Waiting for Santa



This afternoon at the beach:
Happy Holidays, my little friend!

  Yes, here we are at the beach, waiting for Santa to arrive. So exciting!

I think I am on schedule [sort of] with my lists!
And the house looks festive and "Nordic" in its red-and-white Christmas ''dress"?

Someday I hope to do an all white beachy Christmas...but my traditional  German /Swiss/French style always prevails. So much of Christmas, is, for me, revisiting family tradition, cherishing their memories...my great-grandmother's turkey red tablecloth [above], my other great-grandmother's white lace pillowcases. The lighthouse tree topper we bought years ago on a snowy day in Greenwich Village, in NYC. My dad's Noah's ark, my mother's silver. My aunt's etched wine glasses, thin and sheer as soap bubbles. And I take joy in seeing these treasures each year, even though they are not the white and modern I sometimes aspire to....here

The wind was so chilling. I put my coziest white and lacy flannel sheets on the bed, the biggest poufiest down comforter, and my favorite holiday quilt, a Mennonite beauty from my mom...

And I hung up a pretty patchwork stocking, just for fun....(just in case!).

I washed and fluffed up my holiday apron. I made this when I was in college, it's travelled with me, and has made millions of holiday cookies over all the years. The trim was brought from Switzerland by my grandma when I was maybe 6 or 7, though I admit it is just a commonplace woven band. Special to me though. (My mother had asked for 10 yards of Tyrolean ribbon, I have no clue why,lol.)

We hung up our stockings...

Made the lasagna and did a bit of the Christmas Day food prep, but really...If I cooked it today by Tuesday night it would just be leftovers, so mostly it is just waiting for the proper time.
And I think the red velvet cake is a flop..the rum I poured on will redeem it though! Or so I am hoping...

I finished the decorations. I don't gussy up the living room until Christmas Eve because it just gets too cluttery for me. And I did buy strings of white lights [2.99 at Stop n Shop] for indoors, but I don't think I'll get them up this year.




19th century turkey red damask pillow;
American homespun linen c. 1900 heart pillow,
red and white w/ cheddar homespun quilt, c.1850? very fine and old...
blue Shaker end table made by my dad.



Entry hall...

Living room wall...

Angels from Cape Cod, from my mother....

Some close-ups of the tree...

I finished Anneke the rescued angel from the thrift shop. I hung her on an inside door.

Her garland needs work, but I think she is so adorable! And just look at these cutie feet! She is so happy now...

 


Some things old, some things new...a special heart from my friend LN, next to the souvenir crock from the NYC flea market.

I hope your holidays bring you joy, and good memories old and new. Celebrate, enjoy, dear friends!

love

      lizzy

gone to the beach....

Welcome Winter

Hi! I see we are still here....

winter moon

What, no Apocalypse? But a dark and stormy day to welcome the new season....

I spent the day baking and wrapping gifts, calling friends, making lists. Yes, lists--- because the holiday falls right after the weekend, I want to do my grocery shopping at the last minute....

I put on my favorite striped baker's apron and I made a red velvet cake. No cookies this year, a nod to everyone's health consciousness, if a bit too politically correct for me. Less calories means less work though, so it's okay.

see the white beach  behind the gold ornament...?

The solstice often brings storms and this year of storms is no different. It is very windy, threatening my twig and seashell wreath!

...and these waves are bigger than I really want to see at this point.

The sun comes up only partway, it seems. Even at midday there's a hint of pink sunset in the clouds.

And it was very dark when I came home from my walk at 4.3o. This is my Christmas tree, from the beach....

And here it is inside...

Remember that big wire basket, hearthaped basket from the thrift shop? Here it is, just like I pictured, but the back door, filled with real greens... just like I imagined on that hot summer day last July.

Next I'll show you what's going on inside...very red and white and Nordic this year!


love

       lizzy

gone to the beach....

Angels

 Hello!  Hurricane angels....

We can all use an angel or two--or three?, can't we? Especially when times are stressful, or just very dark in December....or to share our happiness when the holidays and family fill our lives with joy.....  

I collect the ''makings'' for my angels all year, I search for special antique baby dresses, old glitter trims, tiny shoes, mittens, stockings.

I guess most artists would make these Christmas dolls in June, so efficient! But I begin my dolls in late October or in November when the holiday season suddenly looms and inspires me.

angels' wings , with fabric stiffener,
drying in the winter sun

But this year of course I was not home to create my little people.....and so, despite being too late really to sell them this year, I am so thrilled that this year's little ''family'' is almost complete, and either listed for sale or wrapped up as a hopefully treasured gift.

This is Peaceful, in her amazing Victorian baby dress....above also.

... with the fun surprise of wrinkly candy striped stockings under her fine gown. She refused to wear her shoes!

And here is Cassandra, one of my very special Hurricane Sandy dolls.

She is a snow angel, and is wearing a vintage red fine wale corduroy smocked baby dress, with an antique French ticking petticoat with hand knit lace trim.
And best of all, her stockings were made from beachcombed striped fabric!

A t-shirt scrap that washed ashore after the storm.
And! on her toes are the tiny rusty jingle bells also found in the midst of the driftwood on the day I came back to the beach after the storm.

Imagine finding something so tiny? And they still jingle!

This is Cherish, a half doll or shelf sitter...her wings are driftwood, a wire spool section, also found in the flotsam and jetsam of the storm's high tide.

A thrift shop rescue, below! I love her dress and garland, promised her she'd have legs and new hair. I named her Anneke, she looks Swedish...

 I washed her, re-stuffed her, redid her face,[okay, a little demented, she was sad!] with old shoe button eyes. She'll stay here with me for a year or two, I think she deserves a home. She loves having pretty legs and ballerina feet now.

Some tiny snow babies...

including this snow angel, snow girl,

 who is finally in her lantern home. This old thrifted candle lantern has pierced star and more stars etched on the glass...love it.

A couple more, can't show them yet. Shhh...no peeking!

One of my most cherished family traditions is making, baking , or hand crafting, holiday gifts. My dad made  me something special almost every year...and though I miss him and my mom, their joy in holidays, that annual huge box of Cape Cod greenery!..I set out the Noah's Ark my parents made me, under the wreath from my brother..and I remember...

Happy Holidays!


love

     lizzy

..... gone to  the beach