Christmas in our Shop

I'm a Christmas worrier. I'm afraid to wait until the last minute to shop; what if I get sick and can't? So, I usually try to get done a couple weeks ahead. We were running late this year, and didn't go shopping until the weekend before. And guess what happened? I got sick - from Christmas shopping! Oh the irony! Apparently I picked up a cold from one of my fellow shoppers. We shopped Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon - and Monday I got slammed with a cold. Aack!!! I've managed to keep the shop open, though my hands may fall off from washing them so often to try to keep from passing my cold to anyone else. By evening, I'm exhausted, and sleep all evening on the couch, running a fever which I typically do with a cold. Bah humbug! It's now Christmas eve morning, in the wee hours. 2:30 to be exact. I just woke up, went to the kitchen to get a drink, and am now wide awake. All that sleep must be catching up with me. But, I'm happy to say I'm feeling much better. I think I'll live after all! I glanced at the outside thermometer while I was up - it is 74 degrees! In the wee hours of Christmas Eve! Unbelievable! And raining. There were a line of storms moving toward us, but they must have fallen apart. Such an odd December.

While I'm laying here wide awake, I may as well do something productive. I'll show you some photos of our shop this Christmas:

Sleigh ride!

Ornaments galore.

This was a candle sconce, Home Interior I believe. 

I took the candles out & replaced them with snowmen.

A little garland gave this old stepladder a festive look.

This was a door we cut into 2 pieces. 

A fast seller, I'll be looking for more doors for next year.

Prim wreath.

Some pine and berries dressed up this nativity.

Window display.

The base of this is a wreath. 

The cardinal's nest nestled right into it. 

Nest nestled. 

I'm getting sleepy again!

Good night!

Country Life = And Finally Some Snow

We have snow! It's been so odd this year, 60 and even 70 degree weather in December. It's not that unusual to get warm days here and there, but day after day? Crazy! Today was the first time this season that most customers that came in had on winter coats. And this evening, it snowed. This is the view when I opened our front door. I didn't step out on the porch - Baby, it's cold outside!

Hmmm, that would make a good song title. Maybe that's already been done......

Country Life = One year old - Already!

Our little guy is one year old today!

So hard to believe a whole year has gone by already.

We had a party for him yesterday, complete with his very own cake.

A little tentative at first.........

........but once he got hold of a fork, he dove in. 

We are crazy about our sweet grand-baby!

His personality is really starting to show.

He loves to laugh.

He loves people.

He  is constantly on the go, looking for the next thing to get into.

And though he knows what the word NO means, 

he doesn't necessarily feel the need to obey it. 

Sweet & Strong Willed.

It's going to get interesting!

December? Doesn't Feel Like It!

I put together another Facebook image....

Why? Because it's December 12. And it's 70 degrees. Crazy.

This is the entrance to our shop today.

Door open. Birds singing. Wooden snowmen in the window melting.

Well, the part about the wooden snowmen melting may be a bit of an exaggeration.

This must be what Christmas in the south feels like.

Here in the northern panhandle of WV, we are used to doing our Christmas shopping all bundled up in coats & gloves & hats & boots. And complaining as we do so about how cold it is. 

I've heard it may finally turn to winter next weekend. Which will be kinda hard on the flowers that have decided to bloom this weekend. Crazy!

December? Maybe according to the calendar, but you can't tell it by the Christmas shoppers strolling along in their T-shirts!

Creating My Own Images

I used to be so good about posting every couple of days. 

What happened? 

Life. 

Life happened.

It's a struggle to find the time for blogging.

But I'm going to try again.

Recently, I found a website called Canva.com

I've been using it to create some fun images for Facebook pages.

This one is the cover photo for a Facebook page

I started recently called Uptown Moundsville.

It features our uptown/downtown area,

which is full of tourist attractions & shopping.

I plan to make several encouraging the 

Shop Small & Support Local movement.

Our neighboring towns to the north and south are 2015 State Champs.

Seemed only fitting to design an image in their honor.

So true!

This one is in response to the shrinking Facebook reach on my own store page. 

You can see the whole post here.

There have been more, but I won't bore you with ALL of them,

 But I'm having lots of fun creating them!