Christmas continued

Next up on my catch-up blogging is my Christmas Decorations. First up is my tinsel tree. I have had this one for about 8 years. It stands about 3 1/2 - 4 feet tall.

At one of our local thrift stores 2 days before Christmas, Rick found it's best friend - the color wheel. It was marked $30.00. That close to Christmas, I wasn't sure it was something we could pick up. However, the thrift store was discounting all Christmas Items 50%! So it hopped in my cart and came home with us.

I love the base, it is coated in big sparkly glitter.

Next are some of the decorations in my kitchen.

My vintage Santa mugs and vases

These little snowmen came with Rick when we got married. They have been a part of my Christmas decorating for the last 20 years.

And some of my snowmen with my miniature vintage tinsel tree

My milk glass compote with some vintage ornaments in it.
Next are my vintage angel carolers. They are in my bathroom window. They make me smile.

And Santa's hat on my coat rack in my craft room

Have a great day!

Donnelly

My Christmas Tree

I was absolutely sure that I would have posted photos of my tree by now. But then Christmas and preparations for my middle daughter's wedding got in the way. Cassie got married the day after Christmas. Now that I am off for the next week, I am going to try to get in a post a day to get caught up with everything I have to share. So I will start with my tree.

So here it is before the decorations. Notice the way it leans to the side and to the back? When you get them in the mountains, they are not always perfect. That is just the way I like them. Lots of open space and lots of challenges-a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Here are the ornaments that I chose this year. Not all of them made it on, but most of them did.
This is just a few of what I have. I have tubs and tubs and tubs full of vintage ornaments. Rick and I spend a lot of time at the thrift stores and I just can't leave a vintage ornament behind. This season, I bought 5 boxes alone!

Here it is decorated. This year, I have 2 spinners that also move the ornament up and down. I also have 7 spinners that just spin. It is really fun to sit and watch, especially when it is completely dark outside. Next set of photos are some of my favorites.

I have fallen in love with these! They were made in Japan before WWII. I have two with trees, one with a snowman and one with a bird.

This one was made during WWII. The glass is bubbly is really pretty in the light.

This one was made during WWII also. It has a paper hanger. They came with paper hangers because the army needed all metal for the war effort.

This clip-on cockatiel came from a friend of my moms. She came from Germany as a young bride. She bought this for her first Christmas tree! She gave it to me, along with some pristine 50's Shiney Brights, when she found out that I collected vintage ornaments. I have had them almost 7 years now.

This is my most treasured. It was my great-grandma Stuhlberg's. She brought it from Germany when her family emigrated here in the 1920's. She gave it to my dad when he was a little boy. It was on our Christmas trees as a child. My dad gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago.

Have a great day!

Donnelly

Christmas Tree Hunt 2010

Just when Rick had convinced me that we should have an artificial tree this year, our children informed us that we would ruin Christmas for them if we didn't go to our South Hills to get a tree. So, Rick and I, Brady and Kylie, Hannah and her best friend Amy, and Jake, Becky, Jackson and Lilly went to get our trees.

Hannah and Amy with their tree

Jake, Becky, Jackson and Lilly with their tree

Becky and Lilly

Jake and Jackson, Jackson never quit running!

Brady and Kylie

Our family that went tree hunting

View of the scenery on the way up

Deer in a farmers field at the bottom of the mountain, this was one of two herds in the same field

It was an awesome way to spend a Saturday morning. Now I just have to finish getting my ornaments and decorations out of our storage unit! Not sure that will happen today. We are experiencing blowing and drifting snow today. Winds in excess of 40 mph, not sure we're going to get out. Might be drifted in!

Have a great day!

Donnelly

SNOW!

We are in a blizzard warning here in the Magic Valley! We are supposed to have another 6 to 8 inches of snow today, and the winds are blowing at 33 mph with gusts of 41 mph right now! And the blizzard hasn't even got here yet! We are supposed to have winds of up to 60 mph winds. We have huge drifts, the wind is blowing so hard right now, I can't get out to take photos of them.

Here are some photos that I took over the last weekend. The snow started Friday night and we have had snow everyday since then!

This is the view out of my craft room window on Saturday morning. I love the light that was coming through. Makes everything so soft!

Hopefully, I will have photos of the drifts tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Donnelly

I am getting really excited about getting these in the mail! Shutterfly is so easy!

Classic Without Edge Wedding 5x7 folded card

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Have a great day!
Donnelly

Wedding announcements waiting for approval!

Our middle daughter, Cassie, is getting married the day after Christmas.

Her love story is sweet! She is marrying her high school sweetie. Funny thing is that we didn't even know she had a high school sweetheart. Chris moved to Alaska to be with her. Now they are coming home to get married since most of both families live in the same area.

Today I have attempted to add the final draft of both the invite (for people who can come) and announcements (for people too far away to come) to my blog. Shutterfly offers a Blogspot link to post your projects to your blog which is cool. But the link keeps posting to a group blog I belong to that deals with quilting instead of my personal blog. And I tried to link it to my sidebar, but that didn't work either. I am uber-frustrated, but determined!

Here is what the invite cover looks like:

And here is the inside of the invite.

Here is the announcement for friends and family that can't join us. I am ordering them through Shutterfly. The prices are great and I a super excited to get these and get them addressed and sent out. I am getting excited for the wedding!

Have a great day!

Donnelly