Sweet Hubby's Gift + More

    Hello friends.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you know I have a love for sterling, especially Victorian vanity pieces.  For Christmas my sweetie bought me the perfect little addition to my collection.  Take a look and see if you can spot it.

    Look a little closer

    I am in love with my new sterling Victorian clothes brush. It has a beautiful repousse handle and horse hair bristles. I think these pieces appeal so much to me because I like to imagine where they came from, were they a gift from her sweetie, and what was the lady like that owned them.


    These are also new additions to my collection of serving pieces.  I recently purchased these three pieces at a thrift store for fifty cents each!  They were so badly tarnished I could not read the markings but I assumed they were silver plate.  Imagine my surprise when I cleaned them and found monograms on two of the pieces and that all three were marked Sterling!!

    Here is a close-up of the handles.  See the beautiful transferware plate they are on....

    My sweet friend Lynn at The Vintage Nest  knows I love transferware and she gave me this plate filled with goodies she had made. The sweets were delicious and they didn't last long around here. Yum!

    My newest blogging friend is Betsy from  A Perfect Setting  and we met for the first time a few weeks ago at the lunch I held for several local bloggers. Betsy brought me this gorgeous napkin holder. She knew I was a recent transplant to Virginia and she included these wonderful napkins.  

    Thank you ladies for these wonderful gifts!  It is so true that bloggers have the biggest hearts.

    I wish each one of you a Happy and Healthy 2011
    xo,
    Sherry

    I'll be joining the parties at:
    French Country Cottage 
    Shabby Nest 
    My Romantic Home 
    Southern In My Heart 
    Common Ground 
    Bargain Hunting With Laurie

2010 Favorite Projects

White Christmas Wish

    Growing up in Florida I dreamed of a white Christmas.  I always felt a little cheated of the full holiday experience without snow.  Holiday movies show people ice skating on a frozen pond,  sledding down a snowy hill or children building snowmen and having snowball fights.  I always wondered what it would be like to ride a horse drawn sleigh, go snowshoeing in the woods or just catch snowflakes on my tongue.

    This year in Virginia we had a white Christmas...my very first!  The snow was beautiful and the scenery looked just like everything I had always imagined for Christmas. 





    Even though I loved the snow, there are still things I miss about Florida this time of year. Christmas as a Floridian does have it's benefits...eighty degrees, dining alfresco, palm trees glowing with lights, walks on the beach at sunset and ice cream on the front porch.  As a child we would play outside until dark, catch lightening bugs and even on occasion go swimming Christmas day.

     This year I have realized more than ever it doesn't matter if you are wearing snow pants or shorts, Christmas is the same everywhere. The spirit of Christmas is in your heart and it is about sharing our lives with those we love.

    I hope you had a Merry Christmas

    I'll be joining the party at  Faded Charm White Wednesday.

    xo,
    Sherry

Flip Flops For Christmas?

    I believe it was the Christmas I was about seven years old is when I began to realize my great aunt was a little crazy  eccentric.  We always visited her a few days before the holiday to exchange gifts.  This year she had  many, many gifts under the tree and she told me to pick one...any one.  I can remember being so excited as this was the first gift I was allowed to open this Christmas.

    My excitement was shattered as I pulled out a pair of blue plastic flip flops. Now these were no ordinary child's flip flops...they were men's size thirteen!  My mom, dad and baby sister all got flip flops too... various sizes and colors.


    My mother, being the polite Southern lady she was, thanked my aunt for the gifts and had me give her a hug. On the way home my parents talked in a soft whisper but every once in a while they would giggle and I would hear my mom say "bless her heart".  When I asked my mom why I got men's shoes for Christmas she told me my aunt was not herself  because she was going through the change.  No one was willing to tell me exactly what the change meant.

    Her change must have lasted a really long time because the next year we all got men's XXL sweat shirts and the following year we all got different size socks!

    I want to hear what was the strangest gift you ever received.
    Can you top my flip flops?

    Happy Holidays,
    xo,
    Sherry

    Linking to:




Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg

    Steve and I decided it would be fun to visit Colonial Williamsburg today to see it decorated for Christmas. There is still a light snow on the ground and this made the village even more beautiful.  It was cold today but they had bonfires going and we found a cute place to have hot cocoa and cookies.  Enjoy the pictures.












    After visiting Colonial Williamsburg we stopped by Yankee Candle's Flagship Store. Can you believe readers have voted this the 2ND best attraction in Williamsburg?   This flagship store is over 10,000 square feet and they carry 400,000 candles...and I did not get even one picture of a candle?  The store has a year round Christmas village set up with individual shops and hundreds of Christmas trees . It even snows in the village every four minutes.

     

    They sell a lot more than just candles. You can buy beautiful Italian dishes and ceramics, Christmas villages, jewelry, handbags, and even gourmet popcorn and fudge. It is a great place to take children, especially this time of year. They can have lunch with Santa in the cafe, make their own candles, create a wax mold of their hand and many other activities. 

    Yes, I could not resist bringing a few candles home with me.

    Thanks for sharing my day with me.

    I am joining the parties at:
    Savvy Southern Style 
    Common Ground 
    All Things Heart And Home

    Merry Christmas
    Sherry
     

Grateful

    I received the sweetest sheet music ornament from Heather@ Freedom Divine  as one of the winners of her giveaway.  Isn't this ornament beautiful?

    Heather is one very talented lady. She makes the most unique and wonderful things and sales them in her Etsy shop . Here is just a small sampling of her fabulous creations.

    Thank you Heather for this wonderful gift.

    Steve and I will be having a quite Christmas at home this year.  This is the first time in many years that we will be spending the holiday in our own home.  We love our family and we will miss seeing the grand kids excitement, but at the same time we are looking forward to a quite and relaxed holiday.  For years we have spent the days before the holiday on planes or hours and hours in a car. One year we even took a sixteen hour train trip! 

     Our family is scattered all over now and it makes seeing everyone at the same time really difficult. We are planning trips in the next few months to see everyone.  I am asking Santa for luggage this year and CSN stores has some wonderful  luggage sets.  Hint, hint Santa! 

    What are your plans for the holiday?

    Happy Holidays to you and your family.
    xo,
    Sherry

Lunch With Bloggers + Thank You!

    I want to thank each and everyone of you that joined my Share The Decor  party.  I have to be honest and admit I was so afraid no one would show up!  So far 151 of you have submitted your wonderful holiday decor and I truly appreciate your support.  The linky will be open until Christmas Eve so feel free to to add additional entries.

    Blogging has connected me with such wonderful new friends and opportunities I never imagined.  Tuesday I had three amazing fellow bloggers to my home for lunch.  I wouldn't have a single picture to share with you if they hadn't all reminded me to take photos.




    I love my monogrammed tablecloth even if I don't have a clue whose initials these are!  Being a Southern girl I am a sucker for anything monogrammed.  

    I served crab soup, cheese quiche and a salad sprinkled with feta cheese and pomegranate arials.

    The dessert tray...always my favorite!

    The paperwhites cooperated and bloomed for the luncheon.

    I don't think the ladies knew they were being photographed.... hope I don't get in trouble for posting this.  From right to left is Lynn @ The Vintage Nest,  Betsy @ A Perfect Setting  and Connie @ Hartwood Roses.  Thank you ladies for a fun day and I hope we get together again soon.

    I am joining the parties at:
    Romantic Home 
    French Country Cottage 
    Southern In My Heart 
    The tablescaper 
    Savvy Southern Style
    Between Naps On The Porch

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS
    Sherry

Let The Party Begin!

    Thanks for joining me today for my first ever Linky party!  This is my favorite time of the year to be a blogger.  I am in inspiration over-load from all the gorgeous holiday decorations. You amaze me everyday with your talent and creativity and I can't wait to see what you are sharing at my party.


    Before we begin the party I want to show you a little more of our home decorated for Chrsitmas.  If you missed the post on our tree and mantel you can see them  here.



    I added fresh greenery to my old Firkin...

    also some berries from our yard.  It smells wonderful! 
    Cloche on our dining table with a tiny chandelier.


    Dining room tree with burlap ribbon










    Welcome to Share The Decor Party.

    Please feel free to share your holiday decor, tablescapes, recipes, crafts ect.  I am not picky as long as your link is holiday related and family friendly.  I do appreciate you linking back to the party so others can find it   and join in.  You do not have to be a follower to participate but if you enjoy my blog I hope you will consider following. You will be able to add your link here until 12/24. Feel free to add additional post at a later date.
    Enjoy the party!
    I wish each of you a happy and blessed holiday!
    Sherry


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