Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Christmas Allsorts

Still no tree (that paper chain tree is starting to look good!), but it is "beginning to look a little bit like Christmas" round here.

vintage pillow slips, Annabel's room.

"At least my room looks Christmassy!" Annabel

"and messy!" Me

(you just can't see the mess in this pic!)

I think she's trying to tell me something...

they're lucky!

(check the curtains. Lovely.)

from The Warmth Inside, Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories.


I buy these pillow slips whenever I see them in the oppy because we used them as Santa sacks when I was little. Five of them, always stuffed full on Christmas morning.

(I don't know how my Mum and Dad did it...one year my Mum's purse was stolen while she was waiting to pay for our toys at the checkout. I know now that she would've saved all year to buy our Christmas presents. Just imagine...)

I'm thinking of popping a couple on my own bed (I mean 'our' bed of course, Anth).

We may not have a tree, but I've got cracking and made some crackers


toilet rolls and brown paper never looked so good!

The garden's getting dressed-up for Christmas (with no help from me!)



The most important member of the family has his own stocking


more of Annabel's handiwork

still no word from the Vet yet...

Nativities, they're out, and we've got a few:

vintage plaster, no noses.


vintage plastic, there's a touch of Gilligan's Island about this one. More tropical hut than stable.

another childhood memory - the nativity and Gilligan's Island!

vintage timber, made in Bethlehem.

vintage wool (well it's as old as Adelaide anyway!)

As far as nativities go, I think it's safe to say we've got it covered! Although I can't find my favourite anywhere. St Anthony? Help!

It's Tuesday, so I'll end with my very last vintage t.t. for the year (can you cope?) 

It's a Christmas one too (my one and only!) Sent to me all the way from Blighty by lovely Gem, who found it in a Cherry Tree (aka charity shop)

thanks Gem x

and this

right on Uncle Artie!

from It Always Comes Back, as above.

x





23 comments:

  1. Dear saint nick does look a little freaky until you realize his eyes are looking down rather than leering at the children.

    Brilliance on the many nativities too.

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  2. Love your nativity collections, and Annabel's bedcover too btw. mel x

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  3. We had similar pillow slips for our santa sack too! Those ones look in good nick too. Love all your nativity sets - and Annabel's stitching too. I know what you mean aboutrealising how much your parents must have saved for your presents. Our Mum also made us many things - and with 7 kids! I just don't know how she managed it!

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  4. Lovely nativity collection and great home made crackers. I do hope St Anthony comes up with the goods, sometimes I forget to ask and then have to do all the hard work myself. ;)

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  5. Gosh you have been busy Kylie. I love the Xmas pillowslips. Good grief, you have got a lot of nativity figures - the knitted ones are great. There is nothing wrong with the loo roll and brown paper combo - they look the bees knees (as you would say, wouldn't you??). Annabel did well with Jed's stocking - I'm impressed. xx

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  6. There's something a bit strange about the Santa in the last pic! Love the pillow cases, haven't seen any like that over here.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  7. I still have my old pillowcase, my mum hollytext my name and a reindeer on it. It was always filled with lots of little presents..it was always so exciting.

    I can't imagine your poor mum on the day, it would have been so hard to save up for the toys. I remember my mum saved all year for a giggles doll for my sister and had to wait until Christmas eve to buy it. She didn't even imagine that they wouldn't have one in the shop. They did, and she still has it.

    Annabell's bed is just gorgeous! Jeds stocking looks as big as him :) xx

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  8. My heart contracted at the thought of your poor Mum standing there realising her purse had been nicked - one of the most awful feelings (has happened to me). You kids must have been pretty distraught too! (We also had pillowslips like that stuffed to the gills with gifts - and my folks were hard up - so how the dickens did they do that for 5 kids?? Must ask my Mum.)

    Thinking that Uncle Arthur could have coughed up more for a decent tree - that one looks rather Scroogy and sad.....but love your crackers Kylie...bravo you!! :)

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  9. More Christmas gold from your place Kylie...god you make me laugh. I love the vintage plaster nativity the most.

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  10. Your poor mum having her purse stolen at Christmas - absolutely horrid. I do love your pillowcases, adn vintage decorations. I reckon it looks very Christmassy round your parts! Annabel has some great handy work there - good on her! Great tt to wrap up the year. : )

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  11. Your crackers are wonderful. Since that's not a Christmas tradition here (at least, not in the South, where I live), they always fascinate me.

    I can only imagine how devastated your mom was when her purse was stolen that year. I was a single mom, and Christmas was often a struggle for me, even with just one child. I'd have to put things on lay-away and save to pay it out. I can just imagine how I would have felt if I had lost all that money after saving so diligently.

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  12. Love your vintage pillow cases Kylie, never seen anything like them before and the photo's from Uncle Arthurs bedtime stories are lovely although the tree in the first snap does look a bit sparse, like you say money was short in those days.
    Great vintage nativity figures also, we never had any in our house, bloody heathens!
    Thanks for the great trip down memory lane, no tree in this house either, giving it a miss this year, Bah humbug.

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  13. Those pillowcases are lovely. And I ADORE all your nativities.
    Jed's stocking is so cute.
    Your Christmas T.T. is great!

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  14. lovin the pc`s and the tt and the baby j`s....i think daddy in the last pic may have some santa issues....looks like he is using dear daughter as protection. Annabel`s got the right idea...chrissy decs you can sleep on!
    Allison x

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  15. Love those pillowcases, and the no-nose nativity! Oh and knitted Madonna and Child, fabulous!
    Tickle Jed's ears for me, will you? xxxx

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  16. Beautiful Kylie - who needs a tree with this fab vintage Christmas vibe going on! Love your nativity sets especially the plastic one totally Gillian-esque! I also adore the pillowcase collecting... so sad that you Mum's wallet was stolen after saving all year. xx Tina

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  17. It's all rather splendid!
    I love that wee glimpse of Annabel's room, it's awesome!
    X

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  18. Oh a pillowcase of treasure sounds so much better than just a sock. Your poor mum that year her purse got stolen, how could someone be so cruel and unkind.
    Yay I just brought a fabulous Christmas tea towell at an op-shop last week, I thought of you.
    Love v

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  19. Great Christmas cheer....we had pillow cases for sacks too filled and left on the end of our bed...those were the days when someone filled them for me!!

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  20. Great looking crackers,love the santa pillows too,hope you get some good news soon. Have a lovely Christmas with the family,Kylie.

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  21. Yours is my favourite blog. So funny. I find it hard to comment. PS I see no presents in the picture where Mother promises presents for everyone. Mother!

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  22. Hello, I hope the postie has come good? but you'll need a tree to put it under though? Love the pillowcases, I will have to find one for Mac!
    I know have cracker envy too!
    Perth sounds like a nice place to visit in 2013? :)

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  23. no noses is just fine... all these protruding filaments always lose out quick, don't they?
    our x-mas tree isn't up yet, altough all boxes and tree lie in wait... yeah. well.
    n♥

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