‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St. Nicholas

Welcome to the 411th Metamorphosis Monday!

Light Repair Tip, In Case It’s Helpful

You know how you hear about those people who are always causing electrical things to break? I’m starting to think I’m one of them. Seriously!

Last year, the tree I normally use here in the living room, had an entire string of lights go out. I spent many, many hours trying to fix it, including using one of the light repair guns you can buy these days. I changed out fuses, did everything I could think of and nothing worked. I donated the tree this past summer, just couldn’t go through that nightmare again.

Instead of purchasing a new tree this year, I decided to just use the tree that I normally use in the kitchen. When I set up the tree and plugged it in, a string of lights near the bottom was out. Arggg, not again!

I changed out the fuses but it didn’t help. I started fluffing out the branches and suddenly it healed itself and lit up. I was sooo happy when it lit up, maybe I wasn’t going to have to go through the same nightmare I had last year. I stopped for the night, planning to decorate the tree a few days later.

A couple of days later I got back to work on the tree, gently fluffing out some branches near the top. When I touched a particular clump of branches, a different string of lights went out. Whaaaat! Not again! I checked every bulb but they were all tightly in their sockets. Once again, I changed the fuses but it didn’t solve the issue.

I got out the light gun I had purchased last year and watched a YouTube video to refresh my mind on how to use it. I placed one of the little light sockets into the gun and clicked it the recommended 30 times, but the string of lights stayed dark.

I ran the gun over that string as demonstrated in the video I had watched. All appeared to have electricity coursing through them. Once again, I tried sticking one of the little light sockets into the gun portal thingy and clicking it at least 30 times. Again, it didn’t work, but I did notice something kinda odd while I was clicking away. Each time I would click the light repair gun, one light on the dead string would flash for a split second.

Not expecting anything to happen, I changed out that bulb and the light string came back on! Just wanted to share this in case you have one of those light repair guns. I have no idea why that one light was flashing when I clicked the gun, but it turned out to be the culprit. The tree I donated this past summer and my current tree are pretty old, so I guess the bulbs are just going to keep failing. So much for that feature where all the lights stay on when one fails. That never seems to work, though tree manufactures like to claim it does.

 

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, A Visit From St. Nicholas

Once I got the tree’s lights working, I was finally able to decorate it. I was pretty tired after such a busy night and headed off to bed. When I awoke I was shocked to see Santa had come early! Yes, indeed! He came and left lots of wonderful toys! He must have come early because I’ve been such a good girl this year. 😉

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St. Nicholas

 

Oh, my! Let’s see what he brought us!

A Visit From Santa

 

Okay, okay…Santa hasn’t really come, yet. He won’t be making his rounds until December 24th, but I got a fun idea for this year’s decorations. Using decorations and toys I already had, I decided to recreate how it might look after a visit from St. Nick.

 

The red truck I ordered a week or so ago came and I love it as much as the green “woody” car I used in this past week’s Tablescape Thursday. (If you missed that table, you’ll find it here: Bringing Home the Tree)

 

Mr. & Mrs. Deer are pretty happy about it, too. They couldn’t wait to give it a spin! 🙂

Both the red truck and the woody car keep selling out, but it looks like they have found a few more. You’ll find both the truck and the green woody car here: Christmas Truck & Christmas Woody Car. 

 

And look what I saw yesterday while running an errand, I spotted one in its natural habitat! They really do exist in real life! 🙂

 

Oh, Santa brought us a doll house, and it’s all decorated for Christmas! (Read more about this Victorian dollhouse in Thursday’s post here: Bring Home the Tree)

 

Anyone remember the Cabbage Patch doll craze of the 1980s. Our son was just 3-4 years old when all that was going on. I got caught up in the excitement and purchased a couple of the dolls. My son never showed any interest in playing with them, so they’ve been sitting on the top shelf of the guest room closet all these years. I guess they are close to 30 years old now.

The boxes they were in fell completely apart over the years, I think the glue that was holding them together just quit working. I didn’t try to save the boxes since I didn’t purchase the dolls with any thoughts of ever selling them.

Anyone else buy a Cabbage Patch Doll during their heyday in the ’80s? Cabbage Patch dolls are “born” here in Cleveland, Georgia, or at least they used to be. Are Cabbage Patch dolls even still around?

The green sled they are sitting on was a find in Marshall’s a couple of years ago. (See it in use as a door decoration in this post: A Red Christmas Door)

 

The tall nutcracker was a gift from my son many years ago. The Santa bag was a purchase this year from Grandin Road. I think it’s sold out now. There’s a bit of a story behind this bag. I ordered five of them on November 28th, one personalized with my last name for me, and the other four with the names of my son, dil and two grandsons.

After a couple of weeks, I received an e-mail saying shipping was delayed until December 11th. Okay, I could live with that. A few days later I received a second e-mail saying shipping was delayed until December 19th. Now I was getting worried.

 

I called Grandin Road to ask if they really thought they would ship by the 19th. I wasn’t sure I wanted them if they weren’t going to arrive in time for Christmas. The representative I spoke with, bluntly advised me to cancel my order. She said, “They’ll never arrive in time for Christmas.” Reluctantly, I canceled the bags I had ordered for my son, dil and grandsons, but kept the order for the bag with my name on it since it didn’t matter when it arrived.

Red Velvet Santa's Bag

Photo from Grandin Road

 

My bag arrived last Friday and I love it. I was sorry I had taken the advice of the representative and canceled the order for the other four bags, so I looked up the bags again on the Grandin Road website and it appeared they were back in stock. There was no mention of a delay in shipping, so I ordered them again. So far, I haven’t received any “delay” e-mails, so I’m hoping they will arrive in time for Christmas.

 

A view with all the lights turned off…

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, dear Friends! Hope Santa brings you everything your heart desires and more!

A Visit From Santa

 

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. I guess there is an up side to having asthma and waking up an hour after one falls asleep…i am the first to see your new post! I need a little Christmas…right this very minute!!! And you provided that. Good timing. You see we lost our beloved DaffyDoodleBug almost Beagle this week to cancer and a ruptured cervical disc. Hearts do break it seems. Just like Marley she was the Best Dog in the world. We had her for almost eleven years and i could go on and on but i doubt it would help me. My husband took it even harder than me i think. But life will go on……and you helped remind me of that, Susan. There is a time for every season and this is the season for silly lights and lovely trees and for the child to come out in all of us. I have put out my Patience Brewster reindeer and Fitz and Floyd and bear tree and snowmen and wreaths…less this year but your inner child helped mine to come back to life. Thank you for being you and reminding me of that part of me i was having trouble finding this week. Hugs!

    • Nancy, I’m so sorry, I know there are no words that really help right now. I still cry in a second if I think about my Max kitty, miss him terribly. I wish with all my heart our furbabies could live forever. I just keep thinking and hoping that we’ll see them again one day. Sending much love to you and your husband. The passage of time does help, but we never forget. ♥

  2. Bunny Rogers says

    What a beautiful tableau! When we lived in Atlanta, we had trees all over our house and I really got carried away with decorating. I even had toilet paper roll which played carols and Merry Christmas toilet paper! Such silliness! Now we are down to one tree and I like the tall skinny one just like yours. It fits better in our space and is easier to decorate than the fuller ones.
    I would like to ask about how you serve your special meals. The perfectly set table is beautiful but what happens when it is time to eat? Do your guests sit down to the salad already on the plate and you hop up to remove salad plates when they are finished? How do you serve the main and side dishes? Family style ( pass the serving platters and bowls around)? Of course, it depends on how many guests you are serving. I usually ask my guests to put their beverage at the place they want (or sometimes name cards), pick up their dinner plate and serve themselves from the buffet. I serve already prepared salad plates while they are at the buffet. I always tell my guests to start without me as nobody wants cold food. When they are finished they bring their plates to the kitchen and then help themselves to the dessert buffet. I simply cannot hop up and down anymore taking away plates and bringing new ones. I’d really like to know how everyone else does it.
    I hope you and yours enjoy this very special time of year.

    • The one I had before was a lot fuller. This one is much skinnier which really worked great in the kitchen.
      Regarding centerpieces, if it’s a low centerpiece, it stays in place. If I have a tall centerpiece, once we start to sit down, it’s moved to the sideboard.
      I do basically the same thing you do. I never put the food on the table, there’s always way too much food to eat family style/to have the food on the table. So it’s always spread out across/down the counter where everyone can help themselves to whatever they like. This has always worked well. I keep tea, wine, etc.. nearby on the sideboard for refills and then I normally bring the dessert to the table or cut pieces/slices etc… and serve those to my guests on plate. I normally have the coffee ready and let them prepare their own cup of coffee since everyone likes it different.
      Again, these are always casual dinners with friends or family, so it works really well.
      I haven’t been doing a lot of entertaining lately, I miss it.

  3. Wonderful post, Susan. I just loved seeing all the old-fashioned toys gathered under the tree. Such a welcome sight! I’m of the generation who very well remembers that Cabbage Patch craze. My girls weren’t much into them, but friends of mine lined up for hours to get them for their kids.

    And your saga of the lights… They have to be the most frustrating part of Christmas trees. We don’t have the permanently lit type, so we put up strings every year. My husband finally ditched all the old type and moved to LEDs. It’s made all the difference. They’re much more reliable, and the newer white ones are quite attractive – a warm white, not that cold, bluish tinge the first kind had.
    Thanks for sharing! Your home looks gorgeous.

    • Thanks so much, Helen! It was crazy back then. Funny now to think about it. 🙂
      I’ve heard good things about LEDs lights for trees. The only thing that worries me about those is the customer service folks at Balsam Hill said the drawback to LEDs is after a few years when they start to go, it’s not just one bulb. They said that LEDs gradually get dimmer and dimmer, instead of just going out like a regular bulb. And, you can’t just change out one bulb, it’s the whole strand that has to be changed out. So that worries me a little.

  4. Susan, your tree looks beautiful. While you were describing all those great toys and that bag (!), I was crushing on your [wooden?] cranberry strings, so nicely draping the branches, and all those great ornaments (love the piece of candy and the red bulb with snow on its top, among many more).
    I have a Grandinroad story this year too…and a Mark & Graham….suffice it to say I think they control their inventory release when on sale, in hopes we’ll get tired of waiting.
    I took every single one of my window candles and disposed of all 44 D batteries when two candles went out this year….didn’t want to fight that lights out battle. I’d get a new tree right after Christmas if I were you.

    Thanks for hosting us so graciously over the weeks and years, Susan. It’s open house season, and I’m no different, throwing the doors open for guests to see our home decked out for Christmas. I’ll have mimosas waiting for you!

    • Rita, so nice that you noticed those, they are my favorite decoration on the tree.. I’ve always loved them. They are made of wood…good eye! They remind me of cranberries strung on a tree. Little story: I purchased those from Macy’s just a few years after getting married and they were pretty expensive. I felt kinda guilty about it at the time, it was a lot of money at the time. But I loved them sooo much, I decided to go for it. I’m so glad I did, still love them today and they’ve never broken after about 35 years of use! Not sure we could say that about the things being made today.
      You may be right about the inventory, makes you wonder if it’s calculated. lol Sometimes I think they just don’t keep their site up to date.

      Oh, I’m coming! Don’t start the party without me! 🙂

  5. Absolutely Enchanting…..Merry Christmas to you and yours!

  6. Melissa Fleming says

    Our children must be the same age, as I remember my daughter getting 2 Cabbage Patch Dolls one Christmas. She was over the moon about them-and named them Cabbage and Patch! (Sadly, they were stolen when our house was burglarized when she was a teenager.) She dearly loved Cabbage and Patch! She even had outfits for them and loved changing them.

  7. Maggie Amis says

    Merry Merry to you and yours too Susan – Gorgeous – as per usual…

  8. Susan,
    Love your post today! Your tree and decorations look absolutely beautiful. This year, I decided to put my Mark Roberts Fairies along the banister with my garland and I really like the way it turned out. Something a little different for a change.

    Have a wonderful holiday – Merry Christmas!

  9. Oh my goodness, Susan, I love your tree and your cute trucks. I feel like I am reliving my childhood. You do such a wonderful job at decorating. Thank you for the tree lighting tip. I had a similar problem with year with my 7 year old pre-lit tree, but the stand that was out was also emitting a scent. I could smell plastic melting, so my son and I are removing all of the lights and keeping the lovely tree. (But oh, what a task! Maybe we will be done by NEXT Christmas. ) Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    • Marsha, that definitely sounds like the safe thing to do. When my son was 4-5 years old, he played on a soccer team. A family of one of the children on the team lost their house in a fire that Christmas when their tree caught fire. It was a real tree, not an artificial one, but it definitely made me aware of how they can start a fire. I bet it takes a while to remove them since they wrapped them around every branch on the newer trees. Good luck with that, hope it goes quickly for you!

  10. Your tree over flowing with toys looks adorable Susan! I love your idea of a sack of presents for each person, wow, who wouldn’t want a whole sack of gifts! I hope they arrive! Lights are the thorn on the holiday flower, there’s always an issue somewhere 🙂 Have a merry week, and thank you for the party!

    • Thanks, Jenna! These bags are pretty roomy but they fill up quickly depending on how big the gifts/boxes are. I think I’ll feel like Santa when I arrive at their home for the holidays with all those bags. lol
      Merry Christmas to you! XX

  11. Susan, everything looks beautiful! Your gorgeous tree and all the great toys so wonderfully displayed brightened my morning! I feel your pain about the light issue. A few years ago, this happened to us. My husband ended up taking the tree to the garage cutting off all the attached lights and stringing new ones. I would not suggest that. It took forever and created a big mess! Luckily, we bought a new tree last year. Fingers crossed, it doesn’t go out. I hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!!!

    • Wow, that sounds like a big job. I think I’ll probably just plan on buying a new one next year. I guess the lights just last so long and that’s it.
      Thanks so much, Shannon! Merry Christmas to you and your family! XX

  12. I can say that failed Christmas lights are a real thorn in my hubby’s side! Yes, what happened to the “if one goes out, the others stay on”? Your tree and the beautiful items beneath the tree is truly magical. It looks like it is straight out of a movie set of a wonderful Christmas movie! So happy that your bag arrived and hope that the others arrive soon!….and YES..I got a few Cabbage Patch dolls when they first came out..when people were lined and camped outside Toys R Us to get them…..I got mine as I had an inside source at Toys R US…shhhh…Merry Christmas Susan…may you have a most wonderful one with your family! Thanks for all of the Joy you bring to us during the year!!

  13. Love your Tree and how you decorated around it!!
    Thanks so much for the party!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  14. I love seeing your Cabbage Patch dolls! When my oldest daughter was only 7 months old, we got her a baby boy CP doll, named Conway. I kept him for years in his original little romper. This summer my daughters had to clear out their “treasures”, since my mother had moved in with me, and Conway is now my grandson’s baby. As soon as he saw him, it was kisses all around! Your tree and the room look absolutely lovely.

  15. Susan,
    Forgot to mention in my previous post that my husband and I bought a Cabbage Patch doll for our son who was about 4 during the Cabbage doll era. He proceeded to draw a mustache and beard on it with permanent marker. We still have the doll – dressed in a Redskins football jersey!

  16. Gorgeous tree! And love the “presents” you displayed. It does look like Santa had just come! My boys had cabbage patch dolls in the 80’s…and frankly, they wore them out! Not sure what happened to them…but the memories are still fresh! 😉

    • Awww, that is so sweet! I was thinking I should take the little boy one that I have to my 2 (s00n to be 3) grandson since he’s always asking to hold his little brother who is 6 months old.

  17. Everything looks SO beautiful in your holiday home, Susan! And that tree is stunning! Thanks for the party; have a good week 🙂

  18. I love the look you have created, Susan. Every year, after Santa showed up, I would snap a picture of the living room. I miss those toy filled days. Today, the living room doesn’t look nearly as festive with all the make up, technology and teen fashions laid out. Maybe I need to add a little toyland fun around my Christmas tree before the big guy shows up with the grown up presents. Thanks for the inspiration and holiday whimsy. Everyone could use a little does of childhood on a rainy Monday morning! 🙂

  19. Susan,
    It all looks so beautiful and festive! Glad you used a bit of plaid paper…I remember all your plaid boxes. (Was it last year?) Have a wonderful day!

  20. So pretty Susan! We’ve always gotten a real tree, which means that we have to string the lights every year. It’s rare that the lights all work from the prior year. I just told my friend the other day, we should just throw away the lights at the end of Christmas and buy new ones each year because it’s so frustrating! Not sure I could really bring myself to do that, but it is tempting. 😉

  21. Lovely as usual! So “homey.” I spent a day messing with a string of lights whereas the second half lit up and not the first half. Changed fuses, no luck. Started taking out bulbs they pulled away from their plastic circles. I have them in the recycle bin now. I purchased a flocked tree this year sans lights!

  22. I wind up tossing lots of Christmas light every year. There is nothing more frustrating to Christmas decorating than plugging in lights to have them turn on. Your tree does look absolutely beautiful!!!

  23. Absolutely amazing! Thanks for the party! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
    Vesna – Home Chic Club

  24. Like a scene right out of my childhood! You’ve really captured the magic of Christmas.

  25. What a precious scene you have created for this special time of year! I love the idea of all the toys spilling out from under the tree: brings back so many wonderful memories of Christmas mornings past! Cabbage Patch dolls were high on my girls’ lists in the ’80’s. And I remember my dear Mom waiting in line for HOURS at a nearby Sears store (each person first had to get a wrist band for their spot in line!) while I was at work. She said it was bedlam: mostly grandmas were there because moms were at work, and they were desperate to get into the store before supplies ran out!! She said she felt like she had won on a game show when she cuddled two of those dolls in her arms on the way to her car!! She laughed about that day for years! My girls were thrilled when Santa left those dolls under the tree, and my Mom and I shared a special smile that morning. Have a wonderful Christmas and many thanks for all your efforts to start my day on such a positive note all the time! Rosie

    • lol I bet she did feel like she had scored big time! I remember how desperately everyone wanted them back then. It seems like each year there’s THAT toy that everyone really needs to get for their child. I remember a few years ago it was a Talking Elmo…or something like that. Back when my son was little, Ghostbuster items were big in demand, then another year it was Ninja Turtle items. Kinda funny to look back on it now. As parents we so want our children to not be disappointed on Christmas day but it sure can be stressful when the toys are in short supply. You know the toy manufacturers love it, though!

  26. Susan, your tree is beautiful, and Santa was really good to you. What wonderful gifts he brought. Yes, I fought the crowds for a Cabbage Patch doll. I think I still have our daughter’s around here some place. Maybe I’ll put it under a tree. Thanks for hosting.

  27. Merry Christmas to you Susan! Your living room looks like a child’s dream to wake up to on Christmas morning.

  28. Susan, this whole scene is just so lovely! And that Santa bag is the BEST! I hope all arrive BEFORE the 25th!!! Thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas, my dear!

  29. Susan, your tree is just beautiful. I love all of the toys around the tree. When I lived in Dallas, I had 3 trees: living room and both bedrooms that faced the street. In one guest bedroom I had an “antique toy” tree and always had lots of toys from the 40’s & 50’s under it. I loved that tree. I think your living room looks just wonderful and very Christmasy! Good job! Merry Christmas!

  30. LUV it!! Especially, the new “old vehicles!!” Great job!! franki

  31. Susan, your tree looks so beautiful! I had a chuckle about the cabbage patch dolls!!! I love your attention to detail! So pretty! Happy Holidays!
    Rebeca

  32. I won a cabbage patch doll in a raffle, but since I had boys I gave it to a friend who had a daughter. I’ve had Christmas lights go out too and ended up putting a separate string with an extension cord to fill in the dead lights. Outside lights had this happen too. One half of a brand new string won’t light. I caught them flickering once. Your tree is beautiful and all the ornaments too. You could sit in your room and just stare at all the Christmas; quite a beautiful sight. This year our puppy grabbed a needlepoint ornament (my deceased aunt made 40 years ago) off my tree and chewed it up! Merry Christmas!!!! PS Hope the bags arrive before Xmas

  33. Really cute display! I have a cabbage patch doll dressed in yellow too. My daughter bought it for me in those days, can’t remember why she thought I needed this, but maybe felt bad Santa never brought me toys! You have inspired me to bring it out again.

  34. Marlene Stephenson says

    What a wonderful post and tree,maybe you should write a childrens book. Have a very Merry Christmas with your friends and family. You do make me smile!

  35. I love your idea of making it look like Santa came. Those were fun times many years ago. When our girls were 8 and 11 we moved away from family but we always went back to my parents house for Christmas until my girls married. I made Santa sacks for them. It was so much easier to pack the car without any peeking.

  36. rattlebridge farm says

    Susan, your trees are always breathtaking and magical, and this year’s tree is even more so. Everything is warm, welcoming, and beautiful. What fun to see a real truck in the wild, carrying a tree! Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

  37. Susan, your tree is stunning and I love that Santa came early and left all the fun things for us to enjoy! Thanks for hosting and wishing you a joy-filled Monday!

  38. What a cute idea! It really looks like Santa came! The excitement of Christmas morning filling the room. Great idea!

  39. Juanita in OH says

    Susan, this room is the epitome of what Christmas joy and comfort is about. I believe I could spend hours in there just smiling at everything. Even the sofa and chair fabrics add so much to this room. I remember my mom and I going to a far away store, arriving at 7am one freezing cold, windy day to buy my sister and my daughter Cabbage Patch dolls. Their reaction was well worth the tedious trip. Thanks for this wonderful trip down memory lane. Have a great day.

  40. I love your Christmas tree with all the toys around it’s branches! What a welcoming, jolly and festive display. Great job Susan!!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  41. Oh, I just adored this post! It brought back memories of my young daughters and their Cabbage Patch dolls. We actually postponed a day after Christmas road trip a few hours to exchange a Cabbage Patch doll because the hair color was not the one dreamed of! Oh my gosh, did I really spoil my three year-old that much!? Your living room is beyond warm and charming and so is this post. Thank you!

  42. I love your home. I love the scene you have created under and around the tree.

  43. We had some “imitation” Cabbage Patch dolls but my girls loved them and now my granddaughter plays with them – along with the one “authentic” one that I bought from a friend’s yard sale! And yes, the Cabbage Patch hospital is still in business in Cleveland, GA, in a new location the past few years. I have not visited it yet, but I hear it is lovely.
    Lights that go out frustrate me greatly. I usually just add some more rather than spending time trying to find the problem! Your tree looks lovely and I really like the toys around it.

  44. Susan, your tree with all the toys is an adorable way to decorate. Under our tree was so bare that I added empty boxes tied with bows to look like gifts. My husband asked what was in the boxes. I said nothing. 😉 I don’t have Cabbage Patch dolls, but I added my childhood teddy from Santa and Sadie’s toys.
    I went straight to Grandin Road to order these bags, but they are no longer available. So cute. Perhaps they will bring them back next year. Wonderful gifts with the personalization.

  45. Jane Franks says

    Love all the toys, Susan! What a lot of work you’ve gone to!! I made a Cabbage Patch doll for my niece in the 70’s! You had along needle to make the indentations in the face and embroider the eyes. I felt like I was doing voodoo or something when making it! Yuck! But it came out cute and my niece loved it. Thanks for the memories and thanks for sharing!

  46. So beautiful! Thanks for hosting the link party today.

  47. No, no, no…there is not a single spot under my tree to park a red truck with a Christmas tree. Squeezing in the camper took two spaces.
    A new tree this year. Couldn’t stand the thought of changing out all the lights of the old one. If this one with LED goes dim, out goes the tree. I’ll be back to live candles that only gets lit on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Big water buckets at the ready. Think “Fanny and Alexander”. Can’t believe I didn’t burn the house down. Kids and all.
    Cabbage Patch hospital is not fun anymore. Filled to the rafters with knock offs from China, and the real signed ones (?) cost a small, make that large, fortune.
    Maybe I can find parking at the back of the tree?

  48. Ha! You are too funny The red truck !! Anyway! Adorable! Love all your themes! I am NOW on the hunt for a wooden doll house and purchased a red truck AND tree !My mantle this year is themed with a large old fashioned Christmas Trees for sale sign ,old fashion lanterns! Tartan scarf draped !Need the red truck to complete the emsamble !! Thanks! Ha! I want an old fashioned wooden dollhouse to resemble Anne of Green Gables ! That’s what we call our farm ! White farmhouse with green roof and shutters! AND, we have a horse named Anne!So! Merry Christmas to you and family! Cindy

    • I was stunned when I saw that truck in traffic! Got sooo excited, I had to take a picture! 🙂
      Oh, your mantel sound wonderful, Cindy! I wonder if Target still has any of their red trucks left, they are super cute! Yes! You need that dollhouse!

  49. bobbi duncan says

    Your Xmas setting so reminds me of wonderful Christmas days when I was young–the very best ones of all! We have five or six different Xmas tree decorating themes, but our favorite has always been the classic, traditional kind. Hope your holidays are perfect in every way. Hugs!

  50. Susan, I love that even after doing battle with those darn lights you still made time to play with your toys! Your tree and Christmas vignettes are all so enchanting. I think there must be something going on with retailers this year. I have never had so many online orders canceled due to the retailer’s inability to fulfill the order. Very frustrating. Seems their advertised sales can’t keep up with the volume of online shoppers.

  51. Love this Susan! It brings back great memories of Christmas past with my own girls. We still have a Cabbage Patch, Ellen, but she’s definitely looking her age, and not at all well. 😉 Hope you have a great week!

  52. claudette flanigan says

    Everything looks so beautiful, Susan! Yes, I also have a few Cabbage Patch dolls left over from my kids. Now my granddaughters play with them when they are here. I hope you get your bags in time for Christmas. Can’t believe you carried that dollhouse down from your guest room…it must have been heavy! 🙂

  53. Christina McCall says

    Susan, your Christmas decor scene is so cute! I love that bag from Grandin Road. Just like you have yours displayed by the tree, that was a great new addition to our house this year. They make the best items. Love the tall nutcracker! I place a whole collection on the top of my entertainment center. Each year I see the taller one like yours at Costco and am determined to get one. My girls tell me “mom you have enough nutcrackers”, so I just pass them up. Well next year, I will say I am getting the tall one 🙂 It just looks so cute and I have learned that if I can’t get an idea out of my head, I better just go ahead and buy it so I don’t drive myself crazy and can go on to the next purchase… Lol. Well no such luck getting the Red Truck at our Sams. One store had 11 in stock, but when I got there they were the green campers. I thought what the heck. They were marked down to $16.81, so that was a good buy. Maybe they will bring back that truck next year. I now know to start early in the season to see when their Christmas decor will be coming in and hope that item is brought back in. I got the Mr. Reindeer when I purchased the Red Truck at Target and after seeing your Mrs. Reindeer, I just had to get her. What a cute couple they make :-)! So I think my gift purchasing this season for myself is pretty much coming to a close. One last note. After your post about the Christmas pillow craze….I (of course) bought a fair share if them for future planning in the house. I had my eye on that Pottery Barn Woody Car Pillow cover for weeks, but just could not justify the $69.50 purchase after buying so many other pillows. I checked our outlet and they did not have any. Well Dec. 7th, they had a one day special with that pillow on sale for 48.00 along with free shipping. I also had a 20% off coupon so I just had to go for it. The price was too good to pass up! My pillow cover arrived today and I tell you, it is just BEAUTIFUL!!! I looks gorgeous in person, the detail is stunning and I can honestly see how it is priced at
    $69.50. So overall I am happy I got this great pillow cover and with about $30.00 off that makes it even better. As always, thank you for the wonderful and inspiring ideas Susan!!! You are wonderful!

    • I’m so glad you got that pillow, Christina! It is definitely one of my faves…so pretty! I have it right in the middle of my sofa in the living room this year…just love it! What an awesome deal you got, too! I know what you mean about once you get it you understand the price. It’s a special pillow, for sure. Oh, and don’t listen to those girls…get that nutcracker next year! This year if it’s still available! 🙂

  54. Judy Marlow says

    Hi Susan, I love your blog and read it every day. Your tree is wonderful. Guess my thoughts on lights are just use and wire a new set to the tree, especially if you have a tree you like. I know it is nice to have prelit but they are bound to fail after a few years. I have a set out on my flocked tree. I don’t have time to try and find out what is wrong. I remember the Cabbage Patch kids and what a big deal it was, but didn’t you have a doll you created, have a picture of you from a magazine. Do you still have any of them? If so let us see them

  55. Wanda Bradey says

    I pray you are feeling better today! I have been looking at the red and green trucks online for days. I just treated myself to a “to me from me” gift for Christmas. Cannot wait to get them. It may be I use them next year but it’s worth it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Keep your posts coming! I look forward to your sharing of your creativity.

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