Well this week could've gone better

Here's the porch in the snow for Desiree!!

Hiya Blogland from snowy, cold Western Maryland!! WOW--it's brutally cold and we've gotten 14 inches of snow since Sunday with more to come Saturday. I love winter and snow but this is getting ridiculous!!

My work opened late on Monday. I dressed for a snowy, cold day. Thrifted sweater, DIY stirrup jeans and my Aerosole boots with the nice sturdy sole.

Here's a picture of the leopard coat of Awesomeness reversed to the waterproof side:

I trekked into my office Monday amongst the ice and snow as carefully as I could. I managed to get in the front door and promptly slipped on the wet floor. I AM the Queen of Klutzlvania after all. My right leg slid out and my left stayed planted. I was able to catch myself before I hit the floor. I wrenched my left hip, knee and my back. So I've been vegging out in the recliner taking some awesome happy pills.

My sartorial choices are rather limited this week. I did get a picture of this STUNNING Sears polyester hostess gown I scored at the Goodwill Saturday for $3. I'm thinking it's from the 70's. It was perfect for decorating the Xmas tree. Lauren thought I'd finally lost my mind!!

My little helper in her Santa sweater.

I had a really cool plaid outfit planned for Spygirls 52 Pick-me-up: Mad for Plaid. I wore this outfit to a cookie exchange this weekend. The shirt is thrifted Chaps tartan. I guess this will have to work for this challenge!!

This week is also Shoe Shine at Citizen Rosebuds. I'm sharing these awesome Nine & Co. ankle booties I scored for $4!! Super comfortable--they have a little 1 inch wedge.

I want to share some more Christmas decor. This is our Master Bathroom:

I painted the little Santa. The large was thrifted for $1 at a yardsale.

Yes, I decorate the toilet!!!

I made the stuff on the wreath back when I did craft shows.

Yard Sale Santa for $1

DIY Angel tree

Here's some pix of the Hall/Guest bathroom decorations:

Thrifted garland and a DIY card garland

Christmas Charming Tales collection. Lauren get's me this figurines for different event.

Bleached and glittered trees, old candles and some Epsom salts

Thrifted Nativity, trees, and Epsom salts in an old pedestal dish

DIY Kitty Tree, Santa made by 90+ neighbor lady and thrifted vintage Santa & deer

DIY Bottlebrush trees, vintage angels and elves

Vintage ornament tree. The base is a block of wood with an extendable radio antennae to put the bulbs on.

Everyone have a fabulous day and I'll be back later this week with more Christmas decorations!!

TTFN
Tamera

Gracie in the snow!!

Hiya Blogland from snowy Western Maryland!! We've gotten about 7+ inches of snow so far today with more plus sleet and freezing rain to come. Gracie is experiencing her first snowstorm!!! MrBill is smart and won't even go outside (thankfully both are puppy pad trained)  Gracie went tearing out the sidewalk (which had been swept clear an hour before and came face to face with snow up to her neck. She plowed in, jumped about 3 foot in the air and kangaroo-hopped back on the porch. She doesn't like this one bit!!

I FINALLY got all the lights off the tree!!! Last nite I put the new lights and garland on. Today I'll put the ornaments on. I did find something rather fetching at the Goodwill to wear to decorate the tree. Pix to come later this week!!

I want to share some more of the Christmas hoard. I collect vintage figural planters and have amassed a collection of Christmas-themed ones in my travels. I display them on the top of the built in shelves in the living room:

I have a collection of Nativities that I display on the built-in bookshelves.  These were (except one) thrifted for $2 or less. You can see some of my cookbook hoard....I mean collection in the background.

The one with the greenery is my childhood Nativity. It's cardboard and plastic and still has the McCrory's 59 cent tag on the bottom.

 

Larger version of my childhood Nativity. This originally cost $1.29!!

 

Here's a couple of Christmas decor odds and ends in the living room.

Plastic Santa in sled with Santa in thrifted frame. These sit on lidded basket stack by front door. I've seen these Santa's for upwards of $15 at antique store. I got two for $1!!

Thrifted greens around end table lamp with Santa I painted.

Thrifted ($2) Santa

Side table vignette--thrifted greens, DIY candle pedestal, DIY glittered candle, Belsnickles

Belsnickles. I painted these. A craft store nearby about 25 years ago used to sell unfinished plaster stuff.

Front window. Greenery & Santa are thrifted, I made the star garland out of star ornaments I had made for the old front porch tree. You read that right. I used to have a larger primitive style tree on my front porch!!!

One of a pair of 50+ year old trees from my childhood. These were always on the mantle.

The last few days weather-wise have been COLD, plus rainy or snowy. I've been breaking out the boots and pants!!

Friday: Thrifted Cardigan, Aerosole boots, LaneBryant pink pullover, DIY jeans, Vintage (made in occupied Japan) scarf

Saturday: Kmart Boots, Thrifted Chaps Blouse, Vintage Xmas Scarf, DIY jeans

Thrifted cardigan, thrifted black T, thrifted pants, black boots, vintage Xmas pins

I'm off to finish decorating the tree and make some pumpkin gingerbread. I'll be back later this week with more decoration pix!!

TTFN
Tamera

Unlighting a Christmas tree

Hiya Blogland!! I'm still in Christmas Decorating MODE here!! Every year I say I'm going to down-size and every year there is MORE STUFF. Here are views of some of the Santa's I've made. I started making Santa's about 35 years ago when I wanted to collect them but couldn't afford them.:

Santa's on desk. All but the 2nd from right were made by me.

 

  

I have one last tree to decorate-the big one in the living room that gets all of the vintage glass ornaments. I pulled it out of the box last night to set it up. It's one of the pre-lit ones (but getting a bit old) and this year several strands of lights are ka-put!!  I tried new bulbs and all that but unfortunately it looks like broken wires.

SO tonite I will be unlighting it. Ugh. My hands look like they've been through a shredder. I'll put strands of multi-color LED larger bulb lights on it when I'm done. (It originally had white mini-lights) It will give it a new look I think.

This week is Literary Stylings #6 at Fashion for Giants. This past month I finished up two more Miss fisher mysteries but that was last month's outfit. Other than that I've been reading Christmas Cookbooks from my collection and books from the library on vintage Christmas decor and such. Here's a couple I read. Great for information and spotting the "good" stuff at thrifts!!

Here's my outfit. I'm wearing a thrifted SagHarbor sweater,  thrifted trousers, a thrifted vintage Echo candy cane scarf, thrifted vintage holly earrings and thrifted Lifestyles loafers. That's a sneak peek of the trash tree behind me!

Wednesday's outfit is almost all RETAIL!!! The skirt is George and was brought on sale at Walmart. The sweater in LaneBryant and gotten with a gift card. I had to order it (none in my size in store) and it just came. The bracelets are vintage and the pin is thrifted. The boots are my thrifted Guess boots of Awesomeness!!

Thursday's outfit is for Spy Girl's 52 Pick-Me-Up:Layers Challenge. I decided to go a bit "punk". Couldn't layer too much as it is a bit warmer today before it plunges back into freezing!! I'm wearing a thrifted refashioned tiger cardigan (it had a built in shell I cut out), thrifted LaneBryant skirt, Blondie rocker T (LaneBryant gift card), Rhinestone Necklace from Burlington Coat Factory I got on clearance and fixed, two pair of tights layers, bracelets-thrifted and sweet Krista and thrifted Nine & Co booties.

This outfit got some eyebrow raising at work. LOLOLOL The Blondie T really threw them off!! Here's a close-up of the tight layers:

Well I'm off to pick lights off the tree while I watch the Sound of Music Live. Everyone have a fabulous weekend!!

BTW--I do read every ones comments. I usually like to comment back via email but life is crazy right now and I'm reading on my phone and it's craptacular to respond to emails on. I have trouble typing on a regular keyboard... much less that miniature one!! I appreciate each and everyone!!

TTFN
Tamera

The Perfect Diva Tribute for Christmas

Hiya Blogland!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and weekend!!! Anyone go shopping on Black Friday??? I'm crazy but not THAT crazy. I'm not interested in going to the mall on a good day, much less brave all the crowds!!

I had to stop in Michael's today to pick up a couple of crafty supplies (costuming some kid angels, Herod, Wisemen and assorted village folk). I strolled through the Christmas aisle to see what was interesting. Everything was 50% off and y'all KNOW I NEED more Christmas stuff.

Well I spotted an ornament that had to come home with me. It kind of brought a bit of a tear to my eyes. What could be a more perfect tribute to our beloved Diva this Christmas but a blinged out,
dress-wearing chihuahua ornament. She's even sporting a little glittery hat for Hat Attack this week. It's even captures her expression!!

Always the International Style Icon in black lace, leopard and glitter!!

I want to start sharing some of the Christmas Decor that I've gotten up!! This is the antique pie safe (my great-grandmom's) inside the front door. I thifted the Santa's and the garland.

This is handmade. I paid $1 at a yard sale!!

This was made by Eskimo's at the North Pole. $2 at the Goodwill!!

Here is our front door on the inside. I made the Santa from just stuff I had in my stash.

Close-up of face. The tree is vintage.

We have a niche that our TV sits in . I put the shelf up over it this summer. The garland was thrifted for $1 at the Salvation Army. It's meant to go on a mantle. The little churches were made by a friend as a trade for Santa's I made. This lady taught herself to sculpt with paper mache when she was in her sixties. She made the green trees on the right. The ones on the left were thrifted. The white trees are DIY. The deer on the TV is a DIY remake I did of a thrifted gold metallic paper mache deer.

 I had planned on taking photo's of Lauren's cousin's ultra=modern house but I totally spaced it. It was nice but  rather cold and empty. Definitely I'm not a minimalist type person. I dressed to be warm as the house was rather chilly. I'm wearing all thrifted--GloriaVanderbilt  plaid trousers, DressBarn black cardigan, Unlabeled wool turtleneck, Aerosole maryjanes and vintage dragonfly pin.

I was dressed in sweats on Friday as I was decorating so y'all can just use your imagination. Saturday I took my adopted grandson to a Junk Drawer Robotics class for his 9thbirthday at the library. Judah made a really cool marshmallow catapult. We then ate at Burger King (his choice) I enjoyed spending time with him. I'm wearing a thrifted Venezia sweater, my DIY Stirrup Jeans, DIY scarf and old boots. You can see some of our porch decor in this picture!

Today was a BUSY day. I had to measure some little angels for costumes and organize and start passing out costumes for the church Christmas program. I won a $50 gift card to DressBarn over the summer and finally got around to using it last month. I decided on something festive for the holidays. What can be more FESTIVE than emerald green snake print?? I despaired finding anything I liked until a spotted this sweater. I paired it with my swirly black maxi, thrifted Nine West booties and a vintage rhinestone brooch ruching up the hem of the sweater.

Today is Style Crone's HAT ATTACK #5. I'm wearing this cute boiled wool flapper hat I got at Ross. I have a big head so I have a hard time finding anything. This hat is lightweight but warm. I'm wearing it with my thrifted Lord&Taylor red car coat and a vintage deer pin. The blur is Miss Gracie. We couldn't get her to stay still!! She kept kissing me and wiggling.

I'm linking up with the lacy Patti for Visible Monday #118!! Come by and see the best style and fashion on the internet!!

Everyone have a fabulous beginning of the week!! I'll be decorating like a crazy woman!! Be back later this week!!

TTFN
Tamera