After Holiday Organizing

Well, it's that time of the year. Time to clean up and organize after all the parties and gatherings. I'd like to keep my "stuff" out all year long but then I think it would get old real fast! Not to mention my friends and family all ready think I'm crazy, so to see Christmas items in Feb. just wouldn't cut it!

I found some of the neatest items to store your holiday items. Some of them I just want for no apparent reason!

(Remember, click on the photos to be taken directly to stores!)

From the Cover Store, take a look at the beautiful store bags they offer!

Available from Get Organized, I just LOVE this box!

The Container Store has these great boxes to store your dinnerware!

You really need something better than that old plastic bag to store your wreath! How about this from Bed, Bath and Beyond?

Organize.com has this garland keeper:

Meijer.com has light spools to keep those lights from becoming tangled all up:

For those special collectibles, here are some pouches from Improvements:

This works all year round! A gift bag organizer, again, from Get Organized:

Look around the stores to see all the great items they have for storage!

Happy New Year!

RWS/VS

Decorating with nature

I was assigned nature for this week's post. Um, my first thought was outhouses but I don't think that is what was meant. I'm supposed to be decorating with nature, so here it goes!

(Please click on photos to be taken to the shops! Each photo is a different store!)

One of the most beautiful things to me is what nature can do to flowers! Always boggles my mind.

From Teleflora comes this beautiful Christmas cactus:

One of my all time favorites, holly! Check out this web site I found that has some great items made from holly, Mill Creek Holly Farm:

There's nothing like fresh evergreens, can't you just smell them now?

I love live evergreen ropes for railings!

Along those same lines is a twig swag from Jeffrey Alans:

And here is a wonderful holiday swag for your mailbox!

I've always enjoyed paperwhites at Christmas! I force bulbs starting on Thanksgiving Day and have them for Christmas!

Here is an arrangement using Paperwhites from Martha Stewart:

Stop by Barbotts to see all the amazing poinsettias! I have a hard time picking out a favorite but I do like the painted ones I've seen around!

Can't leave out Amaryllis! This is a favorite gift from my Mom each year but then never look like this one! 

 This one comes from Jackson & Perkins:

From Black Forrest Decor, check out these birch candles!

Take a look at the snow currant collection from Pottery Barn!

Let's not forget our fine, feathered friends:

Enjoy your holiday season!

VS

A Partridge and a Pear Tree

Yup, I am jumping the gun a little bit here. It seems that they are pushing holiday decorations and things earlier and earlier every year. The store I work in has been putting Holiday items out since before Halloween. So one way or another we are forced to face the fact that the holiday season is upon us. *sigh*

 I did a little searching on Etsy and decided to just look for the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Here are just few of the wonderful handmade items I found.

by bitowhimsey

by  iamfish

by LuxeAdornments

by  betsyjarvis

 

by nicolecampbell

by lkQuiltArt

Here is a link that has pictures that you can print to color either for you or for children;

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/12/twelve.htm

This gives you some information about the song and the history of the Twelve Days of Christmas;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_%28song%29

This one is chock full of all kinds of Holiday traditions, pictures and facts. There are some interesting things on here and I need to give it a more in depth look.

http://www.holidays.net/christmas/story.htm

Have fun looking and getting into the Holiday spirit.

(jj)

A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

We can still have a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving.  Rockwell has left us a legacy in his paintings of what Thanksgiving and being an American are all about.  Depicted in a simple, straight-forward way, they show our strengths, love of family and country,  dedication to our values and work ethics, our ability to keep moving forward and to accomplish great things. His paintings remind us that we have been through difficult times before and we have overcome a great deal. We are a great nation with a lot to be thankful for.

I firmly believe that Thanksgiving should be given proper attention in November. We live in a wonderful country that has been blessed so richly, and to not take time to give thanks is sad.

In spite of the fact that our economy is not what we would like and many people are in a bad situation, our standard of living is still far above that of many other countries. The purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks for what we do have and not dwell on what we don't have. The meals may not be as big, family may not be able to travel for the holidays, some people may be celebrating in shelters or motel rooms, but we can still be thankful that we have food, family, friends, a roof over our heads, and the freedoms we enjoy.

If you are one of the blessed ones, then you have been given the opportunity to help those who are in need. It's hard to be thankful when life knocks you down, but if someone reaches out and shares with you, it's much easier to say "Thank you".


Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving..and God bless.

pepper