Holiday Touches, Old and New

Today, I'm sharing a few pictures, and popping in on four (!) blog parties.
You can find them at the end of this post -- remember to click and join in!

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Dashing through the house
With big boxes in my hand,
Thru the rooms we fly,
To make the house look grand.
Lights on trees and wreaths
Making spirits bright!
We're decorating That Old House
To make it look just right.

Oh, strings of lights, stars so bright,
Candles light the way.
Oh, what fun it is to deck
The house in bling today-ay!
Mistletoe! Ho Ho Ho!
Santa knows the way
We're ready here at That Old House
For St. Nick's holiday.

Many, many thanks to my husband Howard, who strung little white lights around the tops of the conservatory windows. I love how they reflect in all the glass. I am tempted to leave them up forever, but hopefully cooler heads will prevail and we'll take them down in January. In the meantime, they are so neat!

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I scatter Santa Claus-es around the house.

This little guy's in the study; he is an incense burner, and is only about 5-inches tall.
He is nicely detailed. The smoke comes out his coffee mug.

This Santa is a cheap-o fellow from A. C. Moore, a few years ago.

He holds a candle, and the light shines thru holes in his little body. Ouch.

And this Santa? He is very special. Very vintage, from the early 50s. Like me!
And well-worn. Also like me.

When I was a little girl, back when Pterodactyls hauled Santa's sleigh through the Ice Age skies, this Santa spent Christmas in our living room, near my dad's platform rocker. I used to sit in that rocker, which seemed so enormous, and play with this Santa.

He's a good 12-inches tall, and is a bank.
Can you see the Scotch tape covering his coin slot?
My mother clearly didn't trust her 4 kids to put only coins in Santa.

Poor guy was stored in an unheated garage at my parents' beach house

in later years; much of his paint peeled right off. I rescued him a few years ago.

Sometimes I am tempted to re-paint him, but honestly . . .
he wouldn't be the same after that.

He is part of the family, and family is loved -- chips and all.

On the window over my kitchen sink is a tiny, shiny wreath about 4-inches wide.
It's all metal, and wow those pointy holly leaves are sharp!

In the powder room, an ornament wreath.

No, I didn't make it -- it was a gift, several years ago.

But I like how they solved the problem of gaps between the balls:

Bits of silvery tinsel!

Still more decorating to come. But it's time to visit more wonderful Christmas and winter-themed homes at the following blogs -- just click on the highlighted words, or the images:


Diane at Thoughts from Over The Rainbow is hosting
Deck The Halls! Lots and lots and lots of Christmas!







Roomies is the blog spot for
Past Due Tuesday -- vintage charm!






Tam, at The Gypsy's Corner, has been sick!

Wish her a speedy recovery as she hosts
Three Or More Tuesday. It's a lousy time
of year to be sick, Tam! Next time pick a
different season. :-)









Diane at A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words
is hosting 2nd Time Around Tuesday.

More wonderful vintage!




Many thanks to all of these blogging ladies, for their good work in hosting so many ways for us to connect with one another. I am greedy today, hooking on to four parties, but it's Christmas --- and that is always over the top! I can't tell you how much visiting the blog parties has lifted my spirits and brought me so much Christmas joy. Love to you all -- Cass