Goodbye 2015...

There's a little less than 9 hours until we ring in the New Year where I live and I just wanted to say thank you for being a part of my "Old-Fashioned World" :)

Happy New Year, my friends!

xo

rue

From my home...

to your home...

I wish you and yours...

a very Merry Christmas...

full of...

magic,

dreams,

 peace,

and most of all love.

xo

rue

A little late...

for a Christmas tour in Blogland, but better late than never, right? ;)

Before we get started, you might want to grab something to drink... like some eggnog, hot chocolate, a cocktail, or maybe even some Wassail and perhaps a snack, because you're going to be here awhile, if you want to see this picture heavy post.

Just warning you ;)

So we're starting with the fireplace...

There's the needlepoint stockings. 

My mom made all of them.

A little bit of greenery and some little Christmas figurines.

The tree and Santa are music boxes.

One of the side tables holds a sleigh riding couple and a few Christmas books...

Including a favorite from the 1800s.

My great grandfather's humidor holds Santa's cookie plate, his glass for milk, the box that holds paper for Christmas lists...

and a sweet little card given to me years ago from an old blogging friend named Cherry, that says "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

An angel from my uncle is across the way.

On the coffee table I have two of my favorite snow globes, one from Annie and one from my aunt, more Christmas books and some music boxes that look like match boxes that my mom gave me.

Also a silver reindeer pulling a sleigh, that my brother gave me.

On the hall tree to the left...

is where I stick Christmas cards (just a couple when I had taken the picture at the beginning of the month)

Santa's hat that's made of real velvet and fur, that a furrier gave me when I was about 16. 

My mom bought my pink suede prom dress from him in the 1980s.

And no, you won't be seeing that awful picture ;)

But here's the hat...

And a paper angel, which was one of the first Christmas decorations I bought myself.

A wooden Santa stands guard by the front door.

Across the way, one of three nativity scenes sits on top of my antique library cabinet...

My mom bought it for me when I moved out and I still love it.

In the dining room I decorated great grandma's hutch...

I painted the bird houses years ago, when I was more of a crafty person. 

It also holds the second nativity scene and some of my Santa collection.

Across from that sits a mischievous elf on my grandfather clock.

I hung some garland in the window of my office....

and put up a Charlie Brown Christmas tree with the Taco Bell Chihuahua dog, that Annie gave me last year, relaxing underneath.

Moving on from there...

I hung my Christmas aprons.

There's also a few decorations for the windowsill above the sink.

Little baby Jesu, (so called by an old blogging friend, that gave it to me years ago named Suzanne, that no longer blogs, ) rests in a teacup.

My sad little plastic lighted Christmas tree, that no one wanted, sits on the fridge, and a few decorations in the breakfast nook...

You'll notice that Bubba was very interested in the picture taking process during most pictures ;)

Oh! And my mom just bought me that red phone you see on the wall :)

My sweet salt and pepper shakers :)

In the den, I have the third nativity, that was Annie's as a little girl...

and a Santa picture that says ""He went straight to his work.", more Christmas books, and an angel.

And the other "tree" that's made of metal.

My aunt gave me that and the animal ornaments too.

So that's it for the tour.

Nothing exciting, since it's what I do every year in some way or another.

Once in awhile something else will be brought in, but it has to be really super special or a gift.

Anyway, my favorite time is nighttime, when the living room seems magical.

Or at least it does to me :)

Wherever you are, I hope you have magic this season too.

xo

rue

A year

One year ago tomorrow, according to my clock and calendar, I posted this:

Hello again world

I haven't blogged in over 3 years, but I missed it, so I'm thinking about giving it another try. My life has changed drastically, albeit for the better, and I don't really plan on going back to sharing it as much as I did, but I still think I have things to share with all of you, and I hope if any of you remember me, that you'll like the change.

For now, I'll show you a picture of my home that was built in 1930. It has turned out to be everything I ever wanted.

Of course, I'll share more pictures of it, but this blog won't be entirely about my house either.

I have a few ideas where this little blog is headed, but let's just see where it goes for now ;)

Rue

And my very first comment after only four days was:

((((RUE))))

I am so happy to have found you here!!!! You have been so missed!

Merry Christmas beautiful one! I pray you and yours are all well and happy! And I love your new home!

And you.

Always,

Kim

You know, I never asked her how she knew that I had posted.

I just logged on that day and there it was, never thinking that anyone would find me or remember me, since I'd been gone so long, but my dear friend and inspiration for starting my last blog left a comment.

And here we are 12 months later and with many old friends reunited and many new friends found, I'm glad I started again.

You have no idea how good it feels to know that I was welcomed back with open arms and that with every single comment, from old friends and new, that I am both humbled and urged to go on.

I am so grateful for all of you, whether you leave a comment every time, once in a while or never at all.

I know that you visit, that you care, and that you seem to like what I write.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there and please know that although it may take me awhile to get back to you, I read every single comment and enjoy reading every single word.

My little vintage world is just that... little.... and very inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but I appreciate every one of you

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

love
rue

Tree of memories

My crooked 'Willie Nelson' tree is not a formal tree.

Our trees never are.

Every year the tree we pick out is decorated with memories of Christmas past.

First, I turn on the Christmas music I grew up with, that Annie still insists I play, because she grew up with it too. 

Here's one of our favorites:

And then we start the decorating with ornaments from my childhood...

ornaments my children made...

and ornaments given to me and collected over the years.

There's nothing fancy or trendy for the bottom.

 Just a needlepoint tree skirt that I fell in love with many years ago...

and an old porcelain headed angel for the top.

It's a tree filled with love...

and that will never change :)

xo

rue