Mosaic Monday – Christmas Magazines

When November rolls around it is certainly time to start (if not continue) looking at Christmas issues of home décor magazines. A useful segment of my Christmas collections are the December or Christmas Holiday issues which cover the years 1989 to 2009. Just before and during the Christmas holidays, I take out stacks of these magazines and keep them at hand for inspiring reading as I enjoy planning and preparing for Christmastime.


These are titles of magazines I have kept over the years:
Traditional Home
Country Living
House Beautiful
Southern Living
House and Garden
Victoria [I need only the 1992 issue to have a complete run of the original Victoria magazine]
Elle Décor
Good Housekeeping
Ladies Home Journal
Martha Stewart Living
Women’s Day
Colonial Homes
Victorian Decorating & Lifestyle
Victorian Homes and Gardens
Home
Early American Life
Metropolitan Home
Better Homes and Gardens
Family Circle

So far for 2010 I have only Tea Time magazine Christmas Special issue. However, soon the stores will have an array of holiday issues to choose from.

The article, “Christmas Carols and Celebrations” introduces recipes for hearty Victorian-inspired dishes – potato-parsnip soup, roasted brussels sprouts, tarragon black pepper bread,plum pudding, etc.

A short feature item “A Dickens of a Christmas” lists holiday events inspired by Charles Dickens.

The lemon cake pictured above has a filling of lemon curd spread topped with candied citrus.

Whether bought in the supermarket at the checkout, or from a bookstore or gift shop, each December issue gives inspiration and fresh ideas to make your holiday home beautiful and welcoming.

For a full introduction to my Christmas holiday issues collection click here.

This post is linked to Mosiac Monday, hosted by Mary at Little Red House. Visit her blog for more mosaic creations.

Displaying the Snowpeople Collection

Once you’ve gathered up your Christmas collectibles by theme, then it’s time to display them to add to the festive decorations around your home. I found these pictures of my Snowpeople Collection displayed in my study back in December 2008. I squeezed them around the books on my freestanding book shelf in front of the windows.

Several filled a small cabinet, while a few stood on top the television.

A small table held framed greeting cards and snowman picture frame

I am linking this post to Tinsel & Company's Deck the Halls Friday.

Additions to the Snowpeople Collection

In December 2008 I visited one of the local thrift shops and found lots of snowmen items to buy quite reasonably. As a matter of fact I paid only $4.00 for all the snowpeople pictured below, plus a few other items as well.
Soft snowmen of cloth, etc.

Five resin figurines

Ceramic, glass and candle figures

Carved wood and painted wood snowmen. The one on the left has a sticker, "TJ CARVER/ Real Wood Carvings"

Tiny whimsical snowmen, including one plastic wind-up walker

A green ceramic stool to place a figure on, and snowman-decorated box

The Story of My Snowpeople Collection

As I was getting things together for Christmas decorating I found what turned out to be the last Christmas card I received from my brother who passed in April 2006. I can remember him calling me in December 2005 and asking for family addresses so he could send out his Christmas cards. This is the card I received from him:

I remember thinking it was a lovely card. The snowmen are cutout and raised off the background, and have glitter on them. I had never collected snowflakes, icicles or other items with snow motifs. But taking out the card a few weeks ago, I got the urge to collect snowman items. A few hours later, in the Family Dollar store I spotted a pair of salt and pepper shakers. They were so endearing and cost one dollar. Then the next day at a thrift store I found a carved wood style snowman in a top hat, a candle snowman and a wood photo frame with a snowman painted on. Later, at home I saw that the top hat was really a ladies hat with a flower and that the snowperson had a bow!

Then I found the 2003 Christmas card I received from my Dad who we lost in November 2005. Every year my first Christmas card would arrive from Dad. This particular one has snowmen as the motif. So I decided to frame it and the one from my brother.

Reading one of my 2007 Christmas magazines I found a coupon for a free Hallmark ornament with the purchase of two Keepsake ornaments. I had already bought one Keepsake ornament, the one nativity in this year’s Hallmark ornaments.

I had the 2007 mini angels on hold at another Hallmark store. When I went to pick them up, I presented the receipt from the other store and my coupon and got the free snowman ornament.

He is the cutest little guy, with a bird resting on his mitten, and he has glitter all over. So, in a short time there is another Christmas collection at Oak Rise Cottage. In the snowman frame I put some cutout letters on a red velvet background with holly leaves and some glitter strips.


I decided to place the new collection in the kitchen (which already had its own tree motif). Here it is on the counter between the TV and the refridgerator, amid treasured ornaments made for me by my nephew, niece, grandniece and grandnephew. They hang from the knobs of two thrift store glass containers, now holding peppermints


The ‘Merry Christmas’ sign was made for me by my then ten-year old nephew. He took the piece of wood outside, and used a magnet to burn the letters. He then added two tiny pinecones.

The tiny mouse on skates ornament was bought for me by my sister’s three kids in 1986 when I visited their California home for Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reading about my newest collection. Have a happy day!


Clipart from www.webweaver.nu/clipart

More Tree-Shaped Items

Here are views from Christmas 2008 showing the Oak Rise Cottage kitchen with various displays of tree-shaped items. You see them on the refrigerator, on a small display shelf, as well as on the counters.

The tree-shaped items include:
Ornaments
Picture frames
Salt and pepper shakers
Napkin holder
Candy dishes
Ceramic bank
Candles
Spode “Christmas Tree” motif butter dish, paper napkins, etc.

My New Christmas Blog and Christmas Collector's Alley

I have decided to start a third blog, dedicating it to my enjoyment of most all things Christmas. I will tweak the design of the blog as I go along, but thought I would just ‘jump in’ and get started. My first post will be linked to Christmas Collector’s Alley #2, a blog event hosted by Denise Marie at Christ is the Heart of Christmas.

Among my Christmas collections is the category of items which feature Christmas Trees.
My Christmas tree collection started with Spode "Christmas Tree" dishes. I bought two cereal bowls in summer 1970 in England – one for me and one for my sister whose birthday is December 25. Soon, I started to buy the dinner plates, mugs and other pieces. Each year I added to the collection. I also got some as gifts for my sister and her Christmas-loving family. Actually, this sister was born on Christmas morning and her youngest son was born on Christmas night!
Here are some of the dishes on the countertops and stove during Christmas holidays 2007:



Besides the "Christmas Tree" dishes, I’ve gathered tree-shaped figurines, salt and pepper sets, trinket boxes and mini trees.
Here is the tree collection gathered on top of the microwave at the end of holidays 2006.
The following photos show the kitchen décor for Christmas 2007. the pine hutch served as display space for the Spode "Christmas Tree" dishes supplemented by Bordallo Pinheiro and tree figurines.

The microwave displayed a number of tree-shaped items.

Please visit Denise Marie for links to more collections. You may also post your own until October 7.