My Holiday Home, Part II

The Bedroom dresser and mirror display a 3’ tree covered in ivory and gilt glass balls and ivory ornaments of angels and nativity figures. Flanking the tree are the Holy Family on the right and the Wise Men on the left.

The lighted garland around the mirror has ribbon, ivory glass balls and angel ornaments.

The Guest Bedroom features a lighted garland around the low four-poster bed, a 3’ tree with musical instrument ornaments and two nativity sets. The set under the tree is Reed & Barton’s silverplate nativity bells with one figure as the handle of each of ten bells. The set on the round side table is a tall handpainted tin set with a whimsical style.






The Study tree is 1.5’ and bears hallmark mini nativity ornaments. The nativity is a stained glass scene.




In the Kitchen the Spode Christmas Tree dishes sets the theme of evergreen trees. To add variety the place settings include Avon Ruby Red Cape Cod dishes.

The breakfast table tree is 1.5’ and displays Hallmark mini angels. The nativity is Hallmark’s Merry Miniatures 5-pc. set.



The hutch displays Spode dishes, and green Bordallo Pinheiro wares, and green Libbey goblets. The fresh arborvitae sprigs were cut on Friday Nov. 30 when I set up the hutch display.

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The microwave top displays tree shaped figures, cookie cutters and a tiny gift book.


Finally, in 2005 the Den was converted to a Nativity Scenes Gallery with sets from a bit over 50 countries. I will give an overview of this in another post. Yet another (briefer) post will share my St. Nicholas collection in the study and perhaps the dolls and bears display in the bedroom.

Thank you for stopping at Oak Rise Cottage. I hope you enjoyed your visit and that it revealed a desire to focus on the birth of Christ as the ‘reason for the season.’

Holiday Thrift Finds Continue

A visit to the community thrift shop on Friday Dec. 7 gave me several items for my various holiday collecting areas. My total was $6.00 plus tax.

One book, the classic Christmas story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, illustrated by Carol Heyer
An interesting ornament made as a green glass ball with Santa head. A close look reveals shamrocks on his tie, so this is an Irish Santa.
3 vintage glass balls for my tinsel tree
3 musical instrument ornaments
1 tin snowman ornament
2 nativity ornaments for the living room tree
a novelty holiday ceramic picture frame for the bears and dolls display
a ceramic lid with a Christmas tree on top. This fit perfectly on a clear container which needed a lid.
A wood souvenir spoon rack will hold 22 of my spoons from places I’ve visited. The label has a maple leaf and "Seaway Lock. Iroquois, Ont.," so I assume it was made in Canada.
4 wood picture frames
1 3-ring binder


All the above items cost $3.00; an additional $3.00 was for a large Santa cookie jar.

The jar will join the Santa display in the study.

Leaving there I went over to the hospital guild thrift shop. Most of the items cost 10 cents, a few 25 or 50 cents and two items $1. Here are the items:

Two books The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and Cooking With Claudine (Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen)
2007 Christmas issue Woman’s Day magazine
a nice velveteen and Oriental brocade Christmas stocking
A packet of 18 unused Christmas cards plus envelopes cost 25 cents. Six of them are nativity cards.
four "joy" hanging items
1 vintage glass ball
Several wooden and other ornaments
3 nativity ornaments
4 Santa items
a wood Merry Christmas sign with magnetic strip
2 holiday pins, one a poinsettia, the other a moose head
1 tiny cookie cutter
a stuffed fabric tree

a vintage cardboard nativity stable
a vintage 9" green garland with colored novelty lights in original box from Kmart

The garland lights work so I’ve decided to display it on the table skirt for the silver tinsel tree with its mostly vintage ornaments.

The vintage glass balls, nativity and musical instrument ornaments have been placed on their respective trees; the cookbook is in the mail to another member of the book swap; indeed virtually every item has found its use.

So, the holiday decorating is coming together quite nicely and Karla’s Holiday house tour is tomorrow. I hope you will be sharing what you love about your own holiday home.

Thanks for visiting and reading about my holiday thrift finds.

Holiday Home Tour

Edited to correct date (Thanks, Susan!)
Over at Karla’s Cottage she is hosting a virtual blog party on "what we LOVE about our HOLIDAY HOMES." The date is next Wednesday, December 12, 2007. "You can show anything you like. A whole room, a whole house, or just a close up of something special to you," says Karla.

Here is the button designed by Sadie Olive

On Wednesday all participants are to post on their own blogs what they wish to share about their own holiday home. Then leave a comment about it at Karla’s. She will then "link to your Holiday Home and we can all party hop from home to home and visit each other."

Sounds like fun? You bet! Just remember the treat we had on September 24 when Karla’s Cottage sponsored the Romantic Homes party.

In the meantime, here is your invitation to visit me here at Oak Rise Cottage. With God’s help, I trust I will have things ready for your visit:

Celebrate
The Season at
Oak Rise Cottage!

HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Theme Trees and Garlands
- Angels, musical instruments and crèche ornaments -

Dining Room
- "Holiday" Table setting & "China Jewels" Nativity -

"Christmas Tree" Kitchen
- Spode &Tiny Trees -

Gallery - Nativity Collection
- Crèches, ornaments, wall art, collectors plates -

In December 2002 one of my sisters wrote a poem in honor of an open house I was holding for a small group of women from a business network. As we had our refreshments after the tour, I read it for the attendees.

A Delightful Limerick

I’ve done the Oak Rise Cottage tour,
This time last year, and the year before
A true delight
The blue and white
When I entered the kitchen door.

The crèche over there by the garlands
And the one that I hold in my hands
Are both very rare
And oh so dear
Brought safely from foreign lands.

Look around, it’s crystal clear
That all the treasures displayed here
Adds to the

Festivity
And this wonderful atmosphere.

In every room there stands a tree
Each one a special novelty
Some are small
Not very tall
Yes, those I like especially.

As each new chamber I explore
I grow more delighted with this tour
Please pour me

a little tea
To accompany my petit four.

For Carrie
This is how I remember your exciting home.
Your sister,
Elly