A Santamaker's Christmas Tour

Hi Friends,

So nice of you to join me for a little tour of my home at Christmas.

I have so much fun playing with my Father Christmases, both old favorites and brand new ones just created weeks ago.





This one is one of my all time favorites. He is dressed in brown velvet and from the minute our eyes met, I knew I would not be able to part with him.

Today, I had my Christmas lunch, just a small group of my neighbors and friends...


The salad plates are old world Father Christmases that I bought 6 years ago.




All together, there are 4 different designs, these are my two favorites:



The dinner plates are a red transferware that I bought at the Charlotte antique show several years ago. I was told they came from a convent. I wish I knew a little more about their history.
They must have a fascinating story to tell....




Step in to the family room...
I love taking pictures without flash at night. They are so much softer and romantic.


This was a vignette that I created this Christmas with one of my "new guys"... another of those who whispered in my ear, " please let me stay, don't take me to market"...


Here's the same picture taken with flash. While everything is much more visible, some of the ambiance is lost...






Another new creation for the 2010 collection: Simply Elegant, wears a mink trimmed animal print coat with pheasant feathers and offers many beautiful gifts.




Some of my favorite blown glass ornaments that adorn my tree...



A charming "In the Garden" Father Christmas is decked in denim and antique coat. He carries bounties from the farm as well as a feathered friend...




My dining room is always done in reds, blues and golds. I love playing up my blue and white plates with the blue ornaments on the feather tree.




My living room was a nice backdrop for this Winter White Father Christmas. So soft and regal, he is striking in his vintage surroundings.






This year I got a special order from a lady in Texas for a "western Santa". He wears suede coat and badge that reads, "Texas" over his heart. Between the lasso and the flag, I believe he fits in just fine in his new home in the Lone Star state.



This French Country Father Christmas is as charming as they get. He got a new home in Arkansas.




He pulled on my heart strings and was a hard one to let go of. This Father Christmas of the Seas was one of my all time favorites. He went home with someone at Scott's Antique Market here in Atlanta.


Be still my heart...how could I have let you go?....






Thanks for dropping by.






Meeeeeeeeeeery Christmas!

Hey there!!! Happy Fall Y'all.....



Please come visit me on my front porch.

I had no idea that I'd be taking such a looooong break! You know, sometimes you just have to shift gears. I had a wonderful summer, one I'll have to share in a future post.





Fall is my favorite time, I just LOVE the colors, the crispness in the air and the anticipation of the holidays around the corner.



Did I say I love the COLORS?






This is the little red wagon I picked up at a yard sale and used as a planter...








I hope you all are enjoying the season...








Another yard sale item, the old chair with a big pot of white mums...




Please come back soon and I'll give you a little tour inside...









Thanks for stopping by!

Tulips Two Ways

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers........





They look lovely no matter how they are arranged... here they are in a crystal vase.


For a fun transformation and one you'd spend a pretty penny on at the florist, here's what you need:

A large clear vase, (mine is rectangular, but you can use a regular shape), a smaller clear vase that fits inside the large one with a little room to spare...
....and one or two oranges....



This is what you do:

Put your flowers and water in the small vase...
Put that vase inside the large vase...
Then pour some water into the large vase (half way full)
Cut your orange into thin slices...drop them in between the large and small vase. They need to be wedged tightly, or they'll float....



...And Voila, Tah Dah and Presto...



You've made a designer arrangement.....








Head over to Susan's BNOTP for more !