Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Many Blessings of 2011


 2011 brought many changes to our house, Chris and Brandi had gotten married in October of 2010, my little family was growing.  I had also started a blog about that same time, Green Creek Primitives was born in honor of my father who had given me my love of old.  The kids had also decided to go ahead and start their little family we were expecting our first grandchild in late July.  But life has its many changes, Oliver decided he needed to come 3 months early. 
 Life has its scarey side to, weighing in at only 1 lb. 14 ozs. our little Oliver was here.  Not knowing the outcome then, all they knew is that he was a little fighter, he was determined to survive.  About that time is when I realized I had another blessing, my blog.  After the first of the year I decided to make my blog more personal, little did I realize what lay ahead.  When Oliver was born and I had put it on my blog, well blogging friends are the best, I had gotten emails and gifts offering prayers and support, some telling me about their premies and how everything would turn out alright.  I had never experienced such warm, caring thoughtfulness in my life from people I had never met.  Blessings come from places you least expect it sometime.
 The first time I had gotten to hold that small bundle of joy, you just don't realize how small he was until you have held him.  He has come so far since then.
 Oliver finally came home after three months in the hospital, this is one of my favorite pictures of Chris and Oliver together.
And of course one of my blessings of the year, Oliver, looks like he is really concentrating on the butterfly, trying to decide how to get his hands on it.  I am so blessed to be able to keep him some each week, just watching this little miracle grow, looking forward to the many things he will learn and things he will achieve in the coming year, being there to see it, priceless.  I wanted to say thank you to each one of you that has ever left me a comment, joined my blog, sent me emails, cards and gifts, it touch me in a way you will never know, blogging friends are the best, looking forward to this coming year of sharing things that are going on in my life, but also dropping by your blogs to keep up with all of you as we go through this life's journey.  Blessings to you all, Hugs Vicky

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Winter Decorating

 Well ladies get yourself a cup of coffee lots of decorating going on in this post.  This area is one of my favorite to decorate.  This is on top of a old pie safe in my bedroom.  I happen to find a snowman that looks a little more primitive to go in this grouping.
 Sorry turned out a little blurry, this little blue cabinet I picked up several years ago at a country gathering show.  I love the little angel and one of many little pairs of old high top shoes I collect.
 This reproduction cabinet picked up at Primitive Gatherings Shop also hangs in my bedroom, which I have done in reds, blues and browns.  Love the blue covered books and a little doll tucked in.  Decided to add one of my many mice I collect.
 This is in my hallway, very narrow, just could not leave this area bare, can't have not empty spaces.  LOL  I love this snow lady I found a few years ago, thought she would look good sitting on my favorite piece, the old grain bin.  The cabinet I found at Settler's Crossin.
 I have fallen in love with pinkeeps, well here is my favorite, just got it from Rabbit Hill Primitives, he is going to be hanging out year round.  It is made so you can remove the candy cane and little silver ball.  The little rabbint on top of the snowball is just adorable.  Decided to pair it with the little white shoes and an old family picture of my mom's mother, she is on the left and my greatgrandmother, in the middle and her sister.
 Just got this large guy from Gatherings, yes Wanda is always shipping me something, she has a fantastic shop, good thing I don't live it would all be at my house.  Just put a few frozen branches and berries in an old advertising box.
 This snow girl has got to be one of my favorites, she is just wanting to go skating or sleding.  Thought she would look nice in my makedo chair were you can see her as you come in the door in my den.
 My favorite stepback cabinet that I change with the seasons.  Love the Arnett snowman found at Nanbrook Farm this year.
 I just love this mouse I picked up at Settler's Crossin, wished I had gotten some other ones she had.  This one is on her skis caring her baby on her back, she sits in the bottom of that stepback.
 On the other end of the space sits an old pair of brown shoes with the sweetest pair of old brown mittens, just one of  the neatest things I have found at Settler's Crossin.
 This reproduction dough box I found at Primitive Souls at Gibson Mill is used this season on my kitchen island.  Just added an old crock, one of my many rolling pins and an old bowl.
 This narrow ledge is above my sink area, very hard to decorate, but I thought it turned out nice with my advertising sign, rolling pin and of course had to have a gingerbread man for this time of the year.  My sister had made him.
 Area above my kitchen cabinets, which I hope to get painted next year in a weatherbroad color.  Love this old basket, which I change out things in it for the seasons.  Another gingerbread man, which I wish  had gotten more of or had the time to make some this year.  Little old crock and of course a mouse, just love him.
 This doll which is sitting in a very old childs chair was made for me by my sister several years ago.  She wanted to make me a seasonal doll, I love the details she did, the berries for her hair and the little snowflakes she hand done on her dress.  A very special treasure.
 This is another area I usually do up for the seasons, this cabinet sits in my hallway outside my bathroom,  I am redoing some of the bathroom will have to share pictures with you later.  Love the light, I had gotten two different one day when I was up visiting Teresa at her shop The Rusty Relic.  This is another one of my favorite snowmen, he is holding carrots and the tag reads, Noses for Sale.  Another mouse, this one is skating, handmades just add so much to a house.
 Back in the kitchen, I decided to add this little snowboy to my kitchen counter this year, he fits in with all my primitives used in my kitchen.
 I don't know if you can tell whats in the little green box, I have filled it with little tiny white bells.  They remind me of my childhood when my father had his shop, on the back of the old door coming into the shop was a bell that would ring everytime someone would come in.  Its amazing what we remember, but everytime I see a bell I think of that old bell in his shop, it now hangs on mother's back door.
 I love this old advertising chocolate baking box I picked up on one of my many trips to Charleston.  I decided to put one of my favorite gifts that was given to me by my aunt when she was selling her house after my uncle had died.  I just love all the cookie cutters she had collected, since then I have added a few I have come across.
 The daddy mouse pulling the sled with the little mouse on it is one of my favorites.  It reminds me of my father when I was young.  Back when I was probably 5 or 6  and my sister was just a toddler, my father had this old very large round tin coca cola sign that we would get in and he would pull us in it when it snowed.  I often think of that old sign used as a sled everytime it snows, wondering what ever happened to it, a very special memory of my dad.
 This is one of my favorite boxes I use to put other items I just love.  I picked up this primitive gingerbread man this year, really liked how they used the paper on him tied with string.  Picked up this old cookie cutter on my last trip to Charleston in a new antique shop I found.  Another one of my cookie molds also I collect, which they are hard to find.
 Fell in love with the dried oranges this year, they smell so good.  Thought I would add the little mouse with his stocking cap to the drying rack.
 This area is in the corner of my kitchen, not much wall space in my kitchen, love the old bowl and corner candle rack.
 OK Jack had to get in the picture when I was taking pictures of the kitchen.  Well  as it turned out we had to change Jack's name to Jackie after she had kittens.
Thought I would share a couple of pictures of Oliver's room which is still in the decorating process, yes still tweaking his room, will share finished results with you soon.  This picture took dark, just too cloudy today.  I am doing his room in blues, reds, tans, and a touch of mustard. 
 I thought this wagon was just adorable made out of an old pepsi box.  Found it and the old wood blocks on my last trip to Charleston.  The bear with the red stocking cap is one of my favorites.
 I had gotten a large snowman head from Marie, OLM, so I decided to make a snowman out of it for my porch this time.  Thought he turned out really cute, had to tie him in so my cats would not knock him over.
 I had gotten this old blue wagon from Splinter and Rags a couple of years ago.  I have decided to use it for my seasonal outdoor decorating.  I had found the cement snowman when I had gone to Settler's Cross Christmas open house, just added a sign sleigh rides.  Notice my Iris's already coming up behind the wagon, just been to warm here.
 I just love this twig container, decided to use this snowman, done by a local artist, also added an old shovel, love collecting gardening tools, and brought out the little mouse with his ear muffs on.
 Oliver just hanging out watching a little tv with his Uncle Justin, I think these two are going to be big buddies.
 OK, after hanging out a while with Uncle Justin, Oliver decided it was time to take a nap on Nana.
Oliver all dressed up in his candy cane tie, just been to have his picture taken with old St. Nick.  Oliver and I would like to send you all warm blessings and hugs, thanking all of you that have joined me on my first year blogging adventure and leaving me all those very nice comments, all of which I read and treasure, you all are the best.  Hugs. Vicky and Oliver

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Winter Decorating Part 1

 Well doesn't feel much like a winterwonderland here today, its around 70 and I have plants starting to come up from the ground, feels more like spring.  But its starting to look like winter inside, I always decorate for the seasons, it stays up for 3 months and I usually do a little tweaking in between.  I just love this mouse wreath I had ordered from Gatherings, just love Wanda's shop.  I tend to decorate with a lot of mice and snowmen in the winter.
 This is one of my favorite snowmen I have collected over the years.  I picked up the little pair of mittens at the Rusty Relic this time.  I had found an old sled someone had made, love using it in my arrrangement along with some frozen greenry, which I fell in love with last year.
This is one of my favorite stepback's, it was made by my friends husband several years ago, one of my first pieces I collected.  Love to display my pewter on it this time of the year.  I think my favorite part is the top to decorate with the different seasons.
 A blue box found on one of my trips to Va. and one of my pinkeeps I love to collect.  The two small sheep were made by my friend Justine at Mycronynme Primitives, she has some really neat items on her website.
 Love this old trencher my aunt had given me, found the dried oranges this year at Nanbrook Farm they smell so good, the apples came from the Rusty Relic.
 The eight place setting of pewter I found here at a local high end thrift shop a couple of years ago, love using some of my blue willow plates with it.
 And here is my favorite part of the cabinet, just love decorating it with the different seasons, this cabinet sits in my dining room.  The large bowl was a gift from a friend and the large bowl rack I found at Primitive Gatherings shop in Tn.  I found the large frozen branch, which I love at The Country Heart in N.C.  I had also picked up the ginger guys there a couple of years ago, since then I have been making them, great pattern.  The snowman and the little pail was picked up at Nanbrook Farms Christmas open house this year.
 This is the bottom of the cabinet, a collection of crocks and the picture sitting behind it has special meaning, I helped my oldest son Justin with that when he was in school and won an award for it.
 One of my new snowmen purchased from Sweetpeas's Primitive, just love the pipe and corncob used for his hat and the feedsack she used for his body.
 I had found this cute snowman in a local antique mall here several years ago.  Love the rabbit with the carrot, the tag on the snowman reads; Have you seen my nose?
 Top of a old slant top desk picked up on one of my many trips to Charleston.  I made the little mouse, decided he needed some earmuffs.  I have been collecting samplers lately, this one I picked up at The Rusty Relic, she has some neat ones. I have a couple more coming will have to share them with you.
 This awesome snowman came from Settler's Crossin along with half her store I purchased that day.LOL. Just love his coat and hat which is made out of a quilt.  I had actually moved my living room around, love the cabinet here better, gives me more room, we have Oliver's pack n play in this room.
 Bowl rack sits on top of the old blue cabinet with a couple of old bowls. Added some frozen branches and a sheep here.  The whalers lamp was purchased from Wanda at Gatherings.
 Inside of this cabinet, just a few odds and ends I lilke, picked up over it years.  And of course the picture you see on my blog, which is of my great grandmother and my grandmother when she was about 11.  My great grandmother died a year after this picture was taken.
 On the other side of the room is this step back cabinet, it is a new piece, but I love it, so hard to find the old ones.  Love the little mustard hanging shelf with the pewter on it.
 This is the top, picked up the deer a couple of years ago from Primitive Gatherings shop in Kingsport, Tn.  The old large basket was a recent purchase from Settler's Crossin.
 A few of my cookie molds I collect, I have this thing for wood items.  The old white buttermilk pitcher I got from my father's antique shop when I was a teenager.  When my son Chris was born, Oliver's dad, my hubby and oldest son, Justin he was 3 then, they had picked wild pink roses and brought them to the hospital to me, a memory I will always treasure along with the pitcher.
 I have been collecting old crocks lately, this one I found on one of my trips down to Settler's Crossin, and the needlework I had done back after my father died, I had to keep busy, I turned out several of those then.
 Can't wait until Oliver can use my old red rocker I used as a child, the snowman is holding my storybook my father use to read to me.  The old crock belonged to my uncle, my aunt gave it to me after he died.
 Top of an old blanket chest that sits in front of my couch.  Love the old red measure with the rag balls collected over time.  The snowman hat and mittens were done by a local artist.
 The little drummer boy was made by my sister, no pattern, she is very talented.  Well needless to say it never made it out of my house, had to have it.  My son Chris plays the drums, Oliver will probably follow in his footsteps.  She did a fantastic job on the donkey and the sheep.
I love the mustard shelf, it holds my every growing pinkeep collection.  Speaking of pinkeeps, just got a new one in the mail today, will have to find the perfect place for it, a little rabbit sitting on a snowball, will have pictures of it coming.
Saved this to last, my oldest son Justin giving Oliver a new toy he had found for him.  Justin just loves Oliver so glad he just lives up the street from him, I think Oliver will enjoy going to Uncle Justin house.  Oliver is doing well, he now weighs 13 lbs. and he loves to eat his veggies, can also hold his cup now, progressing really well.  We are thankful for his progress after not knowing how things would turn out after being born so early. Well that is just a little of my decorting for this season, will try to get the rest of the pictures took and loaded up.  Everyone have a great week, Hugs.  Vicky