...finally.

On the second day of December,

 the decorating F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. began!

Not a 'LOT' was accomplished, but slowly, it has begun! Our main 'double-wide' doorway between the livingroom and the computer room is now 'decked'... (with my precious breakables - high and out of harms way!!)

 As is one of the kitchen windows, with kitschy plastics (so as not to worry about breakage!!).

While I decorated, J 'played' with HIS stocking stuffers!!
  During our kitchen renovation, several years ago, we uncovered an old, unused chimney ~ that we decided to leave exposed... complete with u.g.l.y. old hole in side.  To date we have just had your basic 'winter scene' cover.  In J's stocking, My Parents' gave J some old metal signs that my Dad had cleaned out of his shop.  One of them was 'red' and just-the-right-size to screw over the ugly hole...  Soooooo that was J's project-o-the-day. Measuring, going in search of the correct size and type screws for the holes already in it, insulating, drilling, patching, cleaning ~ and I thought it was going to be so easy!

 But WELL worth it! Our kitchen colors are Red/White/Black - kinda perfect - huh?!

~AND~

We didn't teach Tweed any four-letter words today, since NO ornaments were broken!!

Twas a lovely start to decorating 8-)

,,,hangin' w/ the Haeger & the VERA

On the first day of Decemeber...

When everyone else is decorating for the holidays, what is svelteSTUFF doing?

From left to right: Stocking stuffer Haeger Vase (2012 #5), Birthday Haeger Green Agate Console Bowl (2012 #7) and Stocking stuffer Haeger floral bowl lime green (2012 #6)

 'Playing' with her latest Haeger and VERA acquisitions...

of course!

 I recently had a question from a reader regarding the age of one of her VERA scarves with a metal ladybug button/tag.   I have spent the last couple of evenings pouring through my reference materials and the internet...  I am stumped.  I have been able to find no other reference to these metal tags, though I can verify that they DO EXIST, as I have a couple of these in my personal collection.  Sorry Laurie B.!  Here are a
couple of photos of my latest VERASHEERS to compensate for my lack of an answer...

VERA2012#19 ~ BIRTHDAY

VERA 2012 #18 ~ STOCKING STUFFER

 OH! Before I forget....
The piece of Haeger that I picked up back in the middle of November, and I would only show you the 'back-side'....

HAEGER 2012#4

SOON, SOON, SOON.

Tweed promises.

HOLIDAY DECORATION!

...one of 'those' days.

isn't it ironic...

450th post on my 45th.
THANK GOODNESS that shotglass is poised & ready!
(it's gonna be a tough one!!)

...wrap-up on 'THE' stockings!

Tweed, with his infamous love of 50's 'bling', has reminded me that I have yet to post on A.L.L. of the goodied that I got on BLACK FRIDAY!!

No, we didn't go anywhere near the malls, or retail in general!!  It was our annual stocking exchange. Just Mom, Dad, J & I.  The restrictions on our stockings are 'second-hand' or 'home-made', and none of my siblings have any kind of appreciation for Mom, Dad and mine's love of 'saling' ~ so this is just 'our' special exchange (J goes along with it good-naturedly).

M/D don't get out to many sales any more, but 'somehow' Mom still manages to come through on My stocking!!  Sooooo much goodness, I'm only going to show the SWEATER CLIPS today!
SIXTEEN!!!!!!

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE COOL WAY THAT SHE BOXES THEM UP?!

SWEATER CLIPS 2012 #21 - #26
Sweet Rhinestone at the top.
Pendant in the middle is a NYC souvenir with the Statue of Liberty.

SWEATER CLIPS 2012 #27 - 30

There was another little bag with a note on the outside 'NEED HELP'.  Mom would find sweater clips that were less~than~perfect and pick them up, thinking I could use the parts to repair others.  How right she was!  From those 'parts', and other 'parts' I've picked up along the way I was able to complete these FIVE clips by replacing chains, adding beads, etc...

SWEATER CLIPS 2012 #31- 35 

For all you other sweater clip afficionados out there (ha, ha) - I have others of these in my collection, but have had no luck in researching.... WHY THE THIRD CLIP IN THE CENTER???


While visiting Mom & Dad, I was also given an early Birthday present... the PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE....

ISN'T IT         THE.MOST.GORGEOUS?!!



SWEATER CLIP 2012 #36 from Mom & Dad



...promise - last wreath!

 STEP 1 in HOLIDAY DECORATING.... complete and PICK-UP unfinished projects - thus goes this F.I.N.A.L. Fall/Holiday Wreath, completed This Morning ((YEH)).  I PROMISE this is THE.LAST.ONE. - NO MORE.!!!

Tweed was NOT permanently adhered to it! though he is kinda 'loving' it and has definitely given it his stamp of approval since he lived in close quarters with many of those vintage ornaments on the wreath for a VERY LONG time, it is kind of like a 'family reunion' for him ~ but he was spared the hot glue burns!

...TWEED.

IT's BEEN A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING SEASON,

BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO

"STEP-ASIDE-TURKEY"

"THERE IS AN ELF IN 'BAD GOLD LAME' IN THE HOUSE", ready to take CENTER STAGE FOR THE NEXT MONTH!

...less than a week away...

Just completed and delivered a 'Fall-Wine' wreath as a 'THANK~You' to one of my major BARTENDING contributors to my cork sweater clip display board. 

Does anybody else find that these darn things are addicting to make?

...and of course shopping for the 'materials' is half the fun!!

I was doing a Serious Happy Dance when I found this little number ... HAEGER 2012 #4 .50¢ - but what makes it SO special and unique is on the other side - and in keeping with The Month, I can't show you until 11-28!

I can show you the beach glass that J & I picked up this past weekend during the Indian Summer weather...

...and I can show you this Great copper/bronze pin that I picked up yesterday for .50¢



and look what else I found yesterday!!
Well, this is actually an 'AFTER' shot,
or a 'COMPLETED PROJECT' shot!
I found one of those clear, glass lamp bases that I have long been stalking... and I knew JUST what I wanted to do with it!!
COME VISIT! IT WILL BE RESIDING IN OUR GUEST ROOM!!



What I didn't realize is that one of these lamps can hold almost a lifetime of glass!!!  Good excuse to hit the beach!