Merry Christmas

This is the reason,for the season.

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas

and a joyous New Year.

Shannon & Stuart

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

The basement at the White house carries a western theme throughout. Some of these decorations are antiques the others I have just added over the years. The tree downstairs is decorated with bandana bulb ornaments, small cowboy hats, stars, snowmen and the garland is rope. I have stuffed berry sprigs here and there through out the tree.

My tree topper is from Heritage Woodworks years ago. Loved it then and I still love it.

I can't exactly remember where I got this picture but isn't it cute of Santa in his cowboy boots sittin and whittling away on a rocking horse.

Three of the stockings are hung with care. The mantels above the stove are decorated with a bunch of odds and ends with cowboy Santa's placed within.

This will be Jacob's last year here for hanging his stocking. We all had these wool stockings that Santa filled when the girl's were home. Every one is different. I still have theirs, along with one for John, Hatch, Karas and Mike. It was getting way to expensive for Santa to fill all those stockings, plus with more on the way I ran out of wool ones. Santa has come up with something else to take their places this year.

Years ago while having supper at Sundance I noticed how easy they had done some of their decorating on top of their cabinets. Look how easy this is, just throw a string of lights in a basket and tah-dah you have instant magic. This is a very old string of lights that I am still using bought at a thrift store. No ryhme or reason, just throw them in! (Well, carefully)

This is the hallway table leading into the family room.

This old fashioned log cabin quilt belonged to Stuart's grandma Verl. We are so fortunate to have it. It is made from men's wool suits, odds and end fabric scraps. Everything is handstitched on it. It hangs all year round. But it especially fits at this time of year.New to the decorations this year. The ceramic snowflake plate and rusted candlesticks.

These are some of Stuart's boyhood toys. Notice the little cowboy in the picture. Isn't he the cutest cowboy ever!

A little reading nook for the kids. The rocking chair just happens to be Stuart's too. His mother thought of keeping everything. We are so lucky to have gotten them. Each piece is cherished dearly and he has lot's of fond memories growing up.

In the shadow boxes I have placed several things that have made Christmas special at the White house. The two mice were given to Kira and Jacob from great-grandma White. I put some of the kids ornaments they made in elementary school. The stuffed hearts and ponies were made by me the first year we were married. And there are a few old pictures of the kids. These things are priceless and I am sure glad that I have kept them over the years.

Below the boxes hang 3 special wreaths. All of my kids had the same 5th grade teacher and this is what they made in her class as presents. They are made from sandwich baggies tied onto a hanger shaped in a circle. I don't know why I haven't gotten them out in years past but this year I found the perfect spot for them. Sure am glad I kept them too.

Well, there you have it folks, some of my favorite things in the basement of this humble abode. We love our house and I look forward to decorating every year. I have so many cherished memories to not share them with everyone and besides it only happens once a year. Right?Though it's getting a little harder and harder for me to do, I'll just keep pluggin away til I can't dig the totes out any longer. I might have to recruit Hatch next year!

Christmas is for kids! (and Papa's)

Papa White has a classic for his favorite Christmas story. We have his original copy of the book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Most of his ornaments on our tree have the Grinch theme. Yesterday while Thayne was here I showed him one that plays a tune. Oh no, I think I have opened pandora's box. I couldn't get him to leave it alone there after. He wanted to play it over and over again. He kept saying, "I push button again, Mama?" What amazement in his eyes everytime the tune would play and the refrigerator lit up. Here the Grinch is stealing the roast beast!"I not Grinchy, Mama!"
After doing this process over and over for sometime, Papa finally chimed in on the song. Thayne didn't know quite what to do as Papa sang to him. Listen in on the fun they were having.

Let it snow, let it snow!

Welcome winter! I opened the front door this morning to get the daily paper. Hum, can't see it, it's buried under all of this snow. I stood in the front door way to take this picture. Wow, are we getting duumped on. It's been snowing all night and is to continue all day. Do you have snow where you are? This is our neighbor's car across the street.
A shot down the street, they forgot to get their garbage cans in. Look at the snow piled on!
The tree and corner of our porch. Taken out the front window.
Angie and Jacob's vehicles covered under the snow. Finally, Angie gave up on cleaning hers off and made Jacob take her to work.

Another tree in our yard. Hope it dosen't brake. This snow is real heavy, with lot's of water.

Today is the first day of winter, so snow is expected I guess. Stay warm and be safe.

Their home!

Kaitlyn and baby Teegan are home and doing well. We visited them Saturday night and of course we had to take more pictures! He's all fancied up for Christmas.

Angie and Jacob with Teegan.

Look at that beautiful ring on Angie's finger.

Did I forget to mention they got engaged last weekend. What a great couple of weeks we have had. We're having a wedding at the White house, and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Grandpa's got the touch to rocking all the sweet grandbabies! Always have and always will.

Merry Christmas, baby!

Family, this is what Christmas is all about. Welcome to the family, little one.

Oops! Deleted Pictures!

Some how I deleted quite a few pictures when I did my post yesterday. Didn't realize it until I looked at the whole thing and I didn't see these in the post. So enjoy some more of the upper half of the house. Of all my Christmas decorations this Santa picture is my favorite. This could be a lengthy story about the significant reason it's my fav. The kids made it in 1990. Do any of you remember mop dolls? I had been making Santa's out of mops that I had dyed red. As I made them I would let the scraps fall on the floor, making a huge pile. Later in the evening the kids were with a babysitter and she pieced together type paper then drew an outline of Santa. They glued on red mop scraps for his coat and hat. For the fur around the cuffs and hat they used cotton balls from my bathroom. Those same cotton balls would make his beard. His hair was remnants of curly hair I had been using. They even found matching buttons in my button jar. What a work of art. They worked all night on it they said, staying up into the wee hours of the morning as we were gone for the weekend. For several years I would just fold it up and put it away with the other decorations, but as I was sorting through decorations one year I realized that I had a treasure and it needed to be preserved. We took and had it mounted and framed. The original frame was a red metal one. I pulled it out a couple of years ago and the glass had cracked from corner to corner. We had it reframed in this nice wooden frame, nothing else was damaged when the glass broke. The matting boards are those of the first framing. I had a plaque engraved with the year it was made and the kids names and ages. I even included Brooke our babysitter. She was thirteen at the time. Kira would of been 9, Jacob 5 and Kaitlyn 2. Needless to say I store the wonderful picture in a different place where it will be safe for years to come(let's hope). I told you it was a treasure. It's the first decoration out when it's time to decorate.

This is the front entry way table.

Banister decorated, check!

I have things hiding everywhere! This little collection is on top of my curio cabinet.

Little Winter Wilma!

Christmas Raggedy Ann.

Hope you enjoyed today's tour. Let's do western tomorrow, should we?

A Christmas, "White" house style!

Welcome to the "White" house. For those that won't be visiting us from far away places, (we wish you could all stop by) I thought it would be fun to take you on a photo tour of some of my favorite Christmas decor that I have collected over the years. Some are more precious than others, alot of them are gifts and some are homemade. Year after year I get the same things out and I look at each item and reflect back on it's story. Enjoy the tour, todays portion will be the upper half of the house. You are always welcome here, come on in.
My sleigh and bells, a purchase many years ago from Heritage Woodworks.
The candy cane also from Heritage. I did work there for many years so I have lots of items from that fun shop.
In the entry way I hang this garden gate, it was a left over from Kaitlyn's wedding. It's perfect for all the holiday greetings we receive from friends far and near. By the time Christmas gets here it will be covered. We enjoy each and every greeting that comes our way.

I look forward to putting up my nativity every year. The creche was a gift to me the year my dad passed away, so as I'm putting it all together I reflect back on Christmas memories of him.

I am very fortunate to have my Grandma Thomas' old tredle Singer sewing machine. During the holidays I put antique things I have collected. Most of it was from Stuart's childhood.
There is old vintage ornaments, lights, tinsel and ornament hooks. We have story books and puzzle from both of us. What treasures.

The kitchen is all decorated in red and bright green. Lot's of snowmen adorn it.

There's always treats around too!

Some of the stockings are hung. All of these stockings are hand knitted and I got them at a boutique years ago.

This little doll sits in this same place year after year. I've tried different arrangements with her and this one just seems to fit her best. She is one of the many dolls I have made.

A fun little table of snowmen. Look, he's all bundled up for winter!

The upstairs tree is looking a little sparce this year. Since the girl's took their ornaments I haven't replaced them with anything else. I still hang Jacob's, mine and Stuart's though. Next year it will be the Mr. and the Mrs.' hanging around the tree! Watch out Christmas sales, here I come!

This is the true meaning of Christmas isn't it? I really should break out this pattern and make more of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Their all bound together in love, just like we should be at Christmas time.

Apothacary jars filled to the brims with holiday decorations. I use these all year round. Just change the items inside and you have a whole different look. Another good leftover from a wedding.

Ho, ho, ho! Who loves Santa? I do, can you tell? It's been along time since I have added to it though. I don't know what took me away from making dolls, maybe I just got tired of doing them. I really should pick it up again.

So there you have a few of my favorite things. I wish I could show you everything but that would take days and you would probably be bored with it all. So if your in our neck of the woods this Christmas season, stop in a say hello and check everything out.