Merry Christmas...

...from our house, to yours!

 ~Our Boys, Circa 1994~

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."~Burton Hills~

 May the Spirit of joy fill your hearts and homes as you celebrate this most wondrous of seasons. Wishing you peace, prosperity and health in 2012.

Until next year...

Rhonda

Joyeux Noe'l !

 

I know that we are all busy with preparations for our Christmas celebrations, but I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to each one of you that has followed my blog this year. As 2010 comes to a close I am reflecting on all the wonderful people I have "met" through blogging and the blessing of friendship you have extended to me. I appreciate your kind comments and emails more than you know...and I appreciate that you take time from your busy lives to read along, encourage, and inspire me.

I also want to take this opportunity to say that I am so very grateful to all my customers for your patronage over the past year. I love to hear how much you love the things you have purchased and the ways in which you display and use them. It warms my heart to know that you find such pleasure in the things I make with my own hands. So, thank you for that. I have some lovely things planned for you in the coming year...including a giveaway in January, that I'm sure you'll love.

I began this blog because of an "epiphany". I believe this is the path I was meant to follow, and doing so has brought so many good things into my life. I want to encourage each of you to follow your path...whatever that may be. I hope that you will continue to "walk along" with me as we begin the new year together. Here's to adventure!

Until next year time...

Wishing you a Joyful Christmas Season, and a healthy, and prosperous 2011!

It's beginning...

...to look a lot like Christmas all around blogland. It's been so much fun to see the different ways that everyone incorporates their family and vintage pieces to make their homes cozy and inviting for the holidays. You've all been so generous in sharing photos of your beautiful homes that I thought I'd join in. Slowly but surely I have been decorating. I am going for a much simpler, natural look this year. Of course some of the old favorites must make an appearance.

This jointed Santa was a very special gift from a dear friend. It is one of a set. These were hand carved and painted by her father. I love unwrapping them each year because they remind me of my friend who was called away to ministry. This time of year California seems especially far away. I'm sure some of you know what I mean...

This is a photo of the buttery...just a few holiday additions with the smaller of our two trees in the background. This tree will be decorated with beeswax hearts and old children's dishes and kitchen ware. I warned you...I'm decorating slowly.

~A wool star, orange pomanders, and a favorite Christmas portrait of our boys decorate the buttery shelves~

~Bottle brush trees, old lead deer and a handmade village dot the buttery landscape~

A dry sink in the kitchen entry, decorated with pottery, bowls, granite ware and a small potted fir.

~Simplicity~

And because I know you were hoping I'd show him...here's the other Santa.

Well, I'd better get busy. Those trees won't decorate themselves you know!

Until next time...