Christmas Eve Has Arrived :-)

Christmas has arrived & there is snow this morning. However just 1 1/2 hours up the highway 401 there are still people with no electricity & loads of ice on the trees & road that will stay till the weekend.
Here it's a winter wonderland outside & Christmas on the inside, here's a tour of the decorations & surprises this year!

 Last night I had my camera handy for this love/hate relationship between Boris & Tommy.
There they be, cozy by the fireplace.

 Boris moved in closer...

 Tommy had something to say about that...

 Then it was sleepy time for both of them. Notice how the basket remains empty as they snooze away by the fireplace! Contentment.

Christmas Eve!!

 The paper-white bulbs are in full bloom & the smell off them is wonderful.

 This is my favourite Santa figure.

 He has such a kind face, one that I would imagine Santa would have.

 Nick shovels the fresh snow from last night...then he'll have his morning tea. I'm happy he came home for Christmas. :-) Bill will arrive later today, he'll have stories of the horrors of the blackout in GTA & all the ice.

 I just love this fresh tree from the front yard. Our Christmas wrapping is mostly original boxes that have been placed under the tree or plastic bags tied in a knot. The gift bags present a more formal flair. lol

 The lounge has a few decorations in it.

 I was at Eldon House last weekend with Bill & the fresh arrangements were lovely...so I made my own for the Richardson House. I used left over cedar from the tree, blue spruce from Nick's backyard tree, boxwood & ivy from my backyard, & red sticks & a red ribbon saved from last year.

 I placed a couple of pomander balls that I had made earlier in the month. It now has a lovely smell too!

 I just love this vintage piece, electric candles that have flickering lights in them. I picked up more at Doris's yardsale...next year they'll be all set up.

 The downstairs washroom has been decorated too.

 The colour really shows up in this black/white backdrop.

 The diningroom has a splash of warm reds, very inviting against the blue/green backdrop.

 The curio in the clock is now full of the six Christmas ladies.

 This is the newest, 2013 Christmas lady. Bill really surprised me this year! I was online having a look at her when he called me to look at my sewing machine. Well I thought I'd look at the artist of one of the Christmas ladies from years past, as this year had the same look as one of them.
He suggested that I try the top one, she did look familiar & as I went to lift her I realized that she was carrying a wreathe...just like this years Christmas lady!! OMG it is this years!!! I never touched her but jumped back to hear Bill laughing at me, he said my look was 'priceless' once everything started to register at what I was truly looking at! I was not expecting her. I was reading aloud from the online description of her with her 'capacious pockets'! oh how I too would love a coat with capacious pockets...when Bill called me into the dining room to look at 'something on my machine'...

 More ding room reds...

 With a touch of blue from the snowman hanging.

 Tommy on the bench that's covered with quilts, topped by a placemat that's easily cleaned from his shedding, those with cats call these 'cat mats'.

 The wee studio tree has been relocated to the parlour by the front staircase. It was in the kitchen/lounge area that now has a real tree in it.

 A rug I purchased at the Myer's Church rummage sale last summer, really gives the granite coffee table a warm Christmas look. Notice the wood flooring to the left...it`s piled high throughout the parlour. It will be installed in the New Year by Bill & Nick, I can`t wait to see it installed.

 The Nativity Scene on the parlour mantel is pretty at night when it is lit up with a tea light.

 Snowmen are such fun to view!

 The Twelve Days quilt hangs for Christmas, I'll have to make something to replace that area for the rest of the year. I use to have 'Over the River' there...it's now at the cottage.

The bookcase  Boston Terrier collection has been decorated too!

 The studio tree from another angle, this tree is a tree of memories for me from family & friends over the years.

 These Mary Engelbriet felt designed elves took forever for me to make, there's so much work put into them, even bells & beadwork all the way up his toes on the boots!

 This is one of my favourite decorations on the tree. I received a parcel from my east coast girlfriends & in it was this Santa hat made from a lobster claw, painted & decorated!! I miss my east coast friends & think of them often. They`re getting a huge storm right now, I hope all is well out in Atlantic Canada.

 The bottom of the front door has a quilted piece I made years ago, there would be two made, a positive & negative were made. St. Andrews Memorial Church has the other.

 I love carolers, that was something we did as children in our neighbourhood & were rewarded with good cheer & cookies.  

 The dining room, I use this room often for our meals or a teatime together to just chat.

 This cardholder has been embellished & repaired for decades, I love the Victorian flair to it & grace cards & pictures from it.

 Boris`eating area has been decorated for Christmas.

 The lounge looks dark but it``s where we spend most of our time, it is cozy with the fireplace.

 The Christmas Countdown Mystery quilt looks great on the bench with Santa.

 Bev surprised me this year with a wallhanging she made for me, the embroidered writing reads - I love snowy days...frosty nights & warm hearts. I love it, thank you Bev!! :-) XO

 The china Christmas lady was a huge surprise...I had gotten my Christmas gift early from Bill when I was out east, my antique bonnet chest...then on the weekend this 1881 Handcranked Singer Sewing machine with case! Oh my, I must have been a good girl this year!

 This is the sewing machine cover, see the little box to the right...

 It holds the sewing machine attachments, they`re on the table next to the machine.

 It`s called the filldlehead style, see the silhouette on the wood. What craftsmanship went into this sewing machine. In its day, the cost would be that of one years wages - so they did financing for a 10 year period. It also was stated that the machine would cost the same as a car! Bill`s ordered needles for me & will give it an overhaul & cleaning through the holiday season. I have Civil War reproduction fabric that I plan on using with this machine...blogs to follow.

 Old Tommy cat really has a white beard now, this will be his first Christmas without Jerry but I`ve brought Bose, (his sister from the litter before him)  home with me so he`ll have company. Boris will always have soft side for Tommy though. lol
Those that have heard me say `get off that cat!` know what I`m talking about. It's a love/hate relationship between those two.

Boris is getting excited knowing that his Auntie Ann is coming over to spend Christmas with us tomorrow! He's trying to be a really good boy for Santa Paws tonight.

Wishing Everyone A Very Merry Christmas! Happy New Year too, one filled with happiness, health, and prosperity!
See you in the New Year! 2014 WOW!~