What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

What's New. What's Not.

I have an incredible amount of Christmas stuff and I seem to add to it all year long every year.  I'm also very limited on space so everything has a place and has to be in that place in order for it to all get put out on display.  But, putting it out exactly the same year after year wouldn't be too fun, so I try to mix it up a bit. 

The village always goes on top of the TV wall Unit.  I usually mix it all up, but this year I noticed that I had acquired a lot of glittery churches over the past few years, so I put them all together on the top shelf and then only put out my Grocery Store Village on the second shelf.  *For anyone new reading this, I only collect grocery stores for my village since this is where The Breadman and I met. 
Raggedy Ann and Andy are front and center on the tree where they have been since I was seven years old.  That will never change.
The elves are on the shelf where they always are too, but in a different arrangement as last year. I don't think I found a new one this year.  I am on the hunt for a thrifted copy of Elf on the Shelf. 

This is new this year - I gathered up all my vintage bottle brush trees and some old German houses and made this vignette. I got the old dump truck this summer and thought is just had to hold a tree too.
The huge four foot tall Rubber face Santa is in his usual spot.  I love him so much!  I bought him for $2.00 about fifteen years ago. 
The Christmas Annalee collection has shown a huge growth spurt this year.  I found five new mice at Goodwill a few weeks ago.  Then, about a week ago, I went to an All Christmas store that is sponsored by the local thrift.  I had bought a local deal for $20.00 bought $40.00 worth of goods.  Plus, when I got there, everything was 50% off. So, I got $80.00 worth for my $20.00.  It was all new stuff and I was having trouble spending my money until I spotted a display of Annalee's!  I got six different ones plus a ton of other stuff that day.  Every Annalee I own cost me less than $1.00 each.

The Gurley Santa's are in their old clock cabinet.  I've never found a better place to put them that I like any more.
The Santa's are on their usual shelf.  I did try to mix it up a bit.  I like all the little stuff in the old candy jar on the top shelf.  And the wire crate full of my Great Grandmother's Santa face cups.

The Bean's Nutcrackers have taken over the top shelf.  He only started collecting them a few years ago and man, he has a ton!  He's got him Mom's collecting gene, that's for sure!

The old window got a shock of bling.  It looks better in real life - lots of sparkle with the wreath, glass beads and picks.  I have a ton of old marquee letters, so I made the HO HO HO this year. (*The camera was crooked, the shelf is straight.)
I found these four pots of Mercury Glass flowers this summer.  I waited all summer to use them! 

The Christmas Countdown Snowman is on the front door as usual.  The best part?  I still find my kid, even though he is sixteen, moving it over day to day first thing in the morning.  I guess you never get too old for Christmas, right?

So, have done things differently this year?  Or is the same old, same old? I don't think it really matters, because I love it all the same, new or old!

Coming up: My tour of the new American Art Museum, 2011 Christmas Candy making and an Estate Sale in an Historic Home. 

8 comments:

  1. Love your decorations I am sure it took some time to get them in the right place.
    Can't wait to see your next post
    Cathy

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  2. You have some great decorations - I love your big Santa - what a find that must have been! Vintage Christmas is just the best!!

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  3. I love your Christmas collections and how you display them. I do mine the same but different each year also. It's how it strikes me at the time and what I've added. Hugs, Linda

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  4. There's some serious Christmas eye candy here! Thank you for all these wonderful pictures! I got lost and had fun, too!

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  5. I've got the same deal over here, where everything has to go in a certain spot, because of this teeny tiny house we live in. But I like to switch it up each year too. Your Santa collection is just amazing, and I love the bottlebrush tree display on those drawers!

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  6. I flipped things around this year! You will have to come over and see some of my Annalee's. I have love every single one, but many were gifts and a allll were way more than 1.00! LOL!
    Jenny

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  7. It looks amazing (and abundant!) The Santa mugs in the crate is a great idea (and when I steal it next year, I hope I remember to give you credit.) I love those mercury glass flowers. Just love 'em.

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  8. love the bottle brush tree collecion... I have a tree collection too... all different kinds of trees... need to find an amazing pink one like you have:) Happy new year!

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