Holiday Mamasita: Decking the Halls...

Rudolph greets you at our front door.

I found this vintage sled and reindeer on the same "tiquing" (what my family call antique shopping) trip, but at different stores. The Spirit of Christmas yet-to-come, guiding me, no doubt! Both Rudolph and the red sleigh are chipping, but I love the old look so I leave them as is. I've always wanted a real sleigh for the front yard, but haven't found the right one yet. Frosty is made out of tin and is pierced with snowflakes...I fill him with lights and illuminate him at night.

Every year we add live greenery to the house, with a healthy dose of red. Poinsettias brighten the flower boxes.

My daughter, Natalie, put together this silvery winter wonderland. Some of the glass bead garland and old postcards I collect are in the background.

My Christmas village is a combo of a 'It's a Wonderful Life' set and Currier and Ives houses. The Currier and Ives pieces are reproductions of homes featured in some of the prints I collect.

The "old Granville home," that Mary and George Bailey fix up is in front and Mary's childhood home is behind it to the left.

Welcome to Downtown Bedford Falls, with the Bailey Building and Loan in the background and Martini's Bar on the right.

These are three of the Currier and Ives Homes. The man was carrying firewood, but I added the little Christmas tree.

Notice Santa and his reindeer up on the housetop.

This is when George runs into the tree a man's grandfather had planted. Soon after he meets Clarence Oddbody, the angel, on the bridge. Clarence is in the background holding his copy of Tom Sawyer in which he inscribes, "Dear George, remember, no man is ever a failure who has friends..."

My kitchen sideboard.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Some of my favorite Christmas classics.

You may recognize my hot chocolate

and coffee station, in my butler's pantry,

from an earlier post.

I got these great Tom and Jerry mugs in Montana a couple of years ago. I love the milk glass. I have three or four designs. Very 30's or 40's. The vintage table cloth came from the estate sale of Frank Kelly, President Truman's speech writer. His kids gave it to me because I liked it so much.

Look at these beautiful glass garlands! About 15 years ago, I bought a shoebox full of old Christmas stuff and fell in love with the glass garlands it contained. Since then I have collected numerous strands, but they have become very expensive...where I used to buy strands for a few dollars, now they are often over $20 a strand. I especially love the multi-colored strands.

Miniature ornaments for my feather trees.

I love using beautiful ribbon to finish off my wrapping. I have to admit I save most of the ribbon I use from year to year... a habit I picked up from my dear, old, Nana...at least I don't save paper...yet!

Another collection...glass domed winter scenes.

I love finding old ornaments still in their boxes. You can see I got this box for a whopping $1!

The portraits of my great, great grandparents, Dr. Francis Henry and Petra Carrillo Goodwin, add to the old-world feeling of my house.

My Aunt Lucy often gives me a pear ornament for Christmas or Thanksgiving. She gave me this Department 56 Partridge in a Pear Tree set years ago. I "pair" it, pun intended, with an especially lovely strand of gold, glass, garland.