The new SLIM Prelit is finally decorated!

This past weekend I finally got around to decorating our new prelit SLIM Christmas tree

(I wrote about it here).

 

It works so much better in our itty bitty living room.

(Notice Baby's tail and feet at the end of the sofa).

 

This side-by-side new tree/old tree comparison shows how much more floorspace we gained by using a slim tree. We've always had to use a tiny end table at Christmastime. Last year it was practically shoved into the tree. But as you can see from the top photo, I was able to remove the small table and go back to our larger everyday end table without everything looking cramped.

 

The only downside of this new SLIM tree is that I only had room for about half of the ornaments I normally hang!

 

I love having nothing but the tree lit at night. It is definitely the star of the room.

(Photo altered with mega-contrast)

 

This was the first year I decorated the tree alone as the girls' schedules kept them from being able to come home to help.

 

I did, however, have a helper overseeing the whole decorating process.

(No big surprise for anyone who reads my blog, I'm sure!)

 

Our very social Baby girl always wants to be where the action is.

 

So Baby kept me entertained with her antics while I trimmed the tree. She rather enjoys the rearranged living room. The sofa has now become her favorite spot in the house.

 

She also loved checking out the pillow I'd just placed on the wing chair for the Christmas season. Our 25 year old sofa and wing chair are threadbare. I have a white slipcover over the sofa, and something is always thrown over the wing chair to make it presentable (most often a vintage chenille spread). I thought the pale robins egg blue would look nice for Christmas.

 

I didn't do too much decorating other than the tree this year, but the few additional things I did put around, I'll share in a future post.

 

I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday this week.

Please stop by her blog to share something you've tweaked.

 

Have a good week, everyone,

 

Donna

 

Ding Dong. Winter Calling.

I suppose it was inevitable...

...that winter would eventually come calling.

 

The view outside of my studio/office left no doubt,

 with its ice covered walkways and streets.

 

Everything was covered in a frozen, icy-white glaze.

 

It was clear that sanders and salters had worked through the night.

 

By early morning, the warmth from inside the house had started melting the ice from the windows.

 

I prefer snow to the treacherous, slick sleet and ice.

 

Only about three more months of this, thank goodness.

Thoughts of spring will carry me through.

 

Donna

(who does not enjoy winter, in case that wasn't apparent :)

Christmas decorating is off to a slow start...

We've gotten off to a very slow start with decorating this year.

 This is last year's tree. It was an artificial prelit tree that we'd used for about 5 years.

It was a magnificent tree - very wide around - which was a good thing because we have a LOT of ornaments!

 

By the end of last Christmas, unfortunately only half of the tree remained lit. We contemplated disconnecting all of the lights and stringing lights like we used to before this prelit tree came along.

 

But then, before lugging it out of the basement this year (it's a VERY heavy tree and hubby has a bad back), we found a prelit SLIM tree on sale. The fact that it was very lightweight weighed heavily in our decision to purchase it, as did the fact that our living room is the size of a shoe box and the old tree really did take up an awful lot of room.

 

So the slim tree went up....

 

... and looks just as lovely as the old tree, albeit much smaller.

(watercolor filter applied)

 

We still haven't decorated the tree, and I think before we do I might move it over by the railing where we've always had our previous trees.

 

That is if I can convince Baby to leave her new favorite spot long enough to scoot it across the room!

 

I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday

and Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage for Favorite Thing Saturday this week.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Donna

Mr. J announces The Night Before Christmas Winner!

Mr. J, mere steps outside the groomer's door ...

 

 ... is smiling his biggest smile and wagging his tail so fast it's a blur because he is announcing the winner of the Leonard Weisgard copy of The Night Before Christmas!

 

(Truth be told, it's also because he was JUST picked up from the groomer 

and is oh-so-happy to be going home!!!)

I had hubby do the honors of reaching in and picking the winner and he picked...

....(drum roll)....

 Ruth Kelly (Dian's Timpanalle blog). Congratulations, Ruth!!!

I'll be in touch to get your address! Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway!

 

Can you tell that Mr. J is counting the minutes until I take off his collar?

(Just look at the size of those big, flat paws!

We refer to them as muppet feet because that's just what they look like!)

 

I thought he looked absolutely adorable in his little 'elf' collar from the groomer. I think you can tell by the look on his face what he thought! The excitement of escaping the groomer's has been replaced by the reality that he's got some kind of contraption around his neck and, frankly, he's not a fan of scarves, bandanas, or (apparently) elf collars.

 

Oh, Mr J, if you only knew how CUTE you look!!

Mr. J was originally from a shelter who had him listed as a Lhasa Apso mix.

When one of my girls posted his picture on Facebook shortly after we got him,

a friend of hers responded, "Oh, you got a Shih-Poo!"

(which is apparently part Shih-Tzu, part Poodle)

 

Whatever you are, Mr. J, you are one handsome hound!

This was the last humiliating picture (taken in front of our still undecorated tree).

The collar came off immediately after this photo was taken, much to Mr. J's delight :)

 

I hope you all have a beautiful week!

 

Donna

'The Night Before Christmas' Giveaway Contest

It's Christmas giveaway time!

I have a beautiful hardback 1997 reprint of this (c)1949 edition of

The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Leonard Weisgard.

 

In my vast collection of Night Before Christmas books, I already own a

Leonard Weisgard version, so when I spotted one just like mine I picked it up,

knowing that one of you might enjoy it as well!

(I absolutely LOVE this story and have quite a collection by a variety of different artists)

 

 

As you can see, Baby really likes this story!

 

This copy is filled with bright, colorful illustrations!

A tole tray on the mantel, stockings hung by the chimney with care, and pine boughs in a creamy white pitcher - my kid of decorating! And who doesn't love a house where the kitty is curled up by the fire and the family dog is allowed to get comfy on the furniture (in this case an awesome red wing chair!).

Doesn't the kitty from the book look just like our sweet Tiger?

I wouldn't mind having the wallpaper from the children's room in my own house,

and those carved beds look like they could have come straight out of a fairytale!

 

And while the children were nestled all snug in their beds, just look who landed on their roof!

If you'd like a chance to win this book, just leave a comment on this post before midnight on Monday, 12/10/12. On Tuesday, I'll personally notify the winner as well as announce who won here on my blog. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact you!

 

I'm joining Claudia's Favorite Thing Saturday this week over at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. Be sure to visit her lovely blog to see what everyone is sharing this week!

See you on Tuesday! Good luck and have a great weekend, everyone!

 

Donna

The Shop Cat

I think everybody decided to shop on-line this past weekend. We've never had so many sales in our Etsy shop in such a short period of time! 

 

Thank goodness we have a top notch Quality Control inspector...

 

... who looks over every order to make sure things are packaged up just right!

 

Oops! Looks like a 'This Side Up' box slipped by us, Baby!

 

After everything's packed, it's time to check out the oversized bags to make sure they're strong enough to tote all the boxes.

 

One last look-see to make sure we didn't miss anything and then it was off to the post office to mail everything!  (Today was in the high 50's so it was a lovely day to run errands!!!).

 

Baby also wants me to tell everyone that we're going to be offering a copy of "The Night Before Christmas" in our next post, so be sure to stop back to enter!

I'm joining Cindy, My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday this week.
 

Have a great week, everyone!

 

Donna

 

The kitties were nestled all snug in their beds...

Cats are known for their love of napping...

 

 ...and our two are no exception.

 Our sweet Tiger, adopted back in September of '93, is over 19 years old. She has always been on the shy side. When she was younger, she spent a lot more time out and about in the house during the day, but always returned to Amanda's bed at nighttime.

 Now that she's older, she spends the majority of her days - and nights - on the bed in Amanda's old room. This is Tiger's spot, the place she has slept every night of her life since she was a wee kitten. You don't see me post too often about our Tiger because, frankly, she does spend most days doing just this - sleeping!

 She won't climb into covered cat beds (which we thought would provide her with a bit more warmth on cold winter nights), so instead we create a makeshift tent of sorts out of pillows and blankets. She happily crawls into it, snuggling up in the back where she feels safe and warm.

Of course her favorite times are when Amanda is home, as she was over Thanksgiving (when I snapped this photo). At those times, she gets to sleep with her favorite person in the world! Pure kitty bliss!

Now Baby, on the other hand (who is, by all rights, Court's kitty), well she truly is just a babe, only a few years old.

She's perfectly content to curl up anywhere to catch her 40 winks.

 

All the better if it's in the middle of all the action (like the living room bay window). She thrives on being the center of attention.

 

I disturbed her nap a bit and she cutely stretched her paws outwards and then went right back to napping. This is one of her favorite spots because the heating vents are just on either side of this chest and when the forced hot air comes on, it rushes up the back of this chest making it a very warm place to nap (especially when the temps outside are in the 30's!).

 

 

Here's a little clip of her eyebrows and whiskers being tousled about by the force of the heat.

 

 

With all my picture taking, Baby woke up enough to do a kitty's second favorite thing - washing!

 

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul."

(Jean Cocteau)
 

I'll joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday.

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Donna