Scavenger Hunt Sunday

1. LESS IS MORE

My hubby got this little snowman for me last year. It plugs into a USB port and sits beside my computer and changes colors.

2. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

I just LOVE Christmas light bokeh!

Light painting using my Christmas lights on the front porch.

3.ORNAMENTS

This is one of about twelve glass bulbs I made quite a few years ago. I took the clear bulbs and dripped different color acrylic paints inside and swirled them around. Every year when I see them I tell myself I'm going to make more. Maybe next year!

4.CUP OF CHEER



"Have a holly jolly Christmas
It's the best time of the year
Well, I don't know if there'll be snow
But have a cup of cheer...."

5.NATIVITY

When you turn on the switch on the back of this Nativity you hear the Christmas story.

Linking to Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday.

Ruby Tuesday

It was certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Saturday when we woke to find a dusting of snow on the porch decorations that had just been put up Friday afternoon. I don't know about you but when it snows I'm like a kid again. I love the fluffy stuff.

If you missed it I posted a rose on top of the snow yesterday on my photoblog, here. This is another version of the same rose a few hours later.

For more Ruby Tuesday join Mary here.

Today's Flowers: Mums in Red and Green

I was walking through the grocery and stopped to admire the flowers. These mums with their red and green color seemed the perfect touch for the Christmas season.
Be sure to enlarge all photos to see the detail.

The Today's Flowers team suggested we post something for Christmas this week so my last image is a collage of the decorations at my Mom's house. These are decorations we had as I was growing up. Be sure to click the badge when you have finished your visit here and see other flower and Christmas posts from around the world.

Happy Holidays

The Christmas book you see was purchased new many years ago for twenty-nine cents!

Ruby Tuesday Christmas: Ornaments On My Tree

For almost the past thirty-five years I have collected Hallmark Christmas ornaments. In those years I have probably collected between three and five hundred of them. Some were given by friends and family. In my previous home I had a cathedral ceiling in the living room and a twelve foot tree I decorated for many, many years. Now I have a smaller tree in my current home so most of the ornaments stay in storage. Right now my tree probably has about a hundred ornaments on it consisting of favorites from years gone by. I no longer collect them but did start a collection for my Granddaughter. Baby Lily is getting two for her first Christmas this year. One for baby's first Christmas and one for Granddaughter. So, the tradition continues! I hope you enjoy those I've chosen to share with you. All of them have a little red for this Ruby Tuesday Christmas!

These were the first ornaments for each of my children.

I love the little 'Ricola' man which is what I like to call him. The porcelain snowflake was from my son and his wife.

A little squirrel sitting on a Christmas cookie eating a cherry.
A Hershey's chocolate Santa. Doesn't he look like real chocolate?

Little mice playing the bells.
A family of penguins.

Please be sure to click on the badge at the top of my post and join other participants and their Ruby Tuesday Christmas posts.

Sepia Scenes: Hauling The Christmas Tree

This wonderful old truck was sitting in a neighborhood adjacent to the local grocery store in my community. Sitting in my Jeep at the store I thought it was backed up to the pine tree. It wasn't until I drove over into the neighborhood to try and get a photo that I noticed the tree was actually standing in the back of the truck.

I converted the original color photo to sepia, bumped up the red balance just a little and added a grainy texture to arrive at the effect you see here.

For more Sepia Scenes click on the badge at the beginning of my post. Mary will be happy to have you.

On My Porch

I invite you to open the little red gate and step upon my porch. Come on in out of the snow.
When my husband and I were searching for a new home in West Virginia we drove around many areas trying to find the “spot” we could call home. It didn’t seem to matter where we went or which neighborhood or town we were in they all had one thing in common. There always seemed to be a little grapevine or alpine tree or trees on the front porch. They all looked so homey. I saw log cabins, ranch houses, and townhouses with trees. The idea crossed lines too between the wealthy and not so wealthy. In Virginia my neighbors would have thought I was crazy to have a Christmas tree up all year. But here in the mountains, I knew I wanted one.
When my husband and I walked into the house we eventually bought there was a fully decorated alpine tree in the corner with a small welcome sign underneath. I heard my husband say to the realtor as he came in, “A Christmas Tree?” The realtor explained that the homeowner called it her hope tree.
I’m beginning the winter season with one on my front porch decorated in snowmen, snowflakes, mittens and tin stars. I figure I’m good till about February when I’ll leave on the ever popular tin stars and I’ll exchange the snowmen and such for hearts for Valentine’s Day and then come Easter…well, you get the idea. Oh, the possibilities!!!!