Christmas in my home...

Christmas is upon us once again. It my most favorite time of year really. The time I anticipate and look forward to. But every year, as it gets closer and closer... it gets crazier and busier and anxiety sets in that I won't be ready. I am a single mother of three wonderful kids, blessed with a home that I love and work that I enjoy. As you may understand, I do not live a rich lifestyle but rather just enough to challenge me to get creative and find an alternate route to make it work with less. And I do enjoy the challenges, very much.

My house is a small cottage built in the 40's. The granite on the exterior comes from a local quarry, right here in town. {I hear them blasting ground, right from our yard. That is small town living for you} There is ALWAYS work to do in the house. I have two projects lined up till spring. One of which is painting the kitchen.

Back to Christmas... now for reaching deadlines, I published Creating Vintage Charm holiday issue on December 3rd. After that I went on to finishing work for a local production. I volunteer with local drama companies and this year's holiday production is Christmas Carol. My contribution was to create the final scene's Christmas feast: The roast goose, pudding... all made of Papier-mâché.

So much to do, so little time. My home always ends up last on the list. So much I wanted to do this year. My dream to create all wreaths and garlands from fresh evergreens... well, no time for that. I managed one wreath that I hung at the studio. Now on the cover of my preview edition of Creating Vintage Charm.

However, the fresh greens I collected did not go to waste. Its the nostalgia that comes with the season of Christmases in the past, along with keeping it simple. A couple of pine and fir tree branches can go along way complemented with holly berries.

My Dining Room

My Scandinavian red & white style inspired dining room needed a good center piece so in a vintage soda wooden crate I collected some fresh greens and added pillar candles.

My table setting is very country, using ball jars for glasses. Place mats are made from IKEA's tekla kitchen towels.I simply cut the towel in half and sewed a seam at the cut.

Tekla towels also make great cafe' curtains especially in my double window. I love all the day light in the room and the cafe' curtains give us enough privacy during our meal.

Stockings are my designs. First design that came out of my studio. We spent 3 months working on finishing the studio and it was too close to Christmas to be able to come up with a lot to sell. But next year we should be better prepared.

My bench {tutorial here} and my quilt, pillows and candle make a simple vignette that represent comfort, warmth and light.  

I did manage some sewing...mittens and stockings sewn from knit fabric.

In my alcove window, a silver bird is resting in a real nest perched on a cone.

A Santa that goes way back to my teens. It used to decorate my bedroom in Malta then came with me 12 years ago when I moved to the US in December. 

Living Room

Our living room is where everyone gathers. Of course I took these pictures while kids are in school and I just got done cleaning. This room does not always look like this. Under the big window lays the huge toy trunk I built myself, this past summer. I really needed toy storage and the trunk was made to fit under that window.

This is my cozy spot on the couch, where I wind down in the evenings. Last Friday I made it even cozier with two sweater pillows I sewed out of sweaters I had found in my closet and held on to for this purpose.

Yes, my days can be long and full so I think I deserve to just sit and enjoy and nice glass of bubbly. Here I also prepared a small bowl of sugar coated cranberries. They were a real treat.

So this is Christmas in my house this year. I hope you enjoyed the "tour".
I hope you got your copy of Creating Vintage Charm, issue for December 2013. It is a fabulous issue filled with holiday beauty, traditions and love from all the wonderful contributors. I think we closed the year with a bang with this issue... And a half. Yes! Do not forget the Extra.

As we come closer to another year's end we open door to a new one and I look forward to another great year of publishing. I want to thank all followers, readers, contributors for enjoying Creating Vintage Charm with me.

As well, I also wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous and happy new year. 

Con amore e' baci

Sonia