Random Thoughts on a Very Deer Season

I fell in love one day over the holiday season.....again.

I walked into Anthropologie in San Antonio and sitting beneath one of their fabulous groupings of trees were two reindeer. I know they were just waiting for me.

I know it.

A few days later, low and behold, there were two more waiting for me to pick them up at the Austin Anthropologie when I took my daughter to the airport.

 Textural, whimsical, made of recycled fabrics - a little bit funky with

a whole lotta charm.

Most of all, they make me smile from ear to ear, which is my most important criteria when bringing something new into my home.

 

They fit right in with my velvet pumpkins on the dining room table - love these pink and green pumpkins, which clearly are not JUST for Thanksgiving -

 

and they are wonderful colors! 

LOVE.THEM.

Here are just a few more shots of holiday decor around my house............

 

My stone fruit took up new residence with a glitzy tree and some magnolia leaves for the holiday season.

Love my old bottle brush wreaths and trees, with a few old glittery German candy containers and some old tree toppers.............

and some old Christmas boxes collected over the years, which I adore!

Who, but only my very dear friend, Barbara, would think to give me a box full of tree fungi?

 (Look, Joan!!)

  I almost began hyperventilating when I opened the box. Beautiful colors and shapes and sizes..........and a whole bunch of them!!

Being a nature lover and totally crazy about animals, I would never have killed these lovely creatures. But with marriage comes compromise, so if they have to hang on my walls, may as well dress them for the festivities, right?

At the end of this third year of part time, random blogging, I would like to say.....

thanks for reading my casual and often erratic ruminations,

thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me when you comment,

. 

and may the new year bring you happiness, good health 

and lots of FUN with those you hold 

deer to your heart.

P.S. I swear we did not stage these last two shots for this post. This is the kind of thing that goes on at my house all the time!

Christmas Delight

I am crazy for the work of Nathalie Lete, whose work can be seen at Anthropologie.

I

I have resisted buying any of these as I am a dish/ pottery- aholic and just have to tell myself "no" sometimes, but....................

take a gander at my Christmas surprise this morning!

Mine are the $24 version, but take a look here to see her original works of art, which are so very unique and very, very special.

I love it that my girls know me so well.

Creative Block

My daughter is the Student Council Events Chairperson for her school. Translated, that means she plans dances, and a few other things. Nothing takes creativity quite like dances, though.

This Saturday, the theme of the dance is "A Walk to Remember". 

"Mom, I want it to be like we are in this beautiful park just full of flowers.....and we are dancing under the stars".

Lovely. One problem - maybe two.

Creativity, time and money - okay three problems.

The setting is a church gym - a big, plain, church gym.

Twinkle lights are good -with enough twinkle lights and the main lights turned down low, some good tunes............those can carry you a little ways, but not all the way.

Flowers - we found some lovelies at Michaels, Big Lots, and the Dollar Store. We can't afford the real thing, and besides it is freezing here and all my potted plants look pathetic.

 These pink garlands will wrap around the volleyball poles. Sweet.

Did I mention budget? $100.00

Fortunately, people bring cookies and punch and other snacks.

I know we could do a lot on one hundred bucks given the manpower, time and creativity.

We have a couple of park benches,  a few ficus trees, and lots of candles.

Still, we are just not feelin' it.

We bought some big paper lanterns today. Various sizes and color - they should add some dimension and color among the stars and imaginary tree tops.

The other day we went to the city - that's what we do for excitement sometimes - we go to Austin or San Antonio - anyway, we went to Anthropologie.

Oh - my - gosh....what those people can do with sticks and twigs and garden hoses and plastic bottles and some spray paint!

They had made vines and vines of "flowers" out of cut plastic bottles spray painted different spring colors. If only.............if only we had the manpower and the time.

 

Photo from flickr - ccerruti

But, the dance in the park is this Saturday, and I am not Anthropologie, as much as I wish I was.

I am just a mom trying to help decorate for a semi- formal - a big deal in junior high and high school.

Ideas welcome!

Anthropologie - Feeding My Creative Spirit through Osmosis?

 These sweet creations are from Anthropologie in la Cantera, San Antonio, Texas. I visit them every chance I get! I wish I could afford them.

 I went crazy for this huge paper ostrich! My daughters and I love shopping at Anthropologie. Sometimes I have to ask them not to talk to me for a while so that I can just wander and look at all of the displays and digest it all.The creativity here truly does feed my soul. I love it. I am hoping I have absorbed some of it as I get ready to set up at the Comfort Antique Show this weekend.

 A closer view of another paper big bird - isn't she just wonderful!!

Comfort, Texas is a precious little town in the midst of the Texas hill country. It is about 20 minutes from Fredericksburg and about 40 minutes from San Antonio. I love setting up at this show for lots of reasons.  The show is an old fashioned antique show set up at the park in this quintessential small town. The local people support the show and promote shopping in their town as well as at the show. They prepare food and desserts to sell and usually provide lunch or dinner for all of the dealers setting up on Friday. This year we have all been invited to dinner in town at the after we finish set up.

Hope everyone who lives in the area will come buy the show this weekend. It is known for being a great country show full of true antiques -  early furniture, pottery, transferware, textiles, folk art......... the list goes on. Come see for yourself - you will be sure to have a great time and my even find a treasure to take home!