My favorite thing

I love decorating in my antique wagon.  I usually have several trees in the wagon.  This year I put these bears and the owl and one tree.  I decided not to change it.  The one big bear has woodland animals on its' hood.  Once again this was my cousins' bear.  I tried to edit my photo.  I couldn't get the snow to melt away.  I love how the bears are looking at the tree.  Yes, I know they aren't real.  Well, maybe in my world they are.
Have a magical season.

Corner Smiths Shop Tour/Canal WInchester

This is the store "on the corner" near Polly's store.  I was in a big hurry to get home to let the dogs out, so photos may show it.  They all look blurry to me but I am fighting a migraine.  First in a long time but they last forever when I get them.

I loved this display even thought you wouldn't have a porch swing over your kitchen table.  Well, I wouldn't anyway.

I just don't think I like these Grinch trees.

But, do you see what I see.  I likey these.  Winter fairy gardens.

These three pictures were outside.  As the first picture was.  See those legs in the first picture.  The guy was trying to hang Christmas lights.  I about knocked him off the ladder.

Short on words today......the headache........hope to be return to these stores on Friday with my girlfriends Sue and Murphy.  (He He......Sue)

Polly's Georgie Emerson Vintage Shop

I thought you'd like a tour of Polly's cute as a button little shop.  She also has a blog namedhttp://georgieemerson.blogspot.com/  Here is Polly herself.  This shop is in Canal Winchester, Ohio. She shares a space at the Heritage Square Antique Mall in Pickerington and in Goomas Candy Store (next to the fire station) in Granville with Keeley.  So enjoy the tour.........the next time I will share another store close to this one. 

Consider no flame candles/I have been corrected

I can never tell what order my pictures will show up.  On my last post I spent a long time rearranging, but on this one I will just change the story a bit.  This little stinker.......I babysat for his family two days this week and then yesterday his whole family and my granddaughters and I went to see Santa for breakfast.  Believe me, there will be more pictures of that in the next post.  He made a frame.  When I asked him to hold it up he did this.  He is so funny.  I was talking to him the day before and I said I pod.  He said, No Nanny it's an I pad.  Geez a two year old knows more about technology that I do, hah.

 

Now about the candles.  Instead of taking a chance with real candles if you have luck like me, consider the non-flame option.  These two pictures are pictures of Scentsy warmers.  One is a plug in and the other is electric.  No smoke, no flame just amazing scents.  My blogging friend Kim   http://kimberly-kimberlyskorner@blogspot.com/    sells Scensy.  You can order from her and the order will be sent directly to you.

I just added these two pictures from Doodle's house with how cute the red berries look with a little red tea light.

This is a plug in warmer by Scentsy.

 

Our house is older and doesn't have an outlet in the front of the house.  I buy the votive battery lights and place them in the windows.  I replace them when they burn out.  The light isn't very bright but you can still see that the house is lit up.  I really wish we had lights on the house.  Running extension cords are dangerous as they cross the sidewalk into the house.  They also make pillar battery operated lights.  So be safe this year and use flame less candles.

Vanilla Snowflakes/Please read

Don't you wish that snowflakes were vanilla, yum yum.

While candles make us all warm and cozy, there can be danger.  A few years ago I had been burning a candle that was given to me that had been hand made.  The wax had all melted.  When I blew out the candle the flame went into the wax and exploded.  If you are shaking your head saying that can't happen, it really did.  Wax was everywhere, including my face.  It was all over my clothes and all over the table that the candle was sitting on. Hot wax even went into my eyes.  I was babysitting, of course.  I tried not to panic.  I called my son who had just left my house from picking up his little girls.  He came back to help me.  I was in alot of pain but we didn't know what to do.  I called the baby girl's mom and told here to come pick her up.  Meanwhile while talking to the hubby by phone, we decided to go to my eye doctor.  We called and she said she would wait on us to get there.  She put a contact in the eye that was injured the most.  It acted like a band aide.  I have never even tried contacts.....let me tell you that it really helped.  She had me use burn ointment all around my eyes and face.  The next day we returned early in the morning (son driving, of course).  She called a surgeon who saw me right away.  He took that contact out (ouch ) cleaned the eye and put drops in and the contact back in.  My eye doctor told me that day, if I could live through the pain for a week my eye would heal.  It did.  Yes, I have scars around my face but my eyes healed.  I looked like I had been in a fight for a couple of weeks.  So my dears, please do not blow out candles.  Snuff them out.  Don't let the melted wax build up.  Be careful near the flame.  I once lit a birthday candle and Doodle's one strand of hair caught fire.  I had it out in a second but that was scary.  Hold your children's hair when they blow out candles.  I have already seen pictures the past few days when the flame was way too close to something.  I knew that I needed to post this once again.  You don't want ...........................................................................

FTo call the firetruck do you.  This one would take awhile to get to you.  It is about 58 years old.  Our youngest son beat this one up a little but it is still special......................Because this firetruck belonged to Mr. Cozy.  He was a little sad that it was played with a bit rough.  You got to know our youngest.  He was a bull in a china cabinet, as they say.  The next picture is proof that it was his.  He got it for Christmas when he was five or six.  He was a big boy, wasn't he.  I would have guessed he was older but he was five years older than his baby sis that is sitting next to him.

If

Keeping Christmas Simple

Some of these treasures are from my bloggy friends.  Do you see something that you made for me.  I am only beginning to start decorating.  But this year I am taking it slow and keeping it on the simple side.  This little shelf I refinished last summer.  It will change over and over again before I get it right. 

I remember one of my pre-school students telling me that they put up their stockings and a Santa on the mantle.  They decorated a real tree as well.  And that was it for decorating.  The parents actually went to Target the three hours he was with me and did ALL of their shopping.  I will always remember how unstressful that must have been.  Good for them. 

I remember one year having some sort of injury and not being able to shop early.  I went to Kohl's and bought almost everything on my list.  I had Doodle with me.  She wasn't very old but I was still able to do all that shopping.  It was probably 8 years ago.  I remember spending over $300.  (Only one grand at that time)  It was a good feeling to do so much at one stop.  I'm sure there was more spent on Christmas that year but not alot more.

One year our kids and I decided we would do a $25 gift for each other.  It could be made or we could buy it but we had to stay to that amount.  The grands weren't included.  I loved that.  It was fun coming up with ideas.  For instance. for my son I got a shadow box frame at 50% off and filled it full of his Army mementos.  For some reason we only did this one year.  I wish my kids were more into handmade gifts but they are so busy with life, work and kids that it is hard for them. They aren't too crazy about getting homemade gifts......not like I am. 

Lots of years I have done themes.  Like jammies and books.  That simplifies the shopping as well. 

There have been years when I got discounts and everyone got their gifts from that vendor.  For instance, I worked part time over the holidays at a print shop for a friend.  Everyone got personalized paper gifts.  Another year I sold 31.  I used my starter kit items and discounts for gifts.  It was fun as I could put their gifts in those items.  I didn't plan on selling 31 for very long, so this saved me lots. 

 Most of my shopping is done for this year.  That is because of the money I found.  I ordered gifts online. So that made it simple as well.

When I was setting up the Cup of Kindness Cup Swap (Swappers please follow to the bottom to read some information about the swap) When I made up an example in the blue mason jar, I had an idea.  Wouldn't it be fun to do every one's gift in a mason jar.  It wouldn't have to be the blue ones, hah.  You could put gift cards and small gifts.  I may even do that with the big kids this year, but they won't get my blue jars, hah.

Simple is fun and not as stressful.

The little shelf I refinished this summer.  Another Putz house that I bought years ago.  Little Eve as a baby.

The deer is from Elizabeth.

This cute putz house was made by the other Elizabeth from Tennessee in a house swap last year hosted by Cindy from Ric Rack and Gingham.  She hasn't been posting lately and I sure miss her.  We have talked on the phone and she is well.

This Santa was a tuck in with the doll I had made for Mabel last year.  Nice tuck in isn't it.

I find that I like my life on the simple side.  How about you?

Swappers........if you haven't heard from me please contact me.  Just leave a comment on here.  I sent out all the information on your swap partners 10 days ago.
I have a new person that would love to swap with someone.....anyone interested.  I would but I am doing 2 now and also another secret gift exchange. 
Also please keep my friends in your prayers......Sharon, Summer, and Gene.  They are all facing battles right now with their health.  Also remember Ceejay.  She is another blogger struggling.
Thanks my friends.

Our New Tree

Ever since I first saw these bear hugging trees I wanted one.  The prices were so high.  Little did I know that my cousin actually had one.  When I found out I had to have it.  It was bigger than I thought.  I could barely get it into my bug.  Jo and I had the same likes for sure.  She collected bears and so did I.  I was so excited to have this tree.  There were a few ornaments still left on the tree.  They are staying on, just because.  I added a few of my favorite ornaments.  This bear is over 3 feet tall.  And there is a wee one near the bottom of the tree.  I will still have my little tree(s) in my antique wagon but for now I am just enjoying my latest treasure.  The tree looks alot greener than the photo shows.....and yes, I did try to edit it.

 

So the decorating has begun but going very slow.  I have not been up to par for a couple of days and have been spending some time on the sofa.  I am enjoying seeing all the decorations going up on your blogs.  

 

P.S.  If you haven't gotten your swap partner information, please contact me.  I sent the information out a week ago.

Have fun getting into the spirit of Christmas.