MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS

A blog about my interests, which include fabric landscapes and various and assorted other artsy pursuits and sometimes known to contain mumblings of a random nature.

Monday, November 29, 2021

House beautiful - hah!~

Resident Chef hauled out the Christmas decorations on the weekend so I dutifully 'decorated'.  Our tree is perilously close to running competition with Charlie Brown's tree and is most definitely showing its age.  Two strings of lights are burnt out necessitating a trip to the store to buy more and it's shedding 'needles' in a vast shower all over the carpet.  It needs a fluffy green/gold garland to be stuffed all around the 'trunk' to make it look as if it might actually BE a tree and not just some sticks stuck into a broom handle.   Yeah, as I said - pitiful.  

No  matchy-poo ornaments or fancy beaded garlands for us either - it's a collection of mis-matched ornies that have been accumulated carefully chosen over our years of marriage.  Needless to say 'House Beautiful' magazine won't be knocking on our door for a photo shoot anytime soon.  



This is one of my favourite Santas that I made a number of years ago.  He depicts a Besnickle and for those of you who don't know, here's a description I found on Wikipedia....Belsnickel is a crotchety, fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine

He has a real fur coat and is mounted on a log.


I love our nativity set - it's one I collected that was once sold by Avon.  At the time I was a rep and I treated myself to these.  It's not the complete set, sadly.





22 comments:

  1. Not ready to decorate yet. Last year when my son visited for my mid month birthday, we decorated with the few items I have. Maybe that will happen again. No tree. I don't do a tree, habit from having cats. They don't mix.

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    1. We always had the tree when we had cats - one would insist that her favourite place was perched somewhere in the tree but she never once knocked it over nor did she knock any of the ornaments off. I wouldn't have decorated yet either, but Resident Chef hauled the stuff out so what was I to do.

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  2. I love your little tree--it has been loved a lot;D--just like our little tabletop one...at least you have ornaments--I gave most of mine away to my two kids...hoping to find some online for this year--
    that Santa is simply gorgeous--what a beautiful piece you made...
    hugs--peeking out of my hooded puffy coat--brr--Julierose

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    1. When our boys were living at home I bought them an ornament every year with the idea in mind that when they left and had their own trees that they would take them with them. Nope. They had zero interest in any of them so the thrift store got them all. Now we just have ornaments that mean something to us...or that have been gifted to me.

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  3. I love that Father Christmas you made! Today we begin slowly decorating, to a limited extent, for Christmas. Now if it would only snow!!!

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    1. I made that Belsnickel for our friends - he was originally from Austria so knew the tradition of that form of Father Christmas. When he passed away we got him back. Now it's a good memory to pull him out at Christmas and think of our friends.

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  4. My husband wants our tree out this week also. We've been talking about getting a new one for several years but there's always some reason that we didn't. Actually, I like our tree even if there are more needles on the floor when we're done setting up than we ever had when we used to get a real tree.

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    1. If our tree keeps shedding at this rate we're pretty soon going to have nothing but bare branches. We decided we'd get a new one last year and when we went looking we didn't see any we liked that were in the size we want. This year, by all reports, there's a shortage so we haven't looked for a replacement.

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  5. Trees are up and lights have been added by Harvey. Now it is my turn. Hopefully tomorrow I can get at least one done.

    I think artificial trees loose more needles than real ones.

    God bless.

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    1. Yes, they do lose needles a lot, but this one is shedding far worse than usual. Poor thing is well on the way to being nude!!

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  6. Our tree isn't up yet. Maybe next week! I have ornaments that have been collected over the years. Each one has a memory attached. I do like silver and white on the tree with all my colourful ornaments.

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    1. Thought of you when I hung my beautiful maple leaf shimmer ornament!

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  7. I love your Santa figure! His real wool coat is amazing! Enjoy your tree! It really does just need some love! 😉

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    1. Thank you - high praise indeed when it comes from you!

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  8. Why, the Christmas tree here doesn't have a single pine needle on it. =) Yours has a ways to go yet. Love the reflection of the lights in the window; so pretty. Love Belsnickel and THAT coat. 'Tis fabulous!

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    1. Hadn't noticed the light reflections in the window until you pointed it out. Lots of lights certainly covers up a multitude of sins!

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  9. Mismatched ornaments are my favorite. We haven’t put up a tree in a couple of years, opting instead for a potted one from the grocery store. Pre-decorated. This year I’m dragging out the box of ornaments and giving the kids a chance to pilfer any they like. The rest are going to Goodwill. No more Christmas trees for us, but plenty of Christmas quilts on the walls. No watering required.

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    1. If it were up to me I wouldn't bother with a tree either but Resident Chef likes it so I oblige. I've seen beautiful Norfolk Island Pine tree/plants in the stores that you can decorate with light ornaments and I'd love one of those if I thought I could keep it alive.
      You're right - Christmas quilts are the way to go!

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  10. Wow MA!! You've been busy!! Love all your recent posts!! Homemade granola, I'd love the recipe for that!

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    1. Thanks Pam! As for the granola recipe - will try to email it to you tomorrow (if I remember!)

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  11. Love your tree Mary Anne! It's nice to have mis-matched ornaments that tell a story. We are hoping to go and get a tree tomorrow then our decorations will be hauled out from the garage too! Hugs Christine xx

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    1. I've never been a huge fan of matchy-poo trees, although I can appreciate the beauty of them. Our lifestyle suits Charlie Brown much better!

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