My Christmas Glitter House Village

It is now officially Christmas Eve Day!

It is 1:25am in SoCal. I just returned from shopping at Walmart. Still lots of people. What kind of person goes Christmas shopping at 1am? ME, that's who. Still better than it would have been earlier today or tomorrow.

At least I am officially done. I now need to start wrapping. But I think I'll try and get a few hours of sleep first.

I did finally get photos of my Christmas glitter house village.


I purchased all my houses a couple of years ago on clearance from Grandin Road. They usually have great prices when clearing out their seasonal stuff.

I think I only paid about $5.00 for each house. They were originally like $20-25 a piece.


I just got the white picket fence from Kohl's online on clearance for $2.00 after my discount. I did most of my Christmas shopping this year online. Got free shipping from every store. And the best part about shopping online. You can do it in your Jammies. And even in the middle of the night (if you are so inclined to stay up late like me).


I added a bunch of bottle brush trees that I got on sale at Michael's the other day.

I added a bunch of angel hair I found at the thrift store. I love this stuff. Reminds me of when I was a child. It does say to be careful as it is spun glass.

I found this vintage angel a couple of weeks ago at the thrift store. She was in a box of vintage ornaments that I picked up for 75 cents. For the whole box. Most of the ornaments were trashed, but I found a few treasures. Like this angel. Isn't she so sweet?

Look, a cloche within a cloche.

This was actually an ornament I found a couple of years ago. I am a sucker for anything that looks vintage. I just don't like paying vintage prices. That is why I usually by vintage reproductions. Or vintage style.


Every village needs a church.


I added a couple of vintage wooden soldiers to guard the church entrance. They were found in the 75 cent box of ornaments from the thrift store.


And we must have a little red schoolhouse. The bottle brush tree on the left is vintage. I found it last year in Phoenix at an antique store. Got it for a dollar.

The "Merry Christmas" sign on the cloche is an ornament from Target (this year).

The last house in my village.

A vintage sled ornament (from my 75 cent box of ornaments)

And finally another group of bottle brush trees under a cloche. These trees were clearance items from Grandin Road a couple of years ago. I love the green color of these trees. I wish I had purchased another set. You can never have too many bottle brush trees.

A final look at my village. There are holes in the bottom of each house. I sometimes place a battery operated tea light candle in each one to light them up. But this year I was too lazy.

I finally got up a few strands of lights outside. I had found 3 sets of vintage C9 colored lights at the thrift store. All of them worked when I plugged them in while inside the house. I put up 2 of the 3 sets last night (all by myself). I just couldn't reach the peak on the garage. So I asked hubby to put up the last set today while I was at work. But tonight when I turned them on, the set hubby put up won't light up. Boo hoo. So the lights didn't turn out so well.

But you should see my Christmas tree!

That isn't my Christmas tree. Those are the trees from my Christmas village.

Here is my Christmas tree.

OK, you caught me in a lie. This is last years tree.

You will just have to wait for this years version . I still haven't put one up. And tomorrow is Christmas. I'm still debating on if it is worth the effort at this point. Probably not. This will be the first year in 53 years that I haven't had a tree. (I'm trying to guilt myself into putting up a tree).

The good angel (put the Christmas tree up) vs. the bad angel (too much effort) is waging war in my head. I'll let you know who wins.

Until then, Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!



Linking to:

My latest thrifty finds

I am itching to start decorating for Christmas. I just have to wait until after Thanksgiving.

I found lots of goodies this past week at various thrift stores to help me in my Christmas decorating.

Like I need anything else. I have about 15 bins up in the attic with Christmas stuff. But I can't pass up a good bargain.

Here is everything. Except for the grape vine garland that I forgot I have outside. I uncoiled it and strung it out trying to straighten it out some. We'll see if it works or not. I even purchased the white batting at the thrift store. I'm going to use it on my Christmas mantel. At least that is the plan. The batting was 50 cents.

I got these 8 vintage tin Christmas cookie cutters for $1.00. They were a 1/2 price item.

This ceramic snowflake candle holder was a steal for 75 cents. I already have 2 of them that I purchased in a set from Costco a few years back. I'm sure the original set of 2 was around $10.00. I think I might glitter the three of them up with some Epsom salt. I just have to find the two I already own. I did find Epsom salt at Dollar Tree.

This Spode Christmas tree plate was another steal at 75 cents. I collect this pattern.

These vintage snow globes were 50 cents each. I sense a new collection has started. I don't know why I bought them, they are kind of cheesy looking. But hey, they are vintage. And I love vintage.

My most favorite thrift store find of the week are these mini Santa mugs. I just started collecting Santa mugs a couple of years ago. And last year was the first year I started with the mini mugs. I got all 6 of these mini mugs for FREE. Yes you heard right, FREE. The woman at the thrift store threw them in for free when I purchased the larger Santa mug in the next photo.

Also in the back of the photo is a set of mini grape vine wreaths. I'll probably use them for napkin rings. Cost, 25 cents.

And here is the larger Santa mug that cost $2.00. Originally the woman at the thrift store said the mini Santa mugs would be 25 cents a piece. But since I was also buying the larger mug, she said I could have the whole lot for $2.00. Yipee!

The mini Santa mug in this photo came from a different thrift store and has a candle inside. It and the Snowman mini stack-able boxes were 50 cents each.

These 2 urns came from a thrift store down in San Diego county. We were down in San Diego last Thursday to attend my work Thanksgiving luncheon. We always hit up Amvets thrift store while in El Cajon. It was my favorite thrift store when I lived down there. How I miss that store.

I originally found them on a shelf and they were not priced. Now Amvets won't sell you anything that doesn't have a price tag. So I gave them to one of the workers. She took them in back and about 15 minutes later, I just happen to see them being brought back out, with price tags. They each were now marked $2.00, but miscellaneous was 1/2 off that day so that meant they were now $1.00 each. SOLD.

I really don't need anymore urns, but I can't seem to turn down a deal on something I love to collect. I think I will paint them Heirloom white. They may end up at Christmas topiaries of some sort.

And finally I found me some jingle bells. 2 small jingle bell wreaths and a bag of bells. They were $1.00 each. I love how they are tarnished. Hubby already snagged 2 of the bells from the bag to put on our new dog's collar.


What? I didn't tell you about our new dog? She is a golden retriever named Cookie.

I don't have any good photos yet. She doesn't sit still long enough for me to get a photo that isn't blurry.


She is a rescue dog from an elderly woman who could no longer care for her. We think she is about 5 years old. She is the perfect dog for our family. And the first dog I've owned since I was a teenager. And that was a bazillion years ago. My adult sons are beyond thrilled. This is their first dog.

Total cost of thrift store finds: $12.25 (not counting the grape vine garland I didn't show)
New dog: Priceless




Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

"Ode to Summer" Mantel

I am so glad that I am not a kid anymore. Cause nowadays it would mean that Summer is almost over. Time to go back to school. Ugggh!

And since I am older, that means I don't have any kids at home that need to get ready for school. Whew!

I hated school when I was a kid. I still get a pit in my stomach when I see back to school supplies in the store. So I'm already feeling queasy.

Back in the olden days we didn't start school until after Labor Day. So for me, August was the month our family went on vacation or to the beach. So August was the highlight of my summers.

Plus it's the month of my birth.

So I decided I wasn't going to let some school supplies at Target ruin my favorite month of the Summer. I would make my own personal "Ode to Summer Mantel".

And what is more fun than a road trip? How about a road trip to the beach?

I made this "Summer" garland from an old map of California (thanks to my favorite neighbor Rox). And some vintage letters (thanks to Google).

My favorite things about Summer.

I knocked off this "Life is good at the Beach" sign. Cause you know what? Life is definitely good at the beach. Except for when you get sand underneath your contacts, then it sucks. Or when you get sunburned.

The sign is made from recycling some cedar fence planks.

Not only do I love the beach. I love mermaids, shells and books.

I found this rusty mermaid in Cave Creek Arizona of all places. You don't think of the beach when you think of Arizona. So of course I had to bring her home to SoCal where she could hang out at my pool. Not quite the beach, but a good substitute.

I found this piece of coral at my local thrift store a few weeks back for a buck. I've tried everything to get the brown off, but so far, nothing has worked. The brown is kind of growing on me now.

I grew up in San Diego County so my favorite beach was La Jolla Shores. And Mission Bay by the Bahia Resort Hotel if we wanted calmer waters.


Someday I hope to visit more beaches on the East Coast. Like Cape Hatteras.

I have been lucky enough to visit Cocoa Beach in Florida and Ocean City Maryland.

The Atlantic Ocean is much warmer than the Pacific. Especially at Cocoa Beach. But I never did see Major Anthony Nelson or a Genie bottle. I always wanted to be Jeannie when I was a kid. Can you imagine the fun you could have with such power.


The only thing I don't like about being the water at the beach is, "Jaws".

I can't even swim in my own pool after dark because of that movie. And it's been over 30 years. Some phobias we never outgrow.

I wanted a vintage beach bucket in the worse way. But I'm too cheap to pay more than a few bucks for one. And since the one I really wanted was listed for $115 on eBay (who would pay that kind of moolah?), I decided to just make my own.

I used a galvanized tin bucket that I got awhile ago from Target's Dollar Spot, or maybe it was Michael's dollar bins. Anyhoo, I found me a cheapo bucket. Painted it, used a Sharpie pen to write "Seaside", used sand paper to rough it up a bit and then slathered on some watered down burnt umber paint. And called it done.

Well, not quite done. After filling with sea shells, it was DONE.

This coral I've had for about 20 something years. I purchased it for my son's first fish tank when he was just a wee lad. I placed the coral & vintage knock off bucket on top of this cool old metal box I found at the thrift store last week for 50 cents. The box is missing it's latch, but I don't care. Love the patina on this box.


As you can tell, I've loved the beach since I was a small child. Yup, that's me in the hat and sun glasses. Just waiting to be found so I could become a star. I'm still waiting.


Doesn't this metal lantern from Ikea just scream summer?


I added a vintage looking beach print I found online to the back. I stole, I mean borrowed all my images from Google. Wrapped a shell necklace around the candle.

Added a tag I made from the map. Have you ever been to Yuma Arizona? Quite the vacation destination. NOT! Sorry to all you who may live in Yuma, or be from Yuma, but a vacation destination, you are not.


I even recycled some votive candle holders that were left over from my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. I just pealed off the label, slathered on some glue & rolled in this course sand. I saw this idea somewhere online, but did I save it to Pinterest? Heck no. It seems that everything I used in this post that I wanted a source to, I didn't save in Pinterest.

I placed the updated votives on this wood thing a majig (it's late & I have no idea what you would call this wood tray. How about a wood tray?) I found the wood tray at the thrift store. Where else? Hubby said it reminded him of the wood stuff you bring back from Hawaii. Or us old timers used to bring back from Hawaii. I wouldn't know as I've never been to Hawaii. But it's on my bucket list.

And there you have my beachy summer mantel aka: My Ode to Summer


Now I think I will go have a dip in the pool. Since it's too late to drive to the beach. But then again, it's dark and Jaws might be in the pool. Are you hearing the Jaws theme too? I thought so.

I better play it safe & just go to bed and dream of laying on a beach in Hawaii. At least I'm skinny, tan & about 25 years younger in my dream.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and don't go near the back to school aisles, unless you really have to.




Linking to:

Tip Me Tuesday @ Tip Junkie

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Sat Nite Special @ Funky Junk

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatortots and Jello

VIP Party @ Designer Garden

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

{Re} Create into something new @ Not So Simple Housewife

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life