Christmas Is Coming!

 Christmas is coming so quick & soon it will be in the tail lights again. We're excited for Liam, our grandson, to have his first Christmas. With the postal strike still on with no end in sight, the parcels are piling up as the other postal services have much higher prices than the 'If it fits, it ships!' boxes filled with this year's Christmas gifts. I hope the strike ends soon.

Liam is on the date mat I made for him after his birth. He's just so sweet and such a happy baby. We love getting our weekly pictures of Liam.

The weather is crazy, we got our first snow then a couple of days later the temp went up & melted all the snow! Now it's cold & windy but sunny, the sun is wonderful to see but deceiving with the wind gusts. Brrr

I got busy with making fresh evergreen garland!

But first I needed to bring the huge wreath back to life for the front of the Eel River Apartment. It was one of the finds from the auction in November!

Rexton placed herself in the spare garland that I was using to add to the wreath, for more fullness. She is quite the little helper. lol

This will be her 10th Christmas with us and she turns into a kitten again when the decorations come out!

I had to say goodbye to the Crows in the Corn as Christmas migrated through the house.

 

And hung Christmas Stockings in its place to keep the area warm from the cold garden doors that lead to the summer sunporch. The draft stopper I made last year, at the bottom of the door,  is helpful with the winter drafts too. Donnie, my friend Jocelyne's husband made me a rocking horse this year! I just love it & will put a finish on him when I decide what's best for him, paint or wood stain?

Margaret Ann's Christmas cactus is in bloom! I was willed her plants when she died & her daughter said 'Mom wants them to stay alive & knows I will kill them, they are for you.' I think fondly of her and have had her plants for 25 years now. Wow, where does time go?

This is the monster plant that grew up the walls, it has its offspring all through the house now. It was a plant gifted to me by June, my friend Elizabeth's sister back in 2009. June wanted the flower pot, not the plant that came in it and I was making outdoor flower boxes but I didn't put it outdoors I kept it indoors.

Staying cozy inside!

When you see blankets on the floor you know to walk over them, not on them! Bridget has her tongue out whenever she is relaxed. She's in front of the firebox warming herself.

Or she's on the antique sofa by the firebox. lol

Rexton has taken to sitting on Bill whenever he sits down. Bill is still in a lot of pain in his shoulder the x-ray & MRI show it's in bad shape and is separated & torn in two places. He now waits for the surgeon to call with an operation date.

Sweet dreams Bridget Loree. xXx

Here is the wreath, Francis & Bill installed it high up for all to see. I'm so pleased with how it turned out, Bill spray-painted the old bulbs with metallic car paint to make them shine again. The snowman & reindeer are all stitched and ready to greet tenants and guests as they enter the apartment.

The evergreen garland is made up of two kinds of evergreen cedar & balsam, making the front foyer smell so heavenly in the process!

This was my first time making garland, I used jute rope & florist wire to hold everything together.

I wanted to make a garland for the whole fence but that would have been a week's worth of full days, the fence is huge!

Bill helped by bringing in the old aluminum table that was used in our racing days for car repairs & I used a chair & hallway to send the finished garland on its way down the hall. 

The fence pieces are 7ft high & 10ft long, and the garland looks so good on the fence!

Bill helped me hang it as it was so heavy and both entry sides of the fence were done!

It doesn't look like much garland but believe me there's a lot there!

The entrance to our laneway! 

I'm so happy I did this garland and I think it will be a tradition of mine each year forward!

Keeping with the outdoor decorating...

Bill decorated the Chicken Chalet with large outdoor bulbs, and I made a wreath for the gate, what fun!

With it being cold I used the stove more, and I made another roasting pan of cabbage rolls. I enjoy eating them with all the memories of my childhood flooding in.

Bridget in her Elf costume this year.

Baxter in the Elf costume this year & did his chest ever grow thick, I could hardly get the velcro to meet to close it! I'll be looking for a larger Christmas costume in the sales after Christmas!

This is such a cute outfit on them & they get so jealous of the other wearing it! lol

Bridget looks like a Teddy Bear in it!

Bill having a serious chat with them & their behaviour, Santa Paws is coming. lol

This Christmas is not the same as others as it's an alternate Christmas with the kids. No huge tree in the great room, just a small one in the bay window this year.

All the decorations on this tree are homemade by me or others & antique mercury glass beaded garland. See the St. Nicholas head? Bill cross-stitched that for me back in his tool-and-die days in the 80s. xXx I love the memories.

Bill ordered Paper Whites for me to watch them bloom for Christmas, I put these ones with my gifted Jim Shore Santas, so festive!

The other Paper Whites are on the other side of the Christmas tree, see the Christmas card that I received on Halloween Day? I thank the Pickett Family for sending it early as it is the only card this year! Merry Christmas!

The blooms have started!

Another view of the wee Christmas tree.

I have wanted to do this Tannebaum quilt of Edyta Sitar's for a few years & Elizabeth talked me into it with Laundry Basket Quilts doing it in 12 days! Wow, it was a full 12 days!

And here it is! I used the Christmas Stocking Quilt as my design wall each day. Rose, the village longarm quilter has it now & when it returns Bill will install it in the picture from the great room mezzanine. I'll post photos of more Christmas decorating for you when that happens.

The crow is in her Christmas dress & the flannel reindeer has joined her along with my Christmas doll from 1965, her mama squeaker no longer works but the red/white outfit gives a Christmas feel, and the pom-poms are plastic, not a doll for cuddling maybe that's why it's in good condition. lol

The old highchair is an auction item we bid on last summer, I love wooden items.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit, so sorry for not posting sooner but life does have a way of taking away time that has double wings these days.

Thank you and I wish you the very best this Christmas Season! 

Wishing you Health & Happiness.

Cynthia xXx