DICKEN'S FESTIVAL KICKOFF...

What a wonderful the world of blogging is! I'd like to send a big thank you to all of you that sent such supportive comments and e-mails about my dad. It just means the world to me. The day after Thanksgiving we spent waiting for Dad to come out of surgery. After putting him through moving him to the hospital and the surgery, we still don't know what is causing the internal bleeding. He is so very confused and it feels like we're still no further ahead.
While he was in surgery, I watched as they were putting up the tree in the lobby of the hospital.
Load after load of poinsettas were brought in.
Finally the first ones were taken to the top. I had to leave before it was completed, but when I got there this morning...
it was standing in all it's glory with explanations on these signs.
Isn't it just magnificent? This picture was taken from the second floor.
Last evening we had the village tree lighting in town and Lucy got her first very own Christmas cookie.
Abbey had a heart to heart with Santa.
But when it was Lucy's turn, she didn't think she liked it very much!
I got lots of new goodies in the shop and thought I'd share with you - hope you have your cup of coffee ready for lots of pictures! These Santa hats are just the best, they can also be flipped up and used for centerpieces.
The top of the hat is filled with greens, pinecones and candy canes.
Sharon painted Santa on this old ironing board - she also did a snowman.
This big old snowman is waiting to go to someone's porch - where it's cold and he won't melt!
More Santa longjohns - still my favorite.
Cute little burlap bags filled with greens and candy canes.
These lamp/tart warmers are the best. If you put the cylinder down in the jar, it turns it into a tart warmer and the light comes through the punch pinwheels.
These jars are awesome too. They have a candle holder in the bottom and are perfect for a battery candle and greens. They can set or hang.
Black Crow candles are here too. They look so prim, smell so good and burn like a dream.
Old white Hoosier top is filled with all kinds of Christmas goodies.
Anyone want to bake gingerbread?
This old walnut cupboard is great! Two drawers on top and two doors with shelves. Prim perfect!
How about Mommy/Daughter aprons, chef's hats and potholders. Couldn't you just see them cooking Christmas dinner? (Or maybe Grandma would like one.)
This sign is on our old back cabin wall.
Cute "scrappy" signs are here, this one...
and this one.
All different kinds of gourds by Bonnie.
I keep thinking of taking this old shutter home to hang by the front door. This is just a sampling of some of the new wares. More and more and more are coming into the shop. There's got to be something just for you!
Today was the kickoff for this year's Dickens Festival. I was so busy that I didn't get many pictures - maybe next Saturday! The temps were only in the 20's and the wind was bitter. Love the carriage rides, we always take the grandchildren on at least one ride.
It is so wonderful when the festival singers come into the shop - it also gives them a chance to warm up! I am so proud to live in our little village and the events that we are blessed with.
Tonight I am beyond tired and it's time to just rest until tomorrow - when we go pick up another load of antiques!
Thank you again for the prayers for Dad, it means the world to me. Can't wait to go see him tomorrow and just hold his hand.
Have a special Sunday and post those decorating pictures - it's so much fun to see what everyone else is doing!
Until next time...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

Well my friends, sometimes our holidays don't turn out exactly like we had planned. Dick and I went to visit Dad after I closed the shop yesterday and we ended up taking him to the ER at about 9 p.m. We got home about 1:30 a.m. and I went back up this morning. Dick and Mom cooked our dinner and then we all went to the hospital this afternoon and took him his dinner and beloved pie. He is having some internal bleeding and is having surgery tomorrow to try to figure out what is going on. It just breaks my heart to see him there, he is so confused about where he is and what is going on. I hope you will say a little prayer tonight that will help him get through all of this long, seemingly helpless pain. But, through it all, I am thankful that I have both of my parents to share this Thanksgiving holiday with - no matter how we had to do it.
This evening, two of our children's families came for dessert and a little visit. I had to share a picture of the cupcakes that Ashley made today. Aren't they just the best! I've never seen anything like them before! Yup, that's my Surre Cakes gal!
Tomorrow evening starts our village festivities with the tree lighting and Santa coming to town. Saturday starts the annual Dicken's Festival and lots of family fun! Thank goodness for Sharon, she is going to fill in for me tomorrow while I'm at the hospital.
I hope all of you have full tummies and have had some time to spend with your families, do a little decorating or whatever makes you happy.
Until next time...

THANKSGIVING EVE...

Just wanted to pop in and see how many of you were scurrying around today preparing for tomorrow's feast. Are you setting a beautiful table? I hope you have your little white lights lit and are listening to some beautiful music and taking a deep breath once in awhile. Remember, we are all supposed to ENJOY these special days.
Today is going to be a busy day at the shop. More deliveries should arrive - hooray! I'm hanging our cedar roping, moving around a little furniture and taking in new handmades. Friday night is our village tree lighting and then the Dicken's Festival starts on Saturday. It's all fun! Isn't Christmas just the most magical time of year? Our little town looks like a fairytale at night. The white lights glow, the shop windows are wonderful this year and there is a dusting of hope in the air.
How many of you are braving the Black Friday sales? Dick and I did that once and, I have to admit, we did have a lot of fun. Don't think I'm up for it this year though.
Are you having Thanksgiving at your own homes this year? Ours is going to be quite small, all the kids have plans with their "in-laws" and will pop in for dessert a little later. Dick and I are cooking with Mom and then taking some goodies to the nursing home to spend time with Dad. I just can hardly stand the thought of him being there on Thanksgiving. Last year we were able to take him out for the holidays, but this year is a different story. Please, please don't forget our elderly during the holiday season. Now it's our turn!
Well friends, I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with joy, hope, love and happiness. Here's to you and yours!
Until next time...

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL...

Here she comes! Our village tree for the year. It is always so exciting to watch the truck bring her in - especially since she will stand right across from the shop!

The workers did a great job and she is now waiting for the Friday night after Thanksgiving to be lit. Our annual tree lighting is so much fun. The "family of the year" is announced and there are so many festivities. It is also the kick-off for the first Dicken's weekend.
Just had to share the great snowman window I got in. Isn't he just the cutest?
I'm trying to decide whether or not I should open a separate selling blog. Any thoughts by you gals that have one? This angel is precious. She is dressed in a vintage christening dress and has wooden wings.
I'm in love with this big snowman. Wouldn't he be so cool on a porch? He has boxwood for hands!
This guy is done on an old oil can with vintage lights wrapped in the greens.
Another picket snowman. His "body" is an old feedsack.
My very favorite is this pair of Santa's longjohns. So grubby and prim perfect. They MIGHT have to come to my house.
Santa's suit is also here. His hat is filled with fresh boxwood.
There are lots of new stitcheries that are quite unusual.
This big snowman is dressed in longjohns and is holding a big old crow. His brother is holding a grubby candy cane.
This little gal is dressed in a flannel jacket with holly leaves and is also holding wool holly.
This girl is a riot. She has springs for hair, a key for a nose and is wearing real socks and shoes.
Lots of prim towels are in too.
This snowman is done with an old wool blanket on an antique spindle.
Santa has on his brown coat and is looking for a prim home.
Ashley brought the girls down to visit me today and Lucy had a ball looking at her sister through the mail slot.
The greens are in! Can't wait to put up our beautiful garlands. The village looks so magical with all the greens, white lights and the window dressings. Abbey was a big help picking them up!
I had another busy day at the shop tweeking everything we brought back from the show, putting out some new goodies, gabbing with customers and just having fun. Hope to see some of you soon!
Until next time...

BACK TO BACK FUNCTIONS...

Good Sunday afternoon friends. Woo-Hoo, what a wild two days I had! I started out Friday morning tweeking the shop and doing our front window, then in the afternoon we had to get everything ready for Ladie's Nite Out. At five o'clock the crowds did come.
Ashley (Surre Cakes) baked us this Christmas Crow and it was gone so fast I didn't even get to taste it!
Our windows just glowed after dark. We even sprinkled glittery snow on the sidewalk and it was so pretty!
All of the shops throughout the town had pink balloons and there was a disc jockey playing great music. Towards the end of the evening, lots of the gals did the hustle out in the street (including Ashley and Abbey).
Janie's Window (next door) also glowed,
just like our friend Janie!
We sponsored a book signing by Wayne Brillhart, author of "Mystery At The Birdfeeder". We opened our French doors so people could visit him and buy his book from both shops. All in all, it was a very successful evening and LOTS of fun!
After it was over, we packed LOTS, loaded the trailer and Sharon and I headed for Angola, IN. We got to our motel around 12:30 and left a wake-up call for 6:20 a.m. We were both still awake at 4 a.m. When that wake-up call came, I thought I was going to die having to get out of bed. But, we did it! Then it was on to set up our booth for the Pig In The Poke show.
Our booth turned out pretty nice and we had lots of compliments, which is always rewarding.
We had the biggest booth there (thank goodness), because we took LOTS with us.
Santa was standing guard and making sure everyone had a good time.
The snowmen waited patiently for a new home.
We had lots of unusual stitcheries.

Our sweet angel watched over the crowds.
By late afternoon, we were getting a little slap-happy. (By the way, Sharon was a ball and a great sport for a booth partner!)
Isn't this just the cutest little table and chairs that she painted?
We also had an extra space that we also loaded up!
It was getting close to time to pack up and Sharon took my picture.
These washtubs are so awesome that she painted! They are reversible with Christmas on one side and fall on the other! What a great place to put your Christmas tree!
Finally it was time to pack up and have more laughs on the way home. We ran into a lot of rain, but Sharon did a great job driving with the trailer.
This morning we had to get up, take everything back to the shop so we could open by noon. Whew! I don't think I want to do two functions back to back again for a long while.
Now it's time to put on my p.j.'s, put my feet up and REST!
Until next time...