Merry Christmas!

If you have been reading my blog for any number of years you might have been wondering where the traditional posts about my Christmas decorations are. Well, I didn't decorate this year. I've been in a bit of a funk and just didn't get to it. Thankfully I still made time for the pugs to see Santa. Look at them! Poor Priscilla, the Dalmatian didn't know how to hold her. A lady doesn't usually like her whole pink belly showing in her holiday photo.

Thankfully Travis has my back always and put up the aluminum tree and found our stockings. I have a few new decorations that I bought at the flea market last month, so I put those up too. Now that it is Christmas Eve I'm missing all the sparkle and kitsch, but ah well. Next year! Here are the most recent additions to my collection:

Just yesterday I wrapped all our gifts. Both our families are doing secret Santa this year, which is nice. It made my shopping list so much shorter! I bought three presents for our nephew though. It is too fun! // Early in the month we took the pugs to see Satan Claus at Hail, our local oddities shop. I love it!

My bff Crystal got me in our friend secret Santa and wrapped my gifts in a Weezer poster! Perfect! She got me such good things! Some Rilakkuma pens, a vintage Spock cling thing, a sequined pineapple patch, and a pug calendar that is all photos of old pugs! Fellow pug friends, look at it! So cute. // My cousin hosted a cookie making party last weekend. My grandmother had never decorated a cookie in her life! How crazy. I had a lot of fun and brought home a lot of cookies to eat.

Travis and I are both home for Christmas Eve. I used to be sad that our families don't get together for it anymore, but it is fun to celebrate by ourselves. I made tons of Christmas cookies (four kinds!) and decorated them while Travis made tamales for the first time! We just ate them and they were really good! I think we'll be adopting that tradition! We also had some Christmas cocktails and now we're watching the Muppet Christmas Carol. It has been a wonderful night.

 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday! If you need me, I'll be scrolling through the vintage christmas tag on my blog, pretending it is all up in my house this year!

Our Christmas Day

We had a nice quiet Christmas day at home this year. Travis and I stayed up late watching A Christmas Story and eating a seitan roast, then slept in until about 10! It was great. Thankfully the pugs didn't care. They like to sleep in too.

We had mimosas in the Christmas glasses my grandfather found for me last year! He and my grandmother have a Merry Christmas set and I've been looking forever!

We listened to records, including my new Mr. Spock record.

Presents and a pug occupied with a treat half as long as her little body!

New "wish you were beer" mug. Haha.

Travis is great at buying me gifts. I can't pick a favorite! Look at that Spock pug mug! And I finally got to try out Lush bath bombs. I'm in loooooove! Also, check out that vintage caiman. Travis was pretty slick and bought it while I was in the store with him. I had no idea.

Seriously, these two couldn't have cared less up about while they finished those treats. I made cinnamon rolls from scratch that didn't rise AT ALL. Haha, they were real dense, but still tasted good. I'll try again soon.

We went to the movies of course, to see Into the Woods. Unfortunately it was pretty terrible. Ugh, and it seemed right up my alley too. About halfway through I couldn't wait for it to be over.

After the movie we came home and Travis made a vegan lasagna for us to take to my aunt's house that night. We bought this blow mold Santa three years ago at the world's longest yard sale but always forget to get it out! Travis surprised me and put it on the car port last week! I love it! There is another deer but his base is broken. Now we've just got to figure out how to mount him on the roof next year...

One last Christmas cocktail...I'll take everything down New Years Day. I like to keep my cute stuff up a little bit after Christmas.

AND! I always forget about this amazing pink feather wreath because I don't keep it in the basement with the rest of my stuff. I finally remembered this year! Isn't it beautiful?

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday like we did!

Christmas Decorations: Oh Christmas Tree!

I decided to get a new, bigger Christmas tree this year. We've had the little 5.5 footer since before we got married (so more than seven years! ah!) and it was getting pretty crowded. So we went to Michael's when they were having a half off sale and bought this beautiful 7.5 thing! I love it! And it's already mostly full, haha. I can't resist a good ornament!

We set this beauty up on Thanksgiving and I've been enjoying the lights every night. I'll be sad to take it down.

We have vintage ornaments, the ornaments my grandparents bought me every year since I was born (the Santa/reindeer bicycle built for two was from the year we got married) and Travis' childhood ornaments. I love this one with the photo of him when he was six years old. Precious. 

Lots of vintage ones. That cute Santa is a favorite.

I've been wanting a Santa like this forever! I finally found one this year at an estate sale. My aunt knit me that cute tree pillow.

The woman I bought my angel from told me she loved her because she looked drunk.

I couldn't bear to put my talking Pee Wee away. Since taking this photo I put some mistletoe in his hand. Kiss me under the Pee Wee doll. I also get lots of delight from putting that Santa hat on my fox head.

There is the circus horse I got at the flea market last month. Beautiful!

We got Phyllis a few weeks before Christmas and got a few pug ornaments because of that. We snapped a leg off of all of them to match our tiny tripod.

And last but not least, my little tree on top of our medical cabinet. Travis has his vintage medicine collection in there.

That little silver tree is from the Target dollar aisle about 8 years ago. I was thrilled to find that tiny tree skirt with the pom pom trim a few years later. I need to find a tiny Santa hat for Merlin the squirrel! And a little stocking for him to hold.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek at my holiday decorations. I really love vintage Christmas stuff and look forward to putting it all out every year. And dread putting it all away. Ha! Hope you have a nice Christmas eve and day off tomorrow! I know I will.

Christmas Decorating: My Mantle

It's Christmas Eve! I'm probably at work as you're reading this, but I can't wait to come home and spend the evening cuddled up with Travis and the pugs. We're going to make a seitan roast from this recipe book (wish me luck! i hope it turns out) and watch movies.This is the busiest time of year for both our jobs and we're ready for a little break.
Here are some more of my decorations. I love my mantle. Maybe I can get Travis to build us a fire tonight!

Lady head with some mercury picks!

I didn't find any pine cone gnomes this year. But I did find a few cheap boxes of indent ornaments.

A favorite Christmas card, my sweet ermine, and a decorated monkey tail.

That jaunty deer is one of my favorites. And that little jar of old candy decorated with felt.

I might have a few more stockings than we need. Travis bought the dog house one for Phyllis when we first got her. It was so sweet and I love putting it up every year. Priscilla's is that granny square one. And I pretend the rest are for the cats though they don't get stockings. They don't care about treats! The two on the right are mine and Travis's. We made them for each other when we were dating. He keeps trying to buy me a new one but I love mine. He sewed it from scratch and picked the blue velvety and puppy Christmas fabric.

The bottom shelf of our built in is always a Harry Potter shelf. The rest changes for the holidays.

I went to a estate sale just to get that tree. It is like a box top with felt glued on. Isn't she sweet?

I have a pile of vintage Christmas photos and this is one of my favorites. One year I'll wrap our front door in foil! Isn't it a stunning look?
That angel is a new addition this year. She has a china head and a mesh layer over paper. And glittery arms. The photo in front of her is a marching band in the snow.

Even our tv gets a little festive touch.

Christmas Decorating: Part Two!

When I decorate I focus mostly on my living room and this hutch in my dining room. One day I'll have a beautiful mid century hutch in here but for now this one that Travis painted works! I put my Dream Pet reindeer here.

And some of my Santas too. Quite a few of my Santa mugs fell victim to curious kitties last year, I thought they would be more secure  up here.

Little Styrofoam pixie on my tangerines! Are you obsessed with them too? I'm eating 5 to 10 a day!

I love this toilet paper roll turned crochet candle. I added the little spun head Santa this year. I bought him at a vintage shop in Columbus. It was my only purchase and the woman ringing me up laughed!

There are usually apples in the bowl, guarded by Santa and a reindeer who has seen better days.

Little choir of spun head angels.

Close up on this amazing record. Look at Bob Ward! I love the styling. And the record is clear red vinyl, of course!