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.

Friday, December 05, 2014

The Christmas is DONE. Well, Almost.

Are your Christmas decorations up?  I have been working on mine since the day before Thanksgiving and I finished everything today except the tree.  That is a lot longer than I planned on it taking, but we had Thanksgiving on Sunday, so I had to clear a path through the house, cook and get ready for that plus the clean up and putting away the good dishes, glasses and silverware we only use on the holidays the next day.  All of that along with my regular chores like the never ending pile of laundry since it got cold out (I call the Breadman the "Walking Laundry Basket" because he wears an entire load of clothes at one time) and working around his naptime PLUS during our Thanksgiving dinner I announced, "My throat hurts" and I wound up sick all week.  So, even though it took forever to get done, I am kind of surprised that I actually got it done!  

Today, all I had left was the tree and that was going to be today's project and I would be DONE.  We got a new tree three years ago  - 6.5 ft., pre-lit, easy peasy.  Plugged it in this morning and the whole middle section's lights are ka-put.  That sweet boy of mine worked for HOURS trying to replace every bulb and every fuse - but it never did kick on.  All I can think to do is get some strands of lights and work them in.  I know they will never completely match up but I put SO many ornaments on that tree - I think I will be the only person to notice.  I really want to get it done this weekend (I have hundreds and hundreds of things to put on it) so I can enjoy it until it is time to take the cursed thing down in a few weeks!  Time flies, HUH?

A few peeks at what I have done.  Many things are always the same here - village on the TV cabinet, Santa's in the corner bookshelf, etc.  I don't have much room for new places and new ideas.  But I do try to mix it up and make it a little different every year.  

This is my little hutch.  I never really intended to keep this when I bought it, but I have had more fun setting it up with my tiny things for every holiday.  One of the little village sets is from West Germany and one is from Italy.  I never knew what to do with all these little things before - now they have a place!  

The Dime Store decor is in it's usual place.  I don't think I had anything new to add to this display this year.  I only had a small basket of new finds this year.  I sold all the rest of what I found!  Yea me!  

Oh, I did get two of those plastic Santa boot candy containers this year.  And a couple new to me Ornament hook boxes.  

The Santa's are on the bookshelf.  A few new faces in there, but not many.  A few didn't make the cut this year.  Sometimes I have to make hard choices.  

The elves are working away up on top of my craft cabinet.  I added an 'Elves at Work' sign up at the top after I took this photo.  I know a truck with bottle brush trees is almost passe at this pint, but I adore it.  Plus that green picnic tin is just about perfection!  (Thanks Chanelle!)

If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen these photos.  If you don't follow me - well you should!  I post a couple times a day at the most.  I don't like clogging up anyone's feed, plus I don't have that much to show!  I love Instagram, but I will always, always, always blog.  Pink ypromise.  

Tomorrow Lara and I are off to the Little Craft Show.  I would like to be a vendor there someday, so I need to check it out.  Looks like a fun time.  Hope you have some fun on your list this weekend too! 

10 comments:

  1. Wow, Shara! I love all your vintage Christmas! I think considering all that was going on, you're lucky to only have the tree left to decorate! You have a ton of vintage goodness to put out. I feel bad complaining about getting my Christmas things out after looking at your tonage! Decorating done here (as meager as it seems now that I've seen yours) other than the ornaments for the tree. Will get that done today.... Our tree had a section of lights out and bless my hubby... he knew it had to be unplugged somewhere and he followed all the wires til he found it! All lit again. Thanks for sharing all your vintage Christmas!

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  2. Wonderful holiday collection - wow!!

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  3. Shara it is looking great! I have a 4ft tree and I loaded it down this year with ornaments. I know what you mean about making the hard choices sometimes with our decor. I have my vintage and few other things I love and some of the rest is going going gone! Enjoy your craft show!
    hugs,
    Linda

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  4. Looking quite festive! Nice to pull treasures out and enjoy them for the holidays...always like Christmas when you unpack the bins and see new stuff you found during the year!

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  5. Well, we just put up the tree this morning because I had to wait for my Dad to deliver it from UT and I do have all of the boxes pulled out, but I haven't decorated a single thing! I was in charge of a big giant event at my church on Thursday and that sucked up all my time/energy since I came home from being out of town for Thanksgiving. I told Q that starting next year we are STAYING HOME for Thanksgiving! When it is so late in the season like it was last year and this, it just throws me off completely--I feel like I fall behind and never really catch up. And if I decide to do a Christmas market next year, I swear I am setting up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween, otherwise I'll be too wiped out like I was last year!

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  6. Loving it all and feeling spoiled to see all your sneak peeks on Instagram. Christmas hugs.

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  7. Looking great Shara! Your collections are so fun. I did my tree, dining room and one cabinet, that's it. I usually do the kitchen and bath too but I just was not feeling like dragging up all those totes this year! But I like what I did and nobody's complaining so I'm calling it done! Maybe you'll have a few new goodies to display this year, your box is packed and ready to ship Monday!

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  8. Love all the Dime Store stuff. I have a bunch of it scattered throughout the house too. Hopefully the tree and bottle brush trees aren't too passé. I haven't done one yet!

    Erica

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  9. Your home looks great. I haven't started yet. Our tree has the middle section out too. My daughter has spent hours with them every year. Now we just string lights in that area too. Next tree is LED lit and no more blackouts.

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  10. You certainly managed to get a lot done in a short time, good job! I'm so far behind with life in general that I don't even think we're going to get any of our decorations out of the attic. I did manage to get my tablecloth and placemats out, but that's it so far and maybe all.

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