Light Up Your Holidays!

I say the same thing every year, "I'm NOT decorating for the holidays!" and do I regret it each year that I don't? Yes. So this year, I'm breaking the non-holiday tradition and I'm going to decorate my little house out in the country.

Some of my fondest memories of these recent years when I lived in Washington State were related to holiday decorations in the neighborhood. I lived in a new subdivision of large, Craftsman style homes. The kind of home that has a tall front door, some with double-entry doors, stone-faced beam columns (for lack of better description or the correct architectural term). I wouldn't really call the entry area a "porch" like we have here in the south, but something close. Large enough to decorate anyway.

Each night, I'd walk my dog Toby up and down the streets (always took him forever "to go"), and we'd wander in and out of the different neighborhoods. I think he enjoyed seeing the lights as much as me as he always stopped and looked and I could see the reflections in his big amber eyes. There was this one particular house I won't ever forget. It was painted a rustic Apple Green on the siding. It was beautiful. With an Antique Cream trim and 2 big large entry doors painted Country Red. I wish you could've seen it. Just lovely. It was a large, 2 story home. Big picture windows in the front that faced the street. We'd always pause outside, passing several times on our walk, so I could just stand there amazed at how beautiful the Christmas decor was that they put up. Glittery lights, swags of green Spruce and bows of red netting adorned the door and hung from the beams above. Inside was all decorated too, what you could see through the windows anyway. I always thought the lady of the house must be a decorator, or at least hired someone. Beautiful...sigh...a Hallmark house. That home will forever be emblazoned in my memory book.

My house here in Tennessee is definitely not on the same scale as the homes there, but it's country quaint just the same, especially now that I've painted the outside and added new crisp white shutters and trim. The porch area, and I DO have a porch here, is all painted in bright white too. What better time to add some white glittery lights and snowflakes. Maybe some of my own pine swags around the door. And of course snowmen, must have snowmen!

Reminds me of Colorado or Montana

Kind of like my porch now

Love snowflakes!

Love this!

This looked JUST like my house in Washington (miss it)

Beautiful...

 

SNoWmEn WArm YouR HEarT!

 

 

Did you add to your snowman collection yet this year? Or choose a Christmas tree topper? Well then stop on by my Etsy store to see these, plus many of my other snowman creations made just for you! 

Oh-So-Cuddly Snowmen

I've been busy painting lately. Snowmen. Lots and lots of snowmen!  These are a few of my favorites. I paint this little guy on all sorts of things; wood, rocks, canvas, clay - anything! I just think no matter how you paint snowmen, they are always cute! I have these for sale in my Etsy store and they've been selling out as soon as I list them. Must be lots of snowmen lovers and collectors, like me out there!

Painting a little bit of Winter

These are my latest little creations. I say little because these are petite canvases of 4 x 5. They are done in acrylics, then embellished with decorative papers and distressed letters. I was so charmed by them when they were finished, I didn't want to sell them!

I'm working on a few more right now. I know, it's close to Christmas and I'm a bit behind in my seasonal creations, but I can't create by the season. I have to feel it, or it doesn't happen. I could paint snowmen all year long, even in Summer. Right now, I'm feeling a bit candy cane-ish, so we'll see what I might come up with! Ho Ho Ho!

Snowmen; My Favorite Winter Friend

There's more to a snowman than meets the eye! He's the icon of Winter, our childhood, children's books and movies, and this lovable character is everywhere! On coffee mugs at Starbucks, plates at Pier 1, napkins at grocery stores, greeting cards, door hangers, gift wrap, Christmas ornaments, holiday sweaters bound for the return counter, and so much more. And who can possibly pass up a huge field of snow and not at least think about building a snowman? Not me.
I myself have a huge collection. Every year I set out to purchase at least one thing "Snowman". My collection includes gift bags, decorative tins, soft sculptures, carvings I bought in Switzerland, candleholders, ceramic statues, german glass ornaments, Bob's boxes, tins that were once filled with chocolates, even greeting card boxes I had to save because the snowmen were too adorable to just toss out. They're so cute and cuddly, I don't know how anyone can resist them.

Do you know who built the first snowman? It was in Eau Claire, WI in 1809 by Vernon Paul and his little girl Yetty. How about the world's tallest snowman? Apparently that record was set in 2008 in Bethel, Maine as a way to put Bethel on the map. The snowman stood 122 feet and 1 inch! How did they get up there??

One of my favorite books as a child was "The Littlest Snowman". As I remember, it was a story about a snowman that came to town and brought joy. As the thermometer went up, the snowman started to melt. The snowmen went and got every flavor of ice cream and ate it, then sat upon the town Christmas tree. A northwind came and blew all the ice cream flavored snow all through the air. A beautiful written classic children's book that every family should have. So wonderful...wish I still had mine....
If you've been following my art and blog for any length of time, you know I incorporate a lot of snowmen in my art. I've painted, stuffed, glued, and glittered them and I never get tired of seeing their cherubic faces. And I'm always on the search for more to add to my personal collection.


Snowmen bring smiles to our faces. They're a way of celebrating the bite of Winter, young and old alike.

If a snowman had a voice, who do you think he'd sound like?