CHRISTMAS IN THE WORKS...

The Captain found this little white truck in some stuff being thrown away so he grabbed it right up.  He knew I would love it...

and he was right!

This is really becoming a busy season here around the Cottage.

I mentioned before that we were going to the kids for Thanksgiving and then back home until Christmas Eve, then back to the kids for the night and then back home again until December 30, then off to San Diego for the month of January.

This is such a handsome Santa and I've had him for many years. He always looked so elegant, if not traditional, in his green coat...

Well, I guess I didn't think he was pretty enough, so changed him, with some of the believable magic of the season, to fit into a new scheme.

Here is a peek at another project added this year...and this is only one piece of the puzzle.

I put these little cone trees together with a lot of love and some sticky fingers...

...and added a really tall one, held together with peppermint baker's twine...

...and finally, this little girl was fashioned out of a combination of jute and yarn.  She was a perfect little tree until I tied a piece of tattered ribbon around her neck and she was transformed into an angel.

A pretty ruffled wreath made out of unbleached coffee filters.  A really fun project and quite easy.

I picked up this wreath of glass balls for $1 at a thrift shop.  I added sprigs of faux pine and cones and let it shine in front of a mirror.

This is simply the same banner I used on the parlor mantle for Fall.  I just turned it over, copied Christmas music and glued it onto the original black cards, with an embellishment of letters from a stencil and some cute little scrap booking charms.

I'm saving the best for last...

I saw a similar lamp and shade like this in a high end shop I visited.  I don't remember the price exactly but it was over $100.  I thought it was really beautiful but could not pay that kind of money when I have a house over run with lamps as it is.

I saw the base, in brass, at a thrift store, for $5.  I bought it and glued the jute twine, I had left over from making the cone trees, around it.  I then ordered the shade online. It did cost me $30 but, that was a marked down price, and I love the shape of it.  I then picked up the tin flower/snowflake ornament at Ben Franklin's for $5.  For approximately $40 I have a lamp that I am really quite proud of.

I also received my copy of the new Simply Shabbilicious magazine. It is chock full of pretty ideas for Christmas, beautiful feature homes that you might be familiar with in the blogging world and wonderful photography.  If you are interested you can see here where and how to order it.

All of the above that you have seen today, is scattered around the Cottage in small vignettes pertaining to Christmas.

I am now off to the grocery store to fight the Thanksgiving crowds and then tomorrow I will be baking and cooking my contributions to our family dinner and somewhere in the couple of weeks between then and Christmas, I will be back to show you, in full dress, where this little bit of Christmas magic is happening around the Cottage.

All of us here at Gold Country Cottage want to wish each and every one of you a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving Day with your friends and families.

...Judy...

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