Then and Now….

 

For some reason this year I am quite nostalgic. I am remembering Christmases from my childhood and those more recent. In my last post I talked about my mother trimming the tree. You can read about it here. My sister is the one with Madame Alexander bride doll. To this day I covet that doll. I could never bond with the one I am holding and I think the expression on my face clearly reflects that feeling!

Christmas cards were important and a record of who cards were sent to and received from filled a little red Christmas Card Record Book. As the cards came in they were recorded and then placed in the brass bowl. I use the brass bowl for the same purpose. I do not keep records though.

Traditions were important to my mother. Christmas Eve was a set meal. Shrimp cocktails were served in special dishes (I have those and will use them this year), oyster stew (as a child I gagged over the oysters – now of course I love them) and meringues topped with strawberries (frozen from the summer garden) and real whipped cream. The cocktail sauce was my father’s job. A combination of Heinz’s chili sauce, fresh lemon juice, and horseradish was carefully adjusted and sampled he ate lots of the shrimp.

My mother made the meringues and carefully packed them in a metal box. We shifted from oyster stew to clam chowder and many discussions took place about Manhattan style vs. New England style. New England won!

Christmas dinner was always turkey when we were growing up. We eventually decided that turkey at Thanksgiving was too close to Christmas turkey. I think eventually we settled on steak cooked on the grill. We always used the good dishes. The pattern is Reynolds by Spode.

I will be using them this year as well. I gifted the set to my niece. My sister is keeping them for her but generously agreed 4 place settings could come and live with me for a while. Thank you, Jean!

I hope to get the table done this weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Time of Year for Memories

 
 

I have so many memories of Christmases gone by. I am sure we all do. Mine are particularly strong this year.

I grew up in a small town in New Jersey. We moved from Brooklyn to our apartment when I was three years old. I think that first Christmas there is really my first memory of the tree. My sister and I shared a room. I knew there was much activity going on in the living room. My father let me have a peek at the tree but cautioned that I would have to get to sleep so that Santa could come. We put out cookies and milk of course. The lighting was magical to me.

The tree was my mother’s job because it had to be done a certain way. My Dad would put the lights on. My mother would do the ornaments and then the rain….one strand at a time wrapped carefully around each branch. As the evening wore on the strands would get clumped together and if my father ended up helping, handfuls would be tossed from afar. The front of the tree was always perfect.

We moved when I was 6 and my grandmother became a part of our Christmas for many years.

Notice the single strands of “rain” on the tree.

One of my favorite trees was the one with my village around the base.

A little vignette for the coffee table. Lace snowflakes and ornaments to be tied to packages.

I am not linking this post to any particular memes today. However, there are lots out there to go and visit. Thanks for stopping by and if you have a moment, I love comments!

Mosaics with yarn

 

I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful workshop. Sharon MacMahon, owner of Three Irish Girls, spoke about her company and the processes of creating her beautiful yarns. The colors are beautiful – lush, rich, scrumptious, vibrant….I would love one of each.  Mind you – I still have not completed a whole pair of socks!

I am joining Mary at Little Red House for this fun and creative event. Be sure to stop by and see what other blogs have put together!

Have a great week!

Dishes and Quilts

 

I love this time of year. Even though we are Florida and it is sunny and warm (conditions not readily associated with Christmas) I am decorating just about the whole house. I think it is a blog thing…..

We have forgone the live tree and the big tree and have a cute little tabletop tree that we adorn. As we get older it is harder to heave the big boxes up those pull down stairs into the storage area. More on the tree next week.

I have set the table for Christmas Eve.

I know I need to trim that wick….

The cookies are from the refrigerator section of Publix – gross not very good but I just wanted to show the aluminum piece.

I made the quilt a few years back. It usually is under the tree. I used a different quilt for the tree this year. I like quilts for tabletops.

The ornaments have been gathered over the years. The ones on the table are too big and too heavy for my tree. I like them with the mercury type chalices that are filled with silk poinsettias.

 

 

The chippy white bird is a Pottery Barn acquisition as are the crystal stars.

Faux leaf chargers are covered by white Aplico dinner plates. The decoupage Christmas bird plates are PB and the little sherbet dishes are antiques.

 

 

The goblets are Westmoreland English Hobnail but I have been unable to determine who made the etched glassware.

I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Please stop by and see all the pretty dishes and holiday settings.

Be back in a bit....

I am going to take a few days off and finish some projects and CLEAN my house. I have gotten just too far behind. I will be back the end of next week and hope to have some wonderful show and tell and some Christmas photographs and a little blog updating. Have a wonderful week!