Vintage Christmas: Pastels Look Festive

If vintage Christmas decorations were edible, I would never have anything to display on my mantle. But I would always be sated, and there's something to be said for satisfying a sugar craving, yes?

My point is that my jumble of vintage Christmas ornaments and pastel paper houses outdid themselves this year and looked downright delicious.

The paper village was made from a kit by K & Company called Swell Noel Paper Village Crafting Pad. My niece and I put this village together one afternoon after school almost 6 years ago. We cooed over the pastel barn and congratulated ourselves when we figured out how to make the bell hang (from sewing thread) in the church bell tower.  It was so much fun.  

I would say our best moment was when, after fumbling with tree construction, we gave in and read the directions (gasp!) and realized that the tree branches were supposed to be held aloft and apart on cinnamon stick trunks.  Thank heaven I have a well-stocked pantry!  

I pulled out a jar of cinnamon sticks and the trees went together quickly.  What I liked about this moment was that it showed my niece that whoever planned this darling paper village was creative and willing to do something ridiculous in the name of making it cute.  A cinnamon stick is the perfect trunk.  It looks like wood, is the right scale and it smells wonderful.

  
I can imagine that the person who designed this village had to stand behind this idea in a corporate office somewhere.  "But cinnamon sticks aren't a household item," they would tell her.  "It's too much to ask of the customer to buy additional items" etc.  But the designer persevered and they were right.

  
If it's cute, it is always worth the effort.

Putz Houses: A Cardboard Village of Vintage Japanese Houses

I was the happiest girl at the antique show that day! I found a basket full of vintage putz houses for sale. I chose the 8 that I wanted to purchase and the dealer made me an incredible offer to buy all of them - I bit. I am the proud owner of 19.

And then the December 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living arrived in the mail a few days later.  The cover was a wreath covered in vintage putz houses! I didn't change my plans for the houses when I saw the magazine, I still want to arrange it on a table or plate rack, but I loved that Martha and I are still on the same page (wink).

The photo above shows the collection as I bought it.  I have mold allergies, so when I first got them home, I put them all in a giant Ziploc bag and placed it in the freezer for a few days. I've heard that freezing can kill spores and so far I have not suffered a sniffle. 

I've since washed the windows with a Q-tip and Windex, re-glittered some of the rooftops, painted the blue trees a proper green and painted the exterior walls of a few buildings to add variety - for example, the white house in the front left is now a lovely shade of apricot. It is okay with me that the homes are a little worn, I am not trying to take the vintage out of them. Just a touch or two to freshen them up.

I posted this photo onto my Moments of Delight Facebook Page the day I was working on them with the line "You never know what I mean when I say home improvement!" I love these little houses and they make me happy every time I see them.

I will show you my holiday village on display once I settle on a zip code in my house. They've been in several rooms so far and I just can't decide.

The Joy of Making: A Holiday Village Comes Together

I had the most wonderful time making this little village with my tween niece.  I picked her up after school, gave her a snack and offered her the option of "working on a project" with me since she didn't have much homework.

I had built two of the buildings that morning, so she could see where we were headed and as I started to fold and bend and glue the paper kit, she munched on her snack.  It wasn't long before she was completely entranced and ready to help me expand the town.  We cooed over the pastel barn; we congratulated ourselves when we figured out how to make the bell hang (from sewing thread) in the church bell tower.  It was so much fun. 

I would say our best moment was when, after fumbling with tree construction, we gave in and read the directions and realized that the tree branches were supposed to be held aloft and apart on cinnamon stick trunks.  Thank heaven I have a well-stocked pantry!  I pulled out a jar of cinnamon sticks and the trees went together quickly.  What I liked about this moment was that it showed her that whoever planned this darling paper village was creative and willing to do something ridiculous in the name of making it cute.  A cinnamon stick is the perfect trunk.  It looks like wood, is the right scale and it smells wonderful. 
I can imagine that the person who designed this village had to stand behind this idea in a corporate office somewhere.  "But cinnamon sticks aren't a household item," they would tell her.  "It's too much to ask of the crafter to buy additional items." etc.  But the designer persevered and they were right. 
If it's cute, it is always worth the effort.

Do you want to make a darling village like this?  It is a Swell Noel Village Kit that you can order online.  Make a little magic after school.

The Blue Room

I call my decorating style "Swedish Beach House." I love plate racks, painted furniture and oval back chairs. I also love the soothing colors of the sea...shades of blue, sea glass & sand. I referred to my display of Spode "Blue Room" china yesterday and I wanted to show you how it turned out. The blue wall is actually wallpapered to look like paint - it shows a grain as if it was painted with a stiff brush and I love it. I have been collecting these dishes for years, but what "makes" this display is a series of Dutch houses made of paper and filled with candy. They do not have any markings on them, but I distinctly remember the packaging boasting that they had won an award in design. My own little paper neighborhood...