2023 Advent blogging

Each December, Jo. organizes this yearly event and besides a theme/photo, she gives us a topic. 

My photo is of a felt tree that I made from a pattern by Donna Bayless. Loved every minute of making it! I have it in my room and it remains out all year. There are ornament of one kind or another and then I add a few specific Christmas ones for December.

            

The process was easy because Donna's instructions were easy to follow. This is the 24 inch size...she has more than one size to choose from.

The topic this year is Santa stories. Many years ago, Mr. Horton...My Denny.... decided he wanted to play Santa for the family. We bought the outfit from Sears. Christmas Eve was celebrated back then at my parents home. Dennis would make an excuse to leave the house...out the front door and in the basement door to dress.  Then he would make noise and HO HO his way back to the party. Once he gave a few gifts out he would depart by the front door. when he returned the kids all told of the visit. Then...it was bound to happen... my nephew Joseph told everyone that Santa wore a wedding ring like uncle Dennis. That did it...Santa never returned. It was also time for the question...how does Santa visit when there is no fireplace?   Yes, question by the same nephew! Of course my solution was to get a Santa Magic Key! 

                                                  

Be sure to visit the days before me and continue after. Jo asked if there was a date we preferred. Years back I asked for December 16th as it was Mr H's birthday. 

Happy heavenly birthday Denny. It has been 6 years without you....miss you .....my forever Santa.

Glad you visited. Thank you for your kind words and thank you for your friendship.

House tour continues....part 2

Once again my morning began early but this time I actually stayed awake. The thoughts for the day just got in the way. I actually began to bead another snowflake and it was only 5 AM. Then I remembered that I wanted to share more of my Christmas around the house...
Once I finished with the kitchen area on Thursday evening I turned to the living room.

The archway to enter the living room has garland and a few ornaments and a sparkly star in the center.

Like Elvis leaving the building,

 Father Christmas left my bedroom wall to great all who will enter the front door...this is what you see first. He is special and has quite the story and you can read about it here.

A few years ago I started to put Santa's hat on the rocker. It was a good place so that my Santa...Denny...could pick it up to wear while cooking or watching a movie with me. The book on the chair is always out for the holiday as it is called "Murder For Christmas". Dennis bought it for me in 1982 because it has 26 stories of "yuletide malice" by various mystery writers. A good book and a comfortable rocker to read it.

We loved the 1998 movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and bought him as soon as we saw him that same year, as well as a smaller one for the tree. This year he sits atop a horse. He always brings a smile to my face. On my Papa's smoking stand is my Felt Fir Tree with tatted snowflakes.
Since The Village moved to the kitchen, the fireplace mantel needed …yes, angels.

There are only four of them but each is special. An there is my lampshade Santa watching the front door.....he has already fallen once and each year I put him together hoping he will make it through the season.
Speaking of Santa...

the Magical key  is hung on the front door so that special man can let himself in. Never had an actual working fireplace so there is no chimney for him to enter!
Guess that will do for today with the tour to continue tomorrow. Yes, there is more. I love to decorate. Many years ago I had the privilege to decorate trees and living rooms for a few good friends. One of these was Etta Faella the mom of my friend Pam. Etta was a long time family friend of my parents. After, she would treat me to a delicious meal. Good memories.
It is a little chilly here but should warm up and the front door will open to let in the 70+ temp later this afternoon. Robyn and Dave (Across the Courtyard) have their tree decorated and looks so pretty from my living room view. We have already added the lamp post garland and lights outside the courtyard on Thanksgiving evening. Robyn picked out one of my beaded baubles for their tree....feel honored that it will hang there. I am lucky to count these two as friends. Glad you are continuing the holiday tour. Thank you for your kind words and your friendship. Back to my beading.

Ornaments on the tree day 1

One of the things I love the most about decorating the trees is handling each ornament like it is the first time! Then comes a memory and then finding the right spot....or not. Sometimes my ornaments move about the tree several times. To start let's look at one of the things all my trees have...

The Christmas spider. The main tree is the only one with a web. Through the years I have made these beaded spiders and sent them off to other trees literally around the world....to blog friends. Along with the spider I send the legend (one of the many that are printed).  The spider on the Ana Lee tree is red and the Southwest tree is bronze. Once I had a request for one in purple! One of the other must be on the main tree things is...Santa's Key

This has been a must as I have never had a working fireplace and how else would Santa get in to leave gifts! Many years ago one of my nephews asked about this. "Aunti Grace, I do not have a chimney and I need to be sure Santa can leave my gifts". My answer was that Santa would be a able to use my key because we are family and he will unlock the front door...(I was not going to give up my key and get no gifts!) This totally satisfied him and every year on Christmas Eve when he came to my house he would look for the key. I still place it in front and low enough for a child to find. So that my friends is the first of the ornaments. I love recalling this memory. So that is the first day of ornaments. Glad you could stop by and read about it, hope you will return for the others. Thank you for your kind words and friendship. Have a wonderful day.