The Christmas Dining Room

Hi, Friends, 

How are you? I hope that you are well. I pray that you are experiencing peace in our weary world. 

In spite of some very difficult things going on in the lives of our family members, I'm experiencing the joy of the Lord like never before. Joy has nothing to do with our circumstances. 

He continues to teach me new things concerning steadfast faith in Him. 

The Christmas music has been playing non-stop. I'm binging on my favorite songs and I'm thinking about the appearance of our Savior after days of deep darkness. 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice at the harvest as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9 2-7

The dining room is home to the more meaningful symbols of the season. 

Our beloved Nativity is just like the one that we had when I was growing up. 

By the time I got the set, Joseph's head had been badly glued back on. 

Then, I somehow lost Baby Jesus. I think he was wrapped in tissue and was accidentally thrown away. 

I searched eBay and won a new identical set. 

The Baby Jesus on this set has the sweetest face ever. If you love nativity sets, I recommend searching for one. The date on the bottom is 1960. Goebel has stunning nativity sets. 

Some thrifted Goebel angels stand guard over a Lenox Jesus. He was an outlet store find. We had a Lenox outlet for a while and it was amazing. I wish I'd bought more pieces. Some of the gold wasn't perfect which is why he ended up at the outlet. 

Animals from other sets keep watch. 

I keep all these in the corner cupboard i,e, "Corneilius". 

Cornelius wears a festive wreath. 

The dining room room is still getting use this Christmas season in spite of the fact that we aren't doing any entertaining. 

I'm setting the table for Bill and I with different Christmas china each night. We have several different patterns. Rather than have one large service big enough to feed my extended family, we have several small sets. For our big family gatherings, each table would be set with a different pattern. 

There are too many of us to all eat together in one room. 

Check out this post or this one.  

I love Christmas and I love china. Two of my favs together. 

I put a simple boxwood garland and a plaid cord cover on the chandelier. 

A feather look tree sits on the buffet. This was a $1.00 at one of my favorite thrift stores. 

Our littlest German ornaments hang from the branches. 

I've got to show the creepiest ornament in our collection. 

Is is  a clown? Is it Belsnickle? Is it Krampus? 

I thought he exemplified 2020 perfectly, so he is out of the box for the first time since I've had him. 

My sister saw the photo and said that now she has to sleep with the light on. 

Haha. 

That's about it. 

Blessings to you. 

Katie 

The Christmas Hutch

Do you remember the hutch we bought in August? We snagged it for less than $300.00 at our favorite antique shop out by our new weekend house. 

We are calling it Starsky The Hutch. Does that date me? I don't care. Haha. Do you name your furniture?

We started naming ours a few years ago.  Moving stuff around when we got our floors last year solidified our art and practice for furniture nomenclature. 

I love this piece and it is so much fun in our entryway.

Our foyer is two stories which is typical in 90's homes. It's a bit of wasted space, if you ask me and it makes the house harder to heat and cool.  

I've had a hard time deciding what to put here at times but

the scale of Starsky is appropriate to the space. 

Speaking of scale -  As Bill and I have shopped for furniture for the new house, I've noticed that furniture these days is so oversized that it is difficult to find something for smaller spaces. 

Bill would find something that he liked and I would say, "The scale is off." 

I can't tell you how many times I said it.

He finally said, "I'm bigger than you are. What fits you, doesn't feel comfortable to me." 

He thought I kept trying to find furniture that was scaled to my size instead of his. 

I told him that I was referring the scale of the room! 

Ahhhh.

I'm a selfish furniture buyer. However, he has no idea what it is like to have your legs stick off of a couch like Edith Ann. (Dated myself again) 

It was fun to decorate our new hutch for fall but it was a delight to decorate it for Christmas. 

The brown transferware was switched for red. Although, brown transferware and a gingerbread theme would be totally fun. 

Like totally. 

The red dishes give it a Christmas-y feel but I added a few other Christmas bits. 

The little St. Nick came from The Green Flea in NYC. I loved that flea market which was in an old elementary school. 

The school may still be open but the flea market is closed, I think. 

It's signed by the artist who was there selling her handmade Santas, angels, and snowmen. 

She was Eastern European so her creations have that old world look that I adore. 

I have no idea how old this piece might be. 

I love this door catch. 

The child's little cup was from my grandparent's house. It might have been my mom's or grandmother's I'm not sure. The graphics are amazing.  

It's one of my favorites to pull out each year. 

Some of the glass is wavy glass but most of the panes have been replaced. We had to replace the one we broke in transit. 

I found the red onion scoop in Arkansas on vacation one year. 

I love how adding a few ornaments and some greenery make a vignette Christmas-y. 

My precious babies circa 1993. Our first Christmas in this house. 

That is all for now, Sweet Friends. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing Starsky. 

Come see me again. I think the dining and living rooms will be my next post. 

Katie 

Have a blessed and peaceful day. 

Christmas Decorations At The House In The Woods

Hi, Friends, 

How are you? 

I hope you are well. 

We love how the new house is coming along. It was far enough along to add some Christmas decor.

If it were up to Bill, we wouldn't have Christmas decor out there but I love Christmas too much for that. 

We had green Christmas decor a couple of years ago. 

I got a few things from the new Magnolia line at Target. If it were green and black plaid, it was coming home with. me. 

It wasn't being used so I brought it out to the house. 

Our color scheme is green, white with pops of black so that decor is perfect for out there. 

I painted the barn painting that is hanging above the mantel.

The Merry and Bright tree is from Walmart. Walmart has stepped up their decor in the past few years. 

The base was unfinished. I painted a green and black buffalo check. 

The pine cones were collected the first evening we owned the property. 

They are huge! We have tiny ones too though. 

The garland was sponsored by Nearly Natural. Read the post here. 

The camper ornament was a gift from my brother and his wife. We went camping together last January. 

It seems like a lifetime ago. I miss my family so much.   

If an ornament is cute but not my color scheme. I'll give it a paint job so that it coordinates. 

. 

The raccoon in the sleeping bag is from a teacher friend. She saw it and thought it was perfect for our new house. It reminded her of all the fun we had teaching together. 

This post is going to make me cry if I'm not careful. 

Bill found the floor lamp in someone's trash. It got a coat of black paint and a new shade. It's so fun. 

Bill finished the log table. It was from a pine tree at my brother's lake house. 

The fireplace is one of the biggest transformations in the house.

Bill wanted to tear it out but I asked him to let me paint it first. 

It only needed paint and caulk to give it new life. 

The secretary desk was slated for giveaway but I decided to hang on to it  just a little longer in case we found a house. 

I'm so glad I did because it is so cute out there. 

The washstand next to the sofa was an estate sale find. 

I really love how the dining room came out. 

Instead of a china hutch or buffet we are using a cute wall shelf. I've had this for years. 

My favorite gingerbread decorations are sprinkled about the kitchen. 

I made an arrangement in an old sifter from Bill's Granny Vi. I raided my stash of picks which saved a trip to Hobby Lobby. 

I will probably be painting the cabinets. I'm just not sure when I'll get to it. 

Here are a few snaps of the back screened in porch. 

It's one of my favorite spaces. 

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of our new little house. 

It's weird that this feels so much like home already but home feels like home too. 

I'm so glad that you stopped by. 

Stay safe and rest in the knowledge that the Lord cares deeply about our trials during these uncertain days. 

Blessings, 

Katie