Decking the Halls

I have been pretty busy the past few days decorating for Christmas! Oh how I love Christmas! I love all Christmas movies, Christmas lights, Christmas candies....all of the festive holiday spirit. I go all out at Christmas! Things didn't go quite as planned this year! The bow that I have to put on top of the tree was a wee bit bent out of shape! It is the same material as the ribbon I have running through the tree. I steamed it, flat ironed it and tugged at it....but it just didn't want to straighten up. So I had to improvise until I can get something else to stick up there. I had those little glittery sticks, so I used them for the time being. I need to buy more stickies, and find something for the topper. My tree also has scoliosis. It seems to get worse every year. This year it is tied to the wall with fishing line! LOL!!! Gotta do what works! I have a huge collection of crosses that I hang on the tree. I also collect ornaments from places I have visited. You can see the Paris ornament at the bottom right. I purchased this ornament at the Eiffel Tower about an hour before I fell down it and broke my tailbone! I have several Hawaiin themed ornaments, since we were married in Hawaii. I also have a New York ornament that I couldn't find when I was snapping photos, then I realize one of my furry friends had knocked it off! The Hunter also has a tree. It is the hunting themed tree. I love this tree. I hope one day I will have a bigger house and I can make it a full size tree. Notice the owl at the top? The owl symbolizes the owl that flew into my head and knocked me out! My Christmas trees tell a story!

Some of the ornaments I use on the hunting tree

I gathered Magnolia and Holly leaves from the hunting camp and made several decorations. This is one of them. I made a centerpiece for my coffee table. I used a piece of cardboard that is about 6" wide by 24" long. I glued magnolia leaves to it, then placed the candle holders, and filled in with holly.

This was my mom's Nativity Scene. She painted it when she and my aunt took ceramics. I have no idea why she got rid of it, but I am glad she did. It is very sentimental to me. Know If I can just keep Kiki from pawing at baby Jesus!

I love garland! Anywhere I can stick a piece of garland, I am happy! This is the entryway into the kitchen/living rooms. I totally re-do my mantle at Christmas. When I put up the mantle garland I plugged the lights in to make sure they worked. The next day I plugged them in and left them on for about 2 hours before I decorated it. Not 10 minutes after I completed it, the lights on one end went out! Go figure! I know ya'll are totally jealous of my turkey picture over the mantle! Sigh....It was a losing battle. I had a nice print that I bought in Paris over the mantle, but The Hunter wanted a turkey (its his house too is what he says) so there you have it!

I bought this glass container (I know there is a proper term for it...but I can't think of it right now), then other day while I was out with my mom shopping. I added some moss, and then part of a Nativity Scene I had. I also used ornaments on the candle holders for extra pizazz! I added some holly and magnolia leaves to the base.

Up close of my new "container"

I have a Southern Miss santa as well....since that is where I graduated from. My brother has an Auburn one

If you haven't noticed already...I LOOOOOOVE nutcrackers! LOVE THEM! I get one every Christmas from my mom. We went to New York a few years back, and our hotel lobby had a HUGE nutcracker in it (see the photo on my header). I fell in love with it. From that point forward I became obsessed with finding a life size nutcracker. I found the exact same one our hotel had online, but it was $2700.00! After Christmas my mom came across this one on clearance at a local store. I loved him, so he came home with me! Isn't he great! He needs some company though!

Most of my nutcrackers reflect things that I love, or places I have been. I am on the lookout for a hunter, a gardener and a princess! It is pretty male dominated up on the mantle so far!

Besides my life size nutcracker....the purple nutcracker with the bow is my favorite. I don't collect the name brand nutcrackers....I like them all!

Especially him!

Tomorrow we will check out the kitchen, and then we will head on outside!

Where In the World Is Bilbo: Milan, Italy

Bilbo has arrived safely in Milan and has already been site seeing with Sue at The Balcony Garden. She is being a wonderful host!

I still can't believe the places he has been, and the places he will go! Soon it will be Christmas, and he will be far from home. I am sure that his host family at that time will take wonderful care of him.

Please hop on over to The Balcony Garden to visit with Bilbo and Sue. You can click on the photos or above or:

http://balcony-garden.blogspot.com/2009/11/where-in-world-is-bilbo.html

Bakin' & Creatin'

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I have been in the kitchen all morning baking Pumpkin Rolls. I took great step by step pictures for all of you....then I saw that Phillip @ Dirt Therapy had just done a post on Pumpkin Rolls. So I am going to let Phillip walk you through it step by step. They are pretty easy to make, and they are WONDERFUL! I wish I would have seen his post earlier...I could have kept my dirty fingers off of my camera! LOL!!! Besides baking, I have been feeling crafty!

I had this urn that I bought back during the Summer. I never did anything with it...I was too busy gardening. I had a bright idea the other night to make a topiary for it. I know...urn...topiary....duh! I decided to make a Christmas topiary for my table. I can change it out with the seasons.

I bought the foam form to fit my urn. I glued a small round foam form to the base so it would be stable in the urn. So lets get started! I purchased the silver garland to wrap around it. 48 glue gun burns later....

Ta da! Warning...the HOT glue bleeds through the garland, and the garland melts, and then you burn your fingers. I am sure there was a "better" way...but hey...that's how we learn.

Next I had to start attaching ornaments. I had 90% of the ornaments already, and picked a few for embellishment. I didn't have all of the floral necessities for this job...so I do what I always do...improvise! Yes, those are toothpicks! I inserted toothpicks into the ornaments using hot glue. Then I stuck them into the topiary.

Off to a good start....

I picked up these snowflakes to add to the topiary.

I added them after all of the ornaments had been attached. They were gap fillers!

Then I added some nice glittery, sparkly things to the top and on the form.

And here it is! It was SOOOOO much fun! I could make a 100 more of them, all different! Next I am making one for the BIG urn on my front porch. It is going to be totally different. I will be using a tomato cage to make it!

I cut some fresh holly and magnolia leaves this weekend while I was at the camp. I will use them in various places throughout the house when I start decorating. I always wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas. I like to enjoy one holiday before jumping into the next.

I love to decorate for Christmas! I always forget about the decorations that I have, until I pull them out!

The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday". It is the busiest shopping day of the year. I have never been shopping on "Black Friday". I know there are some great deals, but I would rather be decorating. However, this "Black Friday" will be a little different. I can promise you that the sales in the state of Alabama will drop around 11am. Why you ask? Because all

4,661,900 residents of Alabama will be watching this....

VERSUS This is the BIGGEST rivalry in this state. People plan weddings, showers, and probably funerals around this game, LOL!

I am just hoping that come Friday afternoon, Toomer's Corner looks like this!!!! ( I said "hope" Ginger!)

WAAAAAAAARRRRRRR EAGLE!

& Happy Thanksgiving!

This Is Why She is the Queen.....

.....and I am the Princess! I went and visited my parents on Sunday. Most of you know my Mom (Dirt Queen) loves to garden. They moved into this house a little over a year ago.....and look at her yard!!!!!!! They just built their fence a month or so ago! I have lived in my house 4 years, and my yard will NEVER look this good!

This was one of the first beds that she started, and it looks great!

There were bees all over the flowers, they were cold and not very active.

This is one of her mystery plants that appeared in that same bed. We have no idea what it is! The plant is similar to a Tibouchina. It has fuzzy leaves, but the stems are red, and this is some type of bud that is forming. Any ideas?

This is the area next to the garage. The area behind the arbor is being transformed into a vegetable garden. I am sure it will be spectacular!

She has created all of these beds this Summer! Ridiculous...I know. They look like they have been there 10 years.

Here a shot of the veggie garden under construction. I am only showing you this, because I know the after will be amazing! She has already started herbs (around the trellis).

She called this Datura, and I absolutely love it. I got some seed pods off of it, and I also received seeds from the Seed Swap from Lona @ A Hocking Hills Garden

Angelonia

Peppermint Stick Zinnia

I was amazed by this Zinnia. It is a Peppermint Stick Zinnia, and there were 5 blooms on the plant. This was one, the others were solid red, light pink, dark pink, and then one striped bloom! I got seeds from these.

I left with a lot of goodies! Several different seeds, Pineapple Sage, Variegated Hydrangea, and a few others that the Dirt Queen had rooted.

So that is the latest and greatest at the Dirt Queen's place.....I have a looooong way to go!

Sorry I haven't been around to visit much this week. I have been a little behind. I will be working on catching up tonight! See ya'll soon!