A Victorian Christmas Tree ~ Merry Christmas

I decorated a Victorian Christmas tree

with ornaments I made many yrs. ago.

I added some fruit that I dried this year.

A vintage angel at the top

From the 1990's.

Some Victorian parasols I made with vintage lace,

tapestry fabric and embellishments.

Potpourri Bags

made with tapestry fabric and lace.

filled with potpourri.

This year I added some cloves and 

allspice in the lace ones,

a nice healthy scent. 

Victorian Cones filled with dried flowers.

 I painted white doilies with gold paint.

We didn't have the craft stores or

 Dollarstores, back then.

Some got squashed in packing.

They need refreshing. 

Covered styrofoam balls with fabric

In the cones, dried painted tansy.

I dipped the tansy in paint and let it drip.

Tansy grows wild in my region. 

A dried lime slice and a vintage victorian ornament.

In the Victorian era, dried fruit was hung on the tree.

A souvenir from London

Dried orange,  nice with a light shining through.

A pink grapefruit.

The bottom of the tree.

It's hard to get a full photo of the tree 

because it's in a corner.

If you missed my previous post on

how I dried fruit, click here 

Thanks for your visit xo

Merry Christmas!

Stay home, stay cozy and stay well.💖

🎄🎄🎄

A Blue Willow Christmas ~ 2020

I did this blog in 2020,

during the Covid Pandemic

This is a difference Christmas.

We have to stay home to

stay safe, and we cannot

 gather with anyone.

Our theme this year is

"A Blue Christmas"

My sister Annie decorated

  her tree in shades of blue.

 I'm setting up a tablescape

with her blue willow dishes.

Annie is a collector of cobolt blue glass.

also Blue Willow dishes.

The placemats I made by photographing

 Christmas songs music sheet and 

covering them in plastic.

A new platter, a gift from her daughter, Linda.

I love these bottle lights

I mixed some white and gold dishes in.

The white tree Annie made from coffee filters.

Vintage monogramed silverware

In the blue hour.

Darkness comes early

Previous blog posts,

click on title to view

Annie's Christmas tree, A Blue Christmas

My previous blog on Star-Crossed Lovers

The story of Blue Willow.

Thanks for your visit xo

Merry Christmas!

💙💙💙

Drying Fruit Naturally ~2020

Looking for things to do, 

to keep busy,

staying home, to stay safe,

during this pandemic.

(I did this blog post in 2020.)

 I decided to try

 drying fruit for decoration.

I dried oranges, apples,

 pink grapefruit,  and limes,

causing a lovely scent around the house.

I sliced them approx. 1/4 inch thick. 

I don't own a food dehydrator 

 I dried them naturally. 

I sponged them with paper towels

 to remove some juice.

Placed them on a rack so the 

air can get to them underneath

and placed the rack over a cookie sheet

in the oven.

I had one pink grapefruit.

I did slice some too thin.

But these are the prettiest when dried.

Limes

They were 10cents each at the grocery store

because they were getting old. 

I put them in the oven 200 deg. F 

for an hour, turning them after 30 minutes. 

After taking them from the oven

I put them on a rack near the heaters

and let them dry naturally for a few days,

turning them each day.

They are so pretty on the Christmas Tree

with the light shining through,

giving a stained glass effect.

Pink Grapefruit is my favourite.

The red light behind enhances it.

Orange

I made a wreath

with Oranges and Apples.

(I did get Annie in the photo)

Ok, she moved.

Also in a centrepiece.

I put in some cloves and allspice.

Gives a nice natural aroma.

Annie made the basket with jute rope.

I will give some to the birds,

at the feeder, as a special treat.

for Christmas. 

I notice the limes are browning.

Maybe I dried them too much.

This is the first time I dry fruit.

I have the feeling, it won't be the last.

Stay home and stay safe.

Good News!

The vaccine has arrived in Canada today.

Pfizer-BioNTech,

 I believe it is manufactured in Belgium. 

Although anyone with allergies

 will not be able to take it.

Hopefully,  another vaccine or 

something else will be made available.

Let's hope next Christmas,

 the virus will be behind us.

Thanks for your visit. xo

🎄🎄🎄