2010 Projects

I love to look back at the year that is drawing to a close and recall all the projects I've done.   It has taken me a few days to think of everything and it's not that I've done all that much - quite the opposite in fact, but I just have a terrible memory.  I love making lists (in the lead-up to Christmas I had three lists on the go at one time) and so here are the projects I completed around the house in 2010.

1) Painted our kitchen cabinets.  (You can read about it and see before and after photos here).  This was the biggest project I undertook this year and it involved three weeks of mess and sore muscles, but was so worth it.

2) Added beadboard to the en suite bathroom.  (You can read about it and see before and after photos here).  I have to say it was one of the most rewarding finish-in-a-weekend projects I have ever done and we are enjoying how pretty it looks.

3) Prettified my office-in-a-closet.  (You can see more photos here).  This redo was inspired by my office being shown on Centsational Girl's blog and how it just didn't look too pretty.  I've enjoyed the cleaner tidier version (although it isn't always as tidy as it is in the photos).

4) Made over my curbside bench to use on our front porch. (You can see more photos here).  Nothing like finding a fabulous freebie and then fixing it up.

5)  Made an autumn wreath.  (You can read about it here).  It was a nearly free project and I loved seeing it hung on our door all during the fall.

6)  Made letters from twine to spell the word "joy" for our mantel at Christmas. (You can read more about it here).

7)  Sewed a stocking for my son's fiance who joined us for Christmas this year. (You can read about it here).

I have other projects on the go (and by on-the-go I mean they aren't done yet and I haven't touched them in months) which means I will have plenty of fun projects to work on in 2011.  

I'm linking up to Savvy Southern Style's linky party and Top Projects of 2010 at Southern Hospitality and am looking forward to seeing what everyone else accomplished in 2010.

Christmas 2010

We are a tradition-laden family which makes Christmas seem all the more lovely as we make our way through familiar customs and routines that tie one year to the next.   Festivities start on the 24th when most years we go to the Art Gallery of Ontario or Royal Ontario Museum or Science Centre as a family.  This year we went to the Royal Ontario Museum because we wanted to see the special exhibit of the Terracotta Warriors from China.

The amazing thing about going to the ROM before Christmas is how few people are there.    We have the place to ourselves and love it.

There was a Christmas tree in the foyer of the museum decorated with a Chinese theme in honour of the terracotta warriors.

After we had a good look around we headed home to enjoy our Christmas Eve dinner which consisted of tourtiere and salads.  I took a little extra time to set the table with our nicest dishes and some sparkly silver and lots of candles

and the napkin rings my parents brought us back from Russia (each hand-painted with a different winter scene)

and the sweet little nutcrackers a student gave me this Christmas.

Then we went to church for the Christmas eve service.  I have to admit all the good food and wine left me feeling drowsy in church - but it will be our little secret, okay?  

After church we had our yule log.  I'll tell you our disaster-to-delicious story in another post.

 

We lit candles and sat in the living room to read aloud our favourite Christmas stories.  Even Juno joined us.

On Christmas morning I took the obligatory photo of the kiddies with their stockings in front of the tree (two of them were even willing to have their photos on the blog - thanks guys - I really do know you aren't kiddies any more).

Following a few hours of chaos with presents and wrappings everywhere, we ate Christmas lunch.

We always have Christmas crackers which means telling silly jokes and wearing silly hats during lunch.

After a bit of a rest we go to Christmas dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Toronto.  The extended family comes from all over to join in on the fun and everyone brings a part of the dinner.  We numbered over 30 this year.  My sister from Kentucky was up visiting over Christmas and we had a baking day which meant I had a good selection of cookies and squares to take to dinner.

My Mom brought the Christmas pudding that Kate and I helped make a few weeks ago (you can read about it here).

My Aunt always adds brandy to the top and lights it on fire.  It's all very exciting and for some people is the best thing about Christmas pudding.

 My Uncle is a magician (and a lawyer by day) and he puts on a show for us every year, after which we have a gift exchange.

Then we took our tired, but happy, bodies home to bed.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  Even though I wasn't on the computer much I was thinking about my bloggy friends enjoying Christmas in far flung places from Australia to Texas to France to British Columbia to Maryland to the prairies and even right here in Ontario. 

Linked to Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Stocking are Hung by the Chimney with Care

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care - which means I've finally finished sewing the new one for Christie, our eldest son's fiance who is joining us for Christmas this year.   

 

One year, about a decade ago, I decided we all should have matching stockings so after Christmas I sat down and drew out some designs for stockings.  That ended year one's effort.

The second year I found my design when I was unpacking the Christmas decorations and got all excited about the project again.  I went out and bought all the material I would need to make the stockings.  And so ended year two's effort.

The third year we were going to celebrate Christmas in England so I decided this would be a fun time to have new stockings.  I made them all in secret and took them over as a surprise for everyone.  We hung them on our bedposts like they do in England.

Making stockings may possibly have been the world's longest craft project, but we all enjoy them very much now - especially when they are filled with goodies.  

At the same time I made Christie's stocking I did a little re-gluing on ours and finally sewed some ribbon onto the stockings to hang them with (until now we have used blue ribbon pinned to the stockings - the shame, the shame).

Here are our stockings:

Christie's stocking - my husband suggested I do something to do with music for her stocking as she is very musical and plays the piano and sings. 

Malcom's stocking - there is no particular reason that I put the tree on his apart from his love of nature.

Kate's stocking - the angel's dress is made out of a lace hanky that had been used at Kate's baptism - it was folded and tacked into a bonnet by my friend which Kate wore at her baptism and then I wanted to use it for something special so I put it on her stocking.

William's stocking - William liked the holly the best of the ones I drew so that was the stocking he got.

My stocking - nobody else claimed the snowman which made me very happy as it was my favouite.  Isn't his little carrot nose button adorable.

Hubby's stocking - his only requirement was that I include part of the stocking his grandmother had made for him.  Fortumately she had knit two stockings so I didn't feel bad cutting one up.  I cut the cuff off and sewed it along the top of his new stocking.  I made a picture of our house out of felt to go on his stocking. 

Have you got your stockings out ready for St. Nick to leave some goodies?  All I can say is I hope you've been good, because I don't want to hear about any lumps of coal.

I'm sending warm wishes your way for a wonderful Christmas to you and your family.  

Nativity Scenes from Around the World

Yesterday I showed you the Nigerian nativity scene that my parents have on their mantel (which you can read about here).  When we lived in Nigeria many years ago, we went to Europe for our vacations which is when my parents purchased most of these creches.  I took lots of photos of them when I was at my parent's condo recently to show you.    

Let's start with the nativity scene bought in Oberammergau Germany.  It's one of my favourites for the simple figures in the little rustic cabin and the evergreen tree standing outside. 

The cloth that is under the German nativity scene is from Spain.  It was bought on our travels around Europe when I was a child and is always put over the trunk at Christmas time.

My parents also brought a nativity scene back from Interlaken Switzerland.  It must have been made by a Swiss Italian as the carving and painting look so Italian - lovely and rich with detail and tiny gold highlights.

My parents also brought three kings home from Denmark.  The one poor chap does rather look like he's bringing Jesus a toilet plunger - at least he was being practically minded when he selected his gift.

My Mom puts the Danish kings along a window sill with this set of five Russian churches.   Mom and Dad went on a river cruise in Russia a few years ago and brought these gorgeous onion dome churches home. 

Almost twenty-five years ago my brother and sister-in-law lived in Egypt for a couple of years.  Both my parents and hubby and myself were fortunate to be able to make trips over to visit them.  When my parents went they purchased this nativity scene that was made by the Coptic Christians in Egypt.

And there are a few Canadian nativity scenes, but none of them big and elaborate like the other ones.  This angel is from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli in Quebec, a town famous for its wood-carvers.

As is this tiny nativity scene.

This stained-glass nativity scene was given to my parents and was made by a Canadian artisan.

Wow, how did this snowman sneak into this post about nativity scenes.   He's from Nova Scotia and was just looking cute hanging out with the evergreen trees. 

Did you think I'd run out of nativity scenes to show you - well not yet.

This one is from Mexico and was given to my parents.  Each piece is very tiny and the whole set is sitting on a mat woven by my mother out of pine needles.

This clay nativity scene was made for my parents by their friend's daughter who is a potter.

Soon after they were married my Mother made this white Mary and Jesus, which would mean they are over 50 years old.  Don't you think Jesus looks like he needs a cuddle.

Many years ago my mother knit these little winter people.  She made them all different with hoods and hats and muffs and one even holds a button that looks like blueberry pie.  For years we had them in the centre of our dinner table and now they are on top of a cabinet in the kitchen.  The llamas (not sure why the kids are hanging out with llamas, but anyway) were brought back by my brother when he was in Bolivia.

Hello kids!  Careful with that pie now missy.

You kids are just looking so cute!

I hope you enjoyed the tour and aren't all nativity scened out.  It was a trip down memory lane for me as these were the Christmas decorations I grew up with. 

Linked to All Things Merry and Brite at All Things Heart and Home