Simple JOYs . . .

There is no mistaking that when "Mr. Ed" and I host
Christmas On Crooked Creek
no surface goes unscathed ! ! !

And while I won't deny
that most h o l i d a y preparations are done months in advance,
I have my justifications.

Simple JOYs. . .
beginning December first,
right up to the day we celebrate Jesus Birth. . .
I want to embrace every magical moment !

During our Annual Trout Fishing Trip to Bennett Spring,
I began designing vignettes for the various areas
in our 1970's Ranch Style Home.

Angels
were my choice for our Entry On Crooked Creek.

While on vacation,
I came upon this book titled,
Angels We Have Heard On High
A Book of Seasonal Blessings
by Joan Webster Anderson.

Intrigued by the title,
I was drawn to the soft, creamy ivory hues
with a touch of pastel blue, brown and gold on the cover.
The exact color palette of the print above the console table
in our Entry Hall.

My design plan called for showcasing my heirloom and vintage Angels.

 

 

My trio of Christmas Trees in their vintage pottery vases,
the white lacy metal Stars,

and some vintage blue glass ornaments
I had seen in a local Antique Shop.

I knew I wanted this "first impression"
into our home On Crooked Creek
to be the Scriptural account of our Savior's Birth,
The Christmas Story.

Luke 2:9
     And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
     and the glory of the Lord shone round about them,
     and they were sore afraid.

               10
     And the angel said unto them,
     "Fear not;
     for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy
     which shall be to all people.
               11
     For unto you is born this day
     in the city of David
     a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
              12
     This shall be a sign unto you;
     Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
     lying in a manager."

              13
     And suddenly there was with the angel
     a multitude of the heavenly host,
     praising God, and saying,

              14
     "Glory to God in the highest,
     and on earth peace,
     goodwill toward men."

Now,
every surface has been prepared for
Christmas On Crooked Creek! ! !

"Mr. Ed" and I will embrace
every  magical moment
as we celebrate. . .

 

simple JOYs! ! !

 

 

 

Until next time. . .

 

www.asavvysouthernstyle.net

 

 

On Crooked Creek is joining A Homespun Christmas Link Party @ Savvy Southern Style with Kim! Ladies, mark your calendars and visit each and every party for the greatest inspiration of this Christmas Season!!!

 

www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

 

 

On Crooked Creek will be joining our dear hostess, Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday ! Be sure to visit for inspiration abounds for creative ideas in your own home decor!!!





A NEW Grate. . .

Christmas On Crooked Creek is well under way for 2012 ! ! !
"Mr. Ed" and I enJOY changing our home decor up a bit
every year. But this year, an even year, we will host our family Christmas Celebration !
So~o~o. . . we're fluffing ever nook and corner !

After moving the "painless window"
to my Art studio ~ Studio One, 
a huge void was left on the front porch.

I placed the vintage ladder
against the stone wall for Autumn ( click here),
but this was to be a temporary solution!

During a recent Christmas Open House,
I came across a grate for a door that intrigued me.
Cell phones are amazingly great when your
dear one likes to roam the Antique Mall on his own.
A quick call to "Mr.Ed", his nod of approval
and at 10% off the already reasonable price of $18.00
we loaded the NEW Grate in our SUV and headed for home !

Arriving On Crooked Creek,
I was filled with inspiration and began the task
of "fluffing" the front porch with Christmas decor.

 

 

Our NEW Grate wrought iron door

goes from plain ~ to ~ whimsical with

a cast ~ off red berry wreath and a Gingerbread Man Greeting

to welcome our family, guests and neighbors !

 

 

Red satin ribbon and bow adds

striking contrast against the white grate door

and the neutral brick background.

 

 

This  "Sweet Sweet Greetings"
Gingerbread Man sign is a past Christmas Gift
from my sweet, sweet son and daughter~in~law !

Now. . .
to fill the corner,
I brought out my black lanterns.

Red and white gingham check bows
combined with pine boughs and pine cones
help to make this Christmas On Crooked Creek bright !

"Mr. Ed's" frog statue,
all "decked out" with his Santa Hat and bow tie,
is a whimsical touch that changes with the season, also !

Who can resist that adorable "Froggy" ? ? ?

Continuing warm temperatures on the Prairie

have allowed for "Mr. Ed" and I to decorate the out~of ~doors

for Christmas On Crooked Creek without our

usual hot cocoa breaks.

So~o~o. . .
after a quick spraying of white paint,
my old black plant stand makes a striking accent piece
for my beaded garland turned wreath
and cast~off black porch lantern.

 

 

Adding a few sprigs of faux evergreen with miniature pine cones,

and inserting a Ball Mason jar with battery candle

brings a cherry welcome to our front porch !

 

 I added the red and white gingham check bow

to give a festive WELCOME to our Holiday guests !

 

 

 

 

Our front porch has quite a mix of Traditional,

Vintage and Whimsical. . .

something for everyone. . .

@ Christmas On Crooked Creek !

 

 

 

Until next time. . .

 

www.commonground-do.com

 

On Crooked Creek will be joining Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration! Be sure to visit soon and see all the creativity for Christmas your heart could ever desire.

Refreshing Studio One ? ? ?

Retirement is a special time. . .
time to edit,
time to explore,

time to organize,
time to plan,

time to research,
time to refresh? ? ?

Studio One is the name given to my creative space.
This is the spot where I take time to explore new ideas
in our home decor On Crooked Creek.

The space where I organize my thoughts
and plan ahead for each new event or Season.

Here, in Studio One,
I research through past and present trends and look for inventive ways to re~purpose and re~use all the materials at hand.

So~o~o. . .
this Autumn, I began re~thinking
the directional role that Studio One would take.

In the beginning,
Studio One was the space
where I used my creativity for scrapbooking.

Then,
I used the space in Studio One
to launch and operate my home based business of the same name.
This year, to spend more quality time with "Mr. Ed" and our family,
I chose to close my Handmade Cards with a Vintage Flair.

 

By editing throughout this creative space,
I can focus on the needs of our current lifestyle.
Drawing from its past,  On Crooked Creek,
and moving towards its future !

"Mr. Ed", with his multiple scope of carpentry skills,
transformed this Shabby Chic shelf  from a cabinet drawer.
He mitered the trim, paneled the back and added a shelf.
I, then applied several painting techniques,
to achieve the overall look!

 This is the directional forward movement
 for Studio One !

 

Brighter and lighter,
but still with a definite color palette.

While some areas will see a definite change and updating. . .

others will remain the same.

Accessing where I've been,

and determining where my path may lead.

As you can clearly see,
Studio One has a l o n g way to go
if I'm going to achieve this new look On Crooked Creek !
Ladies, I welcome you to follow along
as I meander through this refreshing time.

On Crooked Creek,
retirement is a special time. . .
in Studio One !


Until next time. . .