Christmas Tour of Homes 2007

Welcome, friends, family, foes, and Fortune 500 moguls. (The first three may leave comments; the last ones please leave a donation.)


A barndoor "Z" is a year-round fixture on the porch post. I've decorated with a garland of poinsettias A pair of antique skis I found at a yard sale for $3. The wreath was made by Missy Geiwitz, the year Paul led their care group.

A pair of ice skates on an old Red Flyer sled (another yard sale treasure, $3.) Perry Penguin greets our visitors, asking, "Have you seen my lost mitten?"









I arranged cinnamon-scented pinecones and burlap fruit in a wicker bowl, plunked it down on a bed of cotton snow, and called it a bench blessing. Come sit a spell--if you're a polar bear. I'm heading inside!





Piano greenery. The clock was an anniversary to my parents from my mom's parents. The leaded glass cookie jar was a wedding present from my Granny. I have it filled with cranberries. Hymnal collection is special: one is from my Grandpa Dauber when he pastored . Another belonged to my dad.






The Dining Room. Greens in a soup tureen. The art in this room is a nod to my love of Renoir.

Below: Gifts waiting to be given
or mailed. Click on the picture
to see the toy on top of the mailbox.
I picked it up in Russia. Grab the handle, spin it, and the little chickies
peck away at the painted-on food!

This was a picture of the table the
night Stephen made our Greek meal.

Enter the kitchen.

Kitchen table centerpiece:
Gold charger for the base,
then some aluminum foil in a circle, topped with a snowflake made from a coffee filter, and adorned with a wonderful hand-me-down vanilla candle from Beth. (Thanks, Beth!) I've threaded some copper colored poinsettia ribbon through copper cookie cutters. and tied it around the bottom of the candle. I love shiny, simple things. Cost? Less than five bucks! And when I need the cookie cutters, there they are!



On top of school bookcase: Nesting dolls and a tapestry from Russia.








Fresh arborvitae from the yard and some fake cranberries on a
glass table lamp in the family room.









A Charles Wosocki puzzle we put together as a family one winter. The puzzle is very much "us."
I framed it and just recently
moved it to a new home above the TV armoir. More candles courtesy of Beth!





Our ceramic nativity. I tried to position the wise men and shepherd straining in close to see the baby Jesus. It reminded me of the joy I had in watching people visit me and my babies when I gave birth. All eyes on the newborn!
Next to that Joel's tree that Sarah bought him at Michael's and decorated. He wanted it near the "daddy tree."






Sweet singing angel made by Diane Smith and Sue Timko.





















Our tree. Every year we've gotten a fresh tree. I just love the smell of pine. When I was a girl, my daddy and we girls planted 450 pine saplings on our new little farm. The aroma will forever bring back happy memories. Sarah and Joel usually decorate it, but this year I did it pretty much single-handedly. Decided to put 21 years' worth of sentiment on it.





Merry Christmas, One and All!








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