Christmas Tree Tour - Part 3

The third tree is what started out as the winter tree.. it is in our sunroom and changes year to year but is always winter based.  A good friend of mine gave me the puffy white snowballs and the snowball garland.  My grandmother crocheted all the snowflakes that I use on this tree.  So the basis of the tree are these snowy elements.  What happens then changes year to year.  The tree has taken on a retro feel this year.  I used red garland that was on my Christmas tree growing up circa 1960's.  So, this year it's a red and silver retro winter tree!

Christmas Tree Tour - Part two of eight...
This is the tree in the library - I used anything I could find in cream... stoneware, birdcages, all the cream colored ornaments from our collection along with some of my scarves, a few pearl necklaces and some vintage wedding photos.  I made garland out of wire and old buttons... cute and easy to do!  I topped it with a piece of wood molding and a tarnished crown.

A little video my son whipped up today... he is amazing!

Joyeux Noel

OK... Christmas tree tour time!  Let's start with my office {since I'm looking at it}... the tree I call Joyeux Noel.  I love this tree in all it's black and white loveliness!  The garlands are black boas and the ornaments a mixture of black {it's not easy to find black Christmas ornaments either} and vintage silver.... with a few Eiffel Towers thrown in for good measure!

Tis the season to be busy....  and we have been busy!  I have been decorating Christmas trees.  One of my {many} weaknesses is Christmas ornaments.  I have collected them all my life starting with the ones my mother gave me every year as a child.  These were special and carefully dated by her, inconspicuously somewhere on the ornament.  Every year we added another like this little gem from 1967.

We also have made a lot of ornaments over the years... everything from my Mom's wooden Sea Birds, made when she was living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina...

to my felt and sequin beauties made in the 1970's,

But more about all that later.....

Because of this love of Christmas ornaments, I usually decorate more than one tree.. in fact, some years I have decorated as many as 12.. yes.. a little over the edge.  This year, we have 9.  Seven are at our city house and two up at the lake.  Would you like a tour?  We'll have to spread it over a few days... I have a new job that is keeping me busy!!  We'll start tomorrow.
Susan

First snow...

The first snow of the season fell this weekend.  We only got an inch or two but it seems late for us... not that I'm complaining - we have had a perfectly wonderful, warm fall!

 The lake is filled with Canadian geese getting ready to head south.  They make such a racket!  But I like the geese, even though they are usually considered pests.  They were hunted almost to extinction in the 1900's but are plentiful today.

 Canada geese mate for life and keep their young with them longer than any other bird... almost a year after they are born.  Even though the v-shaped formations of honking geese signal the onset of cold weather, they actually don't go too far.. just to where they can find open water.

Oh my gosh... it's November already!

Where does the time go??  It's November 1st... time to put away the Halloween decorations and try not to get the Christmas out until at least next week.  :)  I have a list a mile long of things to do before the holidays are here.

We have been out in our woods, cutting firewood.  We have found that it takes a LOT of wood to get through our long winters and while the boys do the hard work, I gather sticks and tie them in bundles with twine.  They make starting a fire a breeze!

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
                         - Elizabeth Lawrence

Grandma's Apple Crumble

Another beautiful fall day at the lake.  Perfect day to make my Grandma's delicious apple crumble!

Ingredients
4 large tart apples                                            1/2 cup brown sugar
1 pie crust                                                        3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar                                                   1/3 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Pare the apples, slice and arrange in a 9-inch pastry lined pie plate.  Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.

Sift together the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup flour.  (I use a whisk)  Cut in 1/3 cup butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm with a little vanilla ice cream.  mmmmmm.....

Beautiful fall weather

 It has been a beautiful week at the lake... blue sky, changing leaves, and warm temps.  Love it!

 Mist over the water this morning...