Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Our Living Room at Christmastime

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's been a couple weeks since I've posted! I hope everyone's been doing well! It's been sooo cold here! I'm talking like -5 degrees! And then when you add in the wind chill factor it makes it a lot colder than that!
My R.A. doesn't mix well with such cold temps, so I've been spending a lot of time under my electric blanket, and using my heating pad. Decorating the house took me forever! I could only do a tiny bit each day. But I finally got it all done by Saturday, because that evening we had our annual Christmas get together with our high school girlfriends! We've been having a x-mas party since we were 15 years old and this year we are 35! I feel so lucky to have the same group of friends after all these years...and we still laugh so hard we literally cry! LOL
 
So, I thought I'd start by showing you our living room. These pics are dark because this is
 "An Evening View". lol

I did a table top sized tree in mostly reds and pinks.
 
Set on a mini felt tree skirt and there is my goofy felted Santa from Paper Moon Gallery

 To top it off I put a vintage corsage and my favorite old tree topper. Funny, I have several vintage glass ones but I realized that I like this plastic one best!
 
 I store some of my mercury glass garlands in these vintage men's tie boxes. I love the graphics of Santa peeking through the window and in a parachute. Candles are Gurley.
 
We have a sunken living room. I draped my vintage "Faribault Woolen Mill" blankets over the chairs and couch. They were all found at estate sales or flea markets for about $5 each and I just love them! Especially because my Grandma was born in the little town of Faribault, MN!
If you look for blankets like this, don't settle on ones that are scratchy.
Keep looking and you'll find soft ones!
 
 *I was really unsure of how to wash these. What I ended up doing was putting them (in a garbage bag) in the freezer for a few days to kill any dust mites etc. And then I washed them in the washing machine on COLD and DELICATE with baby shampoo. After that I laid them out flat to dry for a few hours. But wet wool smells disgusting. So I put them in the dryer on NO HEAT (just cool air), and that did a wonderful job! 

The vintage candy cane kids that I found last summer and a glass snowman (circa 1995) from the little gift shop that I worked at in my teens.

 Aww...The fire is slowly dying. But there is my Merry Christmas garland that I bought in Deb's (Garage Sale Gal) booth. And I happened to have two matching McCoy aqua icicle planters, so they worked well for my little trees.
 
 This table cloth is new. I mean...it's old, but it's new to me!
I found that huge frame in the garbage several years ago. So the other night I decided to white wash it and it became the perfect place to hang some of my vintage stockings!
 
I just have to show you a close up of this table cloth. I love the little cone shaped candy containers. Some of them have dolls in them, and some have toy donkeys! Pam (Virginia Retro) thinks it's possibly an earlier design by Simtex. It's huge! I can't find pictures of another one anywhere online.
Do any of you have this? With a tag?
 
This is the larger of my two aluminum trees. And I'm not going to put up the other one!
This decorating stuff is hard!!!
 
 It looks best in the day light of course because it doesn't have any lights and I don't have a color wheel. If you have a color wheel, will you let me know if you love it? Does it make a big difference? I don't even know what it looks like when one is on! lol
 
Remember the lady that wrote in permanent marker on my glass ornaments at the estate sale, and then SPIT on them? I think she was smoking something because nothing takes the marker off...unless it takes the paint off too! So there is a nice big $5.00 written on the back of this big indented one from Poland. Good thing I paid like .75 for it and not $5.00!  LOL
That glittery bluebird is a favorite. It's a candy container. His head comes off!
 
OK- that's it for the living room. Dining room coming soon! :)
 
Wellie and I would like to say a special Thank You to Donna! Donna and I have been working out a little deal between us. I need a couple of my vintage quilts repaired and so I've been sending her vintage Christmas things in exchange for her work! Well then the other day this adorable ice skate showed up at our door! Donna decoupaged the outside and filled the inside with greenery and a cute Santa! We love it! And I had the perfect empty spot to hang it on the wall! But the deal is for me to send Donna stuff, not the other way around!!!!  :)
Blogger friends are so good to each other.
 
Hugs to you all-
Erica :)
 
 


32 comments:

  1. Erica! I LOVE your livingroom decorations! so pretty and christmasy cozy! and how nice to have such good friends for so many years.. lots of good history shared and I bet a ton of great stories!
    have a great week
    xoxo
    vivian

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  2. Erica~your living room looks gorgeous! It should be in one of those "Beautiful Decorated Home Tours"!!!!! I love your idea of the white-washed frame with the vintage stockings. Brilliant! Oh, and I have 2 color wheels for 2 of my alum. trees. I love the color wheel. I remember fondly from my childhood watching the changing colors washing across the ceiling besides on the tree, so for me, a color wheel is a must!! I can't wait to see your dining room!!!!
    Hugs!!!

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  3. I agree with Retro Sandie. Your home could be featured in a magazine. Love all y our vintage touches. I imagine you had a wonderful time sorting all your estate sale and thrift store finds to use for your displays. Your aluminium tree is fantastic.That's still on my bucket list. Donna is such a sweetheart and so talented with the needle and thread. Those skates are wonderful. Our backyard ice rink is finished. Now, we're just waiting for the ice to finish firming up. Sending you Christmas hugs. I wish I could do something about your RA pain.

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  4. Great decor. I'll be lucky to get a few things up by Christmas. It was been too crazy for me to have to decorate... let alone clean!

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  5. I am enchanted! Thank you for decorating AND showing us! ♥

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  6. I finally finished decorating on Sunday. The trees were last but they took FOREVER! I have so many dang ornaments that I didn't even break into the second and third layer of that giant box I bought last Summer. I see lots of wreaths in my future (yah, and NO time).

    Love those tie boxes! And your little tabletop tree with the garland is so sweet. I have tons of mercury glass garland but it is still wrapped in the original packaging so I have a really hard time actually putting it on my tree. Hopefully I get over that!

    Stay warm, friend! Cold as heck here too.

    ~Erica

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  7. Your home looks so festive!! Very charming.

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  8. Morning Erica,
    I LOVE your vintage Christmas!!! It's a happy Christmas at your home! Very cool old window to use for hanging your stocking collection!YES, blogging friends are awesome!
    See you Friday!
    Keep Warm!
    Deb :)

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  9. Your decorations are wonderful! I try to do different styles, but I end up mixing in my favorite vintage treasures. I am coming to realize that we should always decorate with what we love. Another blogger said this same thing on her blog today...and she is right! So much happiness can be found when we surround ourselves with the things we love...it doesn't matter what the current "fashion" may be. BTW I am so jealous of your stocking collection...very cool way to display it!

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  10. It looks so lovely and festive and happy! I love how you hung the stockings on the huge frame!

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  11. Everything is oh so pretty Erica. I'd love to just come sit down and stare at everything. My grandparents had a color wheel for their tinsel tree and bubble lights, and I was always mesmerized by it. If you can find one, get it.

    Hugs N' Love,
    Meri

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  12. Looks might festive dear. I have a color wheel on my three aluminum trees that are grouped together. At night it really does make them shine. I really like it and you should hunt one down.

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  13. Oh Erica I just love all your sweet and beautiful decorations!!! Your living room looks so warm and cozy! So inviting too! Can I come over!?! :) You have the most beautiful vintage decorations and ornaments!! Love it all!! And such a sweet table clothe that is too, along with those wonderful stockings!! ahhh so many goodies in your sweet home! It's been so cold here too! About the same temps....brrr!! Hope you stay warm!! :) Wishing you a lovely day! Can't wait to see your other room! Wellie is so cute and love the skate from Donna! :) xo Holly

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  14. Oh Erica, I just love your living room! This is the first time I've seen it, you have decorated it so lovely! The fireplace is so pretty, the quilts, the vintage trees, tablecloth, I love it all!! And of course, little Wellie looks so happy like she is just waiting for Santa to arrive!
    Merry Christmas girlfriend!
    Dorothy and Wilma and baby

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  15. I love vintage Christmas the most, and we have the same tree topper! Your living room looks wonderful, and so festive. Im really digging the idea oh hanging stockings on an old frame, haha I have 2 right now so I pinned them to out Pyrex cabinet. Hope your party was a success but with such great friends im sure it was!

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  16. Erica, Your house looks so Christmasy and vintage. I love it.The aluminum tree, and the fireplace. I'm going back for a second look right now. It reminds me of when I was a kid!

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  17. So festive and cozy Erica! Love how you've decorated. Even a fireplace, sweet! Sorry the cold has been bothering your RA. Try to stay toasty.

    Isn't it great to keep in touch with old friends and get together and laugh until it hurts? THANKS for the shout out. One thing I know for certain about that tablecloth is that it's gorgeous!

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  18. Your home looks so beautiful and just filled with pretty vintage Christmas goodies! Love that tablecloth! And, the aluminum trees are always a favorite!! Stay warm and cozy! xo Heather

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  19. Your room is very festive and love your ornament collection. I remember my mother having some of those Gurley candlesticks when I was a little girl - awww!

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  20. Erica your house looks so pretty. I love all of your vintage touches. Your aluminum tree is beautiful. I think you should get a color wheel. I remember my grandma had one with her tree and it shone colored light up on it and it made it look so pretty. Love your stocking collection and your tablecloth too (never saw that particular pattern before). I can't wait to see more.

    xo Danielle

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  21. can't wait to see this in 'living color'!!

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  22. Erica everything looks so wonderful. All your decorations are gorgeous. I just love my aluminum tree, I do not have the color wheel either. I didn't even know they made them until a couple of years ago. My grandmother had an aluminum tree without a color wheel so I did not know about them. Wellie is so cute. Those puppy dog eyes just make you melt.
    Merry Christmas
    Hugs
    donna

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  23. Your living room looks lovely. I love the unexpected way you have used some of your treasures. Your pup is darling!

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  24. Erica, everything looks beautiful! I love seeing everyone's decor. I love the white tree...the ornaments just pop!

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  25. Merry Christmas Erica!! How are you all doing? I just love your post and all your decorations! It just looks so beautiful! I think I need to get decorating lessons from you! Great idea to put the blankets in the freezer! Hope you warm up soon. It has been sub zero here too.
    Blessings,
    Susie

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  26. Oh Erica!!! What a wonderful cozy vintage Christmas house! Just love all of it! You find the coolest things, love those vintage tie boxes...:) I know that you must really be struggling with your RA...I agree with you, lots of time with a heating pad...:) Thank you for showing us your sweet sweet home...:)

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  27. Your living room looks so cozy. I have a repro mid century purple couch that was destroyed by an heavy friend, so it now sits on cinderblocks.. Its also shredded everywhere from 2 cats! Great decorations all around, I just love the aluminum tree set up - way fab!

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  28. Heh, I love all your STUFF! How very very fun. You know how to put it all together and it looks great. I would love to sit in your living room and just soak it all in.
    Love ya lots,
    Linda

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  29. First, your cover photo with the santa mugs and christmas pyrex..love! I want that pyrex bowl so bad. I found one in hopkins but my mom got to it first... I love, love your living room so much to look at! I cant wait to see it in person friday! Yay!! Its like walking into one of my favorite stores looking around at all the goods. You did a amazing job, Love it!

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  30. Erica, everything is so pretty and festive! Your home looks so comfy, warm and inviting!

    I have two Evergleam color wheels and I love them. The tree is beautiful in the daylight and at night, the glow is spectacular--you will love having one (or two!)

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