My New Year's Top 10 Countdown!

Happy New Year! 

Ring Out Wild Bells!

You all are probably tired of New Year's Top 10 lists...but I promise this one has a twist...if you stay on this ride until it comes to a full and complete stop!

Zetta's Apron's Top 10 Countdown!

#10 

Quick Craft...Parade of Easter Peeps!

#9

Christmas Crafts...Vintage Tins!

#8

Vintage Vacations...Yellowstone!

#7
Halloween Family Traditions!

#6
Fairyland Park...and the Carousel of Happiness!

#5
Disney Halloween Carnival...Vintage Holiday Fun!


#4
Pinterest Inspired...Pot Lids Pumpkins!


#3
Mystery of the Nauvoo Angel!

#2
High School Years...Homecoming 1972!

#1
Pilgrims and Pioneers...Family History at Thanksgiving!

Spammer's Choice Award!

And the award for the post with the most absurd number of views...3760...and comments by spammers goes to...

Spammers Choice Award...2013

Lehi Roller Mills...Flour Sack Pillows!

I accept this award for you, my dear, dear bloggie friends...

...because I never want to make you prove you're not a robot!

Thank You for a Wonderful Year! 

 

All is Calm...All is Bright

 

Christmas at Temple Square

Seeing the Christmas lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City is a beloved holiday tradition for my family.   It brings many people together...not just Mormons, but those of other faiths as well.  The lights...the Nativity...the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...all these things send my spirits soaring.  But there is nothing like the beauty and majesty of the Temple to bring joy to my heart.  Its towering spires draw the eye Heavenward and reminds me that life...and families...are eternal.

 

The Angel Moroni

 

On December 17, 1976, George and I were married in this Temple for "Time and all Eternity."  This brings me so much comfort, joy and peace knowing that our life together will not end at death and that we will be reunited with our loved ones again.  Having our "temple anniversary" so close to Christmas gives more depth of meaning to our celebration of Christ's birth.

 

Temple Square.

The view from our table at The Roof...a restaurant on the top floor of the Joseph Smith Building.  My favorite view at my favorite time of year.

Lovely winding paths through colorful lighted trees...

 

Shepherds watching over their flocks by night...

 

Hurry...come see the babe lying in a manger.

 

The Christus Statue...

Taken outside the window of the Visitor's Center...He looks out over Temple Square and the sweet Nativity scene under the trees.

On our 38th Christmas together,

George and I wish you all...

 

...A Merry and Very Blessed Christmas!

 

 

 





Merry Miscellaneous Christmas Decor!

A Cozy Country Christmas

I feel a bit out of the blogging loop.  My blog book entries for December will be very few, I am afraid.  I know I am not the only blogger to be sidelined by that Christmas Grinch the "Christmas Flu."  It sure does a number on a person's holiday spirit.  With less than a week to go I am so glad that I was a bit of an "overachiever" in the shopping and decorating department.  I have no more gifts that need to be purchased or mailed...YAY!  I still haven't taken a lot of photos of my rooms, but I do have a few to share.  My porch, front hall and main family room are pretty rustic this year...Cozy Country Christmas.

 

Family Room Mantel...

 

Cozy Cabin...

Sweet Deer...

Hungry Little Mice...

Ornament I made from Graphics Fairy tutorial.

Family Room Tree...

Burlap, Felt Snowflakes, and Woodland Creatures.

Hallway Village...Vintage Style Houses.

Smaller Hallway Tree...

Sits on an old German sled.

 

George's Grandmother's Nativity.

The pieces are quite large!

For the garland I found some lovely Nativity Christmas cards from other lands

I kept the cards simple.

I made paper chains for the garlands over the doors.

They are from the pages of an old dictionary I have been crafting with for years.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this brief peek.  I left a couple of rooms undecorated this year...and the sky didn't fall!  Imagine that!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collecting Vintage Christmas...Snow Domes!

Vintage Christmas Snow Domes!

 The Kitschier the Better...

One of the things I loved about Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion was the "Finders Keepers" feature in each issue. One December article was about plastic snow domes (or globes.)  Plastic snow domes became popular in the 1950's, made in Japan or Hong Kong.  Some of them are so cheesy and cheap looking that you can often find one at the thrift store for less than $1.  Seen together...in a collection...they are colorful and very, very fun!

My Small Collection...

Five Figural Snow Domes

I had already started a small collection of figural snow domes before the magazine article came out.  I was please to find out that figure-shaped domes are hard to find.  Some shapes, like an elf with a gnome and mushroom in its tummy is really rare.  I have a Santa with a Nativity scene in his tummy...how tacky is that?  The tipsy Santa hanging on a light pole is really a funny one.  I don't think any of my little guys are particularly valuable to anyone but me.  I don't always display them, so it's fun to post them here.

Love, Shirley

I'm reposting this from November of 2011.  I hate being lazy, but this is the third year in a row that I've gotten sick the first week of December.  My Christmas Spirit has been sadly lacking and my computer is having issues since Comcast dropped off the new router.  Hope to be back in good spirits soon. =D