism of each one. Postcards and trade cards can always tell a story if you look at the detail.


This first staging is with top hats, and I must admit I'm not sure what the symbolism is there. Just the popularity of the top hat during the Victorian era I suppose. (for an explanation of the top hat, see Ruth's comment at the bottom. Thanks Ruth!)
These two cards are advertising trade cards, not sure why the children have booze though, but they sure are cute! Maybe instead of a cup of good cheer, it's a top hat of good cheer? For father?


Speaking of good cheer, in the postcard below to the right, the party gal is giving a cup of good cheer to Old Father Time, the hour glass has been turned over to start off a New Year.  The card reads "May Welcome warm the heart of time, to speed a New Year."
The card to the left is a Diamond Dye's card, the children are depicting the 12 months of the year in their newly dyed clothing and Father Time has dyed his drab old brown cloak as well.

So, out with the OLD...



And in with the NEW...



In Victorian folklore, pigs were a symbol of good health, happiness and prosperity-sentiments associated with Christmas and the New Year. Also pigs were emblems of good luck. Which is ironic, because those poor things don't have good luck at all! :)



A wishbone is also a good luck symbol, but only if you get the longer half right? lol
The silver plated pieces also have the wishbone for good luck. The egg cup reads "Best Wishes".
Notice the bright cheery flowers, as well as the snow scene. Christmas and New Year's cards often had sunny scenes of flowers, birds and their nests, etc. as a reminder that Spring would be coming.



Horse shoes are a good luck symbol too. And again, these cards have the flowers of Spring and Summer. Notice the card on the right has violets shaped into a horse shoe.
In the background is my plush photo box with a horse shoe framing the mirror.



A forget-me-not wishing well with 4 leaf clovers, both symbols of good luck. There is also a white dove on the crank of the well, you have to look hard for it.
Then there's a ship steering wheel, to guide us into a New Year. And a bouquet of roses
In between the two postcards is an antique ink well and mother of pearl pen.



Ring in the New Year with these sweet little butterfly winged fairies. The one fairy is ringing the church tower bell and the other is offering up a cup of good cheer.


So with that, here's wishing you and yours a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thank you so much for reading my blog this past year and for those of you who leave me comments thank you so much, I have really enjoyed getting to know you through those comments.

I want to thank Sandi over at NO PLACE LIKE HOME for featuring my "Christmas in the Dining Room" post.
And to Kathy over at HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY for featuring my "Who was/is Jesus" post.

I am linking up to the following parties...
BERNIDEEN'S TEA TIME, COTTAGE AND GARDEN with Bernideen
TUESDAY CUPPA TEA with Ruth
TUESDAYS AT OUR HOME with Maria Elena
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
WHAT'S IT WEDNESDAY with Patti
SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY with Courtney
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY with Cindy
AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy


Sunday, December 20, 2015

A Tray of Ornaments, a Teacup and a Cookie Exchange

Hello everyone, Christmas is only 5 days away and we just got the ornaments on our tree this week, after my son arrived home from college. I had placed my Victorian inspired ornaments on my silver tray to admire while waiting for him and thought it made a pretty display in itself.



I put a few of my favorites here on the parlor table beneath the feather tree,


and using some antique scrap pieces made a few of my own.


Then I brought out my favorite teacup, my "latest find" teacup, and staged a little romance!


When I spied this beauty at one of our sales, it was love at first sight! Teacup love!


Hand painted Noritake Nippon love! $5 love!


I found an antique mall with some beautiful ornaments for only 25 cents each! My kind of ornaments! Victorian all the way!


This sweet hand painted cherub


More cherubs on the tin ornament and the hand painted "Italy" tiny cherubs. The glass peach ornaments were 50 cents each.


These ornaments scream out 1990's, don't they? I loved the ornaments from that time and buy them when I find them. Especially when they are 25 cents each!


Below is a vignette using a small decorated tree, again probably made in the 90's maybe even the 80's,  with an adorable crazy quilt tree skirt, a reproduction counted cross stitch candle screen,
and a page from an antique children's book...


"A Christmas Fairy" by Lizzie Lawson Mack, a famous late nineteenth century children's book illustrator. It is Christmas Eve and she has fallen asleep waiting for dear old St. Nick and during her slumber has a dream where a beautiful little Christmas fairy comes in by way of the fireplace with a gift of a doll for this sweet little one.


A crazy quilt stocking hanging from the mantel, waiting to be filled!


In the meantime, a cookie exchange!! I baked and dipped 6 dozen of these white cake petit fours...


and came home with 6 dozen of assorted goodies...


And here is a wish for you, my sweet blogger friends...
May you have a Happy Christmas and a most joyous New Year! Thank you all so much for your friendship and inspiration. Sending Christmas hugs to all of you!


I am joining the following parties this week of Christmas...

AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy
TUESDAY CUPPA TEA with Ruth
BERNIDEEN'S TEA TIME, COTTAGE AND GARDEN with Bernideen
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
TUESDAYS AT OUR HOME with Maria Elena
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY with Courtney
WHAT'S IT WEDNESDAY with Patti
SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY with Cindy

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Christmas in the Dining Room

Hello everyone, I finally finished decorating in the dining room yesterday. I did try to change things up a bit from last year so you wouldn't get too bored seeing the same stuff.
Here is a room view from this angle with the lights on...


and same angle of room view with lights out...


This year I had fun decorating my chandelier (which I did not have last Christmas).



I used a faux garland of ivy and holly...


and these glass ornaments that I got at Michael's a few years ago.


For the table centerpiece, I used a cake stand and a miniature Christmas tree dome with a beaded cherry garland at the base of the cake stand.




and I got another pair of matching candle lamp shades (for $5!)...


that I need to make look like this single one that I have over here on the stepback cupboard, it is all original.


The table is set with Johnson Bros. Friendly Village that I found at a flea market last week. Just in time for Christmas! I was getting tired of my usual Pfaltzgraff Winterberry pattern.


Pictured below are a few more of my latest finds. I couldn't pass up this wonderful figural napkin ring when I saw it at an antique mall! I got the salt cellar and spoon at one of our sales...


as I did this mother of pearl handle butter knife. Just look at the detail on it, it totally won my heart over!


Another exciting find was this $3 glass empty dome (not old). I knew I could fill it with something to make it look Victorian, so I used a glass candy dish, paper doily and my vintage wax fruits, and here she is! It made me so happy! The table I have these things on is just a temporary table until I get my marble top sideboard! Which I hope is soon! :)


Over at the window I have some Paperwhites that are just about ready to bloom! For the window I have used another faux holly garland...


and these gilt cherubs that I just got at our last sale for $2 each. I think they really add to the Victorian theme.


And that my friends, is it! Sorry it was a long one! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. Let me know that you stopped by, I love getting comments!
Have a wonderful week! It's ALMOST Christmas!

I am linking up to the following parties...
AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy
TUESDAY CUPPA TEA with Ruth
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian
BERNIDEEN'S TEA TIME, COTTAGE AND GARDEN with Bernideen
WHAT'S IT WEDNESDAY with Patti
SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY with Courtney
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY with Cindy

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Who Was (Is) Jesus Christ?

My last post was on Saint Nicholas so I wanted to do a post on the man behind "the Reason for the Season". Jesus Christ himself.  Jesus is the Son of the Living God, our Lord, and our Risen Savior.

For this post I have used some antique postcards, Nativity sets, and a few ornaments.


The first nativity I want to show you is one I bought at a sale this Fall. It is a "one of a kind" because it was a school paper mache project that was made in art class years ago. A Pringles can was used for Mary and Joseph. I thought that was cute. Jesus was crafted from some sort of a little box.


Hanging on the wall above the Holy Family is a wreath with three brass snowflake ornaments with white porcelain pieces hanging down that depict scenes of the Christmas Story.


A few early 1900's postcards...



Over on the mantel...


is this sweet vintage porcelain set...


And over at the Christmas tree are a few ornaments, the two Creche's are Hallmark...


and this Hallmark Nativity Set. The vintage angels are paper mache Germany pieces.


My last Nativity is this Hallmark toy that I bought for my kids several years ago.


Thank you so much for visiting today and I do hope you know this wonderful man behind "the Reason for the Season".

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

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

                                                                         John 3:16


I am joining the following linky parties with this post...
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY with Courtney
WHAT'S IT WEDNESDAY with Patti
AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy
BERNIDEEN'S TEA TIME, COTTAGE AND GARDEN with Bernideen
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann
MY ROMANTIC HOME with Cindy