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Post by Duddahs on Dec 1, 2010 17:45:48 GMT -6
Duddahs fly's into the Gryffindor Common Room... Been too quiet in here of late.. Settles down atop the Study Table which sits just below the Leaded Glass Windows overlooking the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is a lovely day outside. Just getting a bit nippy and Duddahs is sure that the lake will be frozen over all too soon!  |
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Post by Duddahs on Dec 6, 2010 10:35:58 GMT -6
Oh, I have been procrastinating so badly of late. I had promised Miss Charlotte that I would post some images of the Newport House. Now remember that it is just simple but it is still enjoyable and it was a very nice Thanksgiving with my parents. Oh also the image that shows the back of the house, that is the deck that J.J. rebuilt this summer minus the awning (we just took it down off its frame just before I took the image.) Hope you enjoy these. Front of the house  Back of house.  View from back of property of First Beach  Another view of First Beach from back of property  View of part of Cliff Walk standing on First Beach  Looking back at the peninsula where my house is from First Beach (house is to the right of the very large white house on the waters edge and back just a bit, remember my view is partially obscured by this massive house on the edge of the water, now you can see why. It is huge!)  |
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Post by Duddahs on Dec 15, 2010 18:33:20 GMT -6
Duddahs the Great Barn Owl so loves this joyous time of the year. Duddahs wishes he could personally invite each and everyone of you to his very humble nest and to celebrate the joys of Friendship. As the next best thing, Duddahs is bringing some of his own Holiday Joy to all of you to enjoy and share with him here. Hope you enjoy! (ps Duddahs sucks as a photographer)Duddahs and Dudespups Big Tree   The Window Tree  Dudespups 1950's Little Tree in the Sun Room  Duddahs Antique Glass Bird Tree. (All the birds are Antique Blown Glass) The Fireplace and Duddahs favorite Leather Chair. (mine is by the window) Mechanical Bird Display  3 Generations of Dog Biscuits (Samtun, Rocky, Billy's not shown are Astors and C.J.s which are on the other side of the banister) A view from the Living Room at the Nutcrackers  View from the Living Room into the Dining Room  Inside the Dining Room  The Nutcracker Suite  It even happened in the Kitchen too!  I do hope you enjoyed these.. I will be showing images of some of my Harry Potter Tree Ornaments on the Collectors Thread so make sure to check those out too! Happy Holidays From Duddahs the Great Barn Owl |
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Post by fangsfan1 on Dec 15, 2010 20:10:19 GMT -6
Leaving some of my favorite lemon wafers from Hufflepuff baking day for my Griffindor friends!
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Post by grandpalovegood on Dec 15, 2010 22:56:10 GMT -6
Takes a sniff of the lemon cookies left here, as I rub my belly filled with molases cookies found in the Slytherin common room. OH I see Fang's been in here as well.  Wow... Duddah, when you say you have been busy decorating you were not kidding. This pictures are just wonderful. I love to decorate my tree with birds... Except I only had two.. not old at all. One was a redbird and the other a blue jay. I left them with my kids dad... as well as the tiny set of ten nutcrackers that are ornaments. I do intend to start all over and buy me a new set. Although, I did bring with me the ornament of the ballerina that I bought the year I did get one of my most favorite christmas gifts ever... That year I was blessed with a night out to see the nutcracker in Little Rock. I had so much fun. It was a thing on my wish list ever since I was a little girl. So I brought back with me a souvenir of a ballerina ornament. A few years later I was able to be a parent chaperone with my daughter's class to see it once again... This time she brought home a little nutcracker of her very own. I love how you have a tree just for your dog. I know I have sort of mentioned on a couple of threads here, how much I love christmas mice. Well... normally I have a whole set of them doing different Christmasy type things... My favorite from that collection was a set of two who sit on an upside down candy cane. Thanks Duddah for sharing... I've been looking for a pic that I know I already have just to show the tree I normally have up. I just can't find it right now.  |
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Post by Duddahs on Dec 16, 2010 12:43:20 GMT -6
OH Duddahs smells those wonderful Lemon Waffers... Goes on a mad hunt to find them....
See's Miss Charlottes parchment.. So glad you enjoyed your visit to our little nest... I would love to see that image of your tree too!!
Actually, I would love it if we can all visit each others Tree's or decorations or maybe something they get for the holidays that makes them just smile.
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Post by grandpalovegood on Dec 16, 2010 15:12:34 GMT -6
Well, I'm going to have to find something from last year since I have no camera.
Still, I have no problem with others sharing if any of you choose to... For the time being, I have this site closed to all nonmembers from lurking... I also would say we need to think about internet safety... These Duddah has here seem alright.
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Post by fangsfan1 on Dec 17, 2010 20:15:03 GMT -6
Duddahs I just loved seeing your pictures and your decorations. They are all beautiful and thank you for sharing them. I can't get a picture on here right now-my sister does it for me from her computer at home. But I would love to tell you about some of the things on my tree.
My favorite thing about the tree is actually not the ornaments-it's the smell of fresh pine. I really think it's my favorite smell in the whole world. My favorite things on the tree are the colored glass balls, I've always loved them from a child and still do. We have new ones and also ones I've had since I was a little girl. I still remember staring at those balls, the blue ones were my favorites, and trying to see my reflection in them.
My sister's favorite thing is icycles (tinsel), but we don't use that anymore because we once had a cat who ate it, got a bowel obstruction and had to have surgery-a story for the magical creatures thread!
I collect teddy bears so we have lots of teddy bear ornaments that have been given to me over the years. Angels too, I love everything angel. Several handmaid ornaments by a favorite aunt of mine and also I have her wizard of Oz wooden ornaments that I gave her years ago-tin man, lion, and scarecrow.
Then we have several ornaments from our trips to Austin Texas. They have a seniors citizens craft shop and bakery there that we always vist-and usually end up buying at least one tree ornament from them. One we have is a red ball with bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, painted on it.
My favorites ornaments besides the balls are the animal ornaments my sister put together. Little old fashioned silver picture frames with pictures of some of our beloved dogs and cats. Dogs Buffy, Arthur, Theo and Andy, cats Velvet and Duke.
Then on the top an angel dressed in white, that's my tree!
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Post by rin68nyr on Dec 17, 2010 21:47:05 GMT -6
What great decorations! We'e almost done, here! Got our 9 foot tree up and decorated, the outside lights and wreath are up, and the nativity is set out. I still have to set up my little houses...I have about 15 of them. I can set up most of them this year. I can only use the top of the entertainment center...that's the only place certain little 4 year old hands can't get to (easily). I will take a picture of that when it's done...I always love it when I can light them up! We still have to hang the stockings. I swear, I need a week off BEFORE Christmas, in order to get everything ready FOR Christmas!!! Unfortunately, I have work right up through the 23rd! At least I have 95% of my shopping done! i just have to buy ice skates for the kids (Duddahs will be proud!), and bake cookies for all the kids' teachers. We also have a cookie swap at work on Monday...so I'll be baking lemon squares for that. I've never done them before, and found some good recipes online, but if any of you have one that you know works well, I'd love it!
Erin
PS Don't know why I haven't visited the GCR in so long...just busy, I guess!
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Post by grandpalovegood on Dec 18, 2010 9:51:28 GMT -6
Ooo... You do the little village that lights up? I love those but never had enough room to do one.. BUT... I do something strange. .. Well, lets back up a bit.. When I was growing up my great grandmother had a little church that has a steeple. The whole thing lights up when she plugs it in. She kept it on the floor, under the table, next to the wall in her bedroom. She used it as a night light each night. It was just one of those things that she did that I had never seen anyone else do before. So, I always think of her when I see any little building/village like that all lit up. Ok... well, back last spring I went to a yard sale and someone was selling a little building all by it's self.. not a church but instead it's a country store... It has little windows and merchandise you can see there... Well, it plugs in too, just like my great grandmother's did... SO I could not help myself but to purchase it. I, to this day, turn it on each night no matter if I am home or not. There is a hole (window-like) in the wall to where I can see from the kitchen into the living room. I set it right there on that ledge. Really, I know it's supposed to be part of a Christmas scene, but that does not matter to me. As for on top of my TV cabinet.. I have a string of white rope lights that I like to use in place of a lamp when just lounging around in my living room. It's a rather large piece of furnature, so when I have it lit up there is quite a bit of soft light in the room. This is not for decoration... it's all year long. They never get hot, so it's quite safe. .... OK... I"ll have to continue to look for any more up to date pictures of my usual tree.. Right now, with me starting over in life, I have to give myself time to get my routine back in sinc for my normal Christmas traditions. SO still, I can tell you all, what I normally do. A kiss a day until ChristmasFirst... a little comment.. Duddah, in that picture of your dog bones... We have a sort of tradition (not every year.. just when we think of it.) We do that long plastic wrap with little red silk ribbons tied in between a chocolate Hershey's kiss... Each string for each of my kids. A Kiss a Day until Christmas. They would cut off one each day/or night as a way to count down until the big day. Keeping the little four year old fingers.... and Nativity.This one hit home with me because of the way I was raised. My mother was often awed over by her friends. They could not understand how she could have toddlers around in a house with breakables down. Example: Her German candles that have scenes on them, and her fine crystal and porcelain figurines. She kept them out on the coffee table. We never broke them. It was something that I did decide to go against, at least at Christmas time, during this season. I remember never being allowed to touch or even help decorate our tree when I was young. It made us sad and anxious. Well, back then they didn't have any plastic ornaments that looked glass like we have today. We (my little brother and I) had to sit on the couch and watch mom and dad do everything... but we enjoyed that so much as well... We'd help choose the next one. My favorite was this little pear shaped ornament covered in yellow, pink or pale blue soft glitter. There on one side was a hole where you would peek in through to the inside. An angel in one... then another had a star... another a nativity scene... another Rudolph. Come to think about it these just might have been plastic.. but breakable still the same. She does not have them any more since she sold them to make room for the new. Yes, I had a fit when she told me.. still she never knew they were my favorite or she would have sent them to me. Next to that, my favortie was the thin silver glass Santa.. he looked like he was blown and then painted with a red suit and hat. The old fashioned kind. So... there it was.. my turn... my little girl was born and I was the mom making decisions. I decided to get a new nativity scene to put down. My usual was ceramic white glazed set my mother in law made for us back in the 80's. I did want to save that for my daughter someday. So, I too put it up where she could not touch when she was little... Still, I remember when I was little... even though mom told me not to touch our nativity, I often repeatedly kidnapped baby Jesus. Each night, I kept him next to my bed when I was little when mom was not watching. I'd tiptoe in there to get him.. Yep, I took a tiny little box and some small cloth or tissue to keep him warm. Oh my mom had to keep getting on to me for taking him. ;D See, that set was fixed... all of the characters were nailed to the scene.. a shelter covered with green stuff. I would take him off and all left there was the nail where he should be. So I decided to buy a nativity set that was just for my daughter. It is made out of some kind of resin and it looks more like kids dressed, playing the parts of the people. Funny... she played with it for years during this season.. She's rearrange all of the people the whole time. Now the donkey's ear is broke and no one knows where one of the wise men's hand went?  I told her when she has kids of her own they will get to come over to my house and be able to play with it too. Now still... I have my ceramic set set up in my lighted curio cabinet. Still... with her set.. I used it to teach her when she was so small what the true meaning of why we celebrate the Christmas season. The Tree For me... I do know what you mean Fangsfan about the smell of the tree... and trust me, this candle I have does not hold up to the scent of the real thing. Still... besides singing Christmas songs to myself on Christmas night until I fell asleep I'd have to say it's the lights on the tree. When I was a kid my parents always put a lighted star up top... one that had different blinking patterns that it would twinkle. Then I'd look up above the tree to the ceiling and see the patterns the tree would make there. I could stare at the tree for hours. We always put more lights on the tree than most people did... and it was well worth it. Then it was my mom who decided, one year, to go all white lights. She had the outside window and door decorated with greenery (tree- like ) with the white lights. One year she did not even know our neighborhood had a Christmas decorating contest... When our front door was open, glass/screne door closed... and all was lit up with those white lights... they just loved it. They said it was the tree down the front all and in the living room with the white lights as well that was perfect. She won a ham that year... first thing she's ever won. I remember how proud she was. Anyway... back to the tree... I normally like to buy a small set of ornaments each year to add to the collection... Well after too many years.. that was too many ornaments. Still... I always thought it best to have an ornament on each limb. I did leave my mouse ornaments since those should go to my daughter from her dad since his mom made them.... SO I only took a couple of the set to keep for my very own. I have glass balls small and regular sized. Daughter decided this year to only use the silver and blue. I do have a set of frosted blown glass balls with snowflakes etched on them and coated in green and gold glitter. Then I also kept the ones my kids had made with their own little hands. Those are priceless. I have so many more... a set of racoons wearing the same red shirt with their heads popped out... a rocking horse.. my nutcracker etc. But still... it's the lights I like best even now.. I make sure I get the lights that blink in several different patterns. Out of all of those... I normally keep it on fade to each color... They have to have blue lights... for me that is my favorite on a tree. So calming and reminds me of the moon's light. I have a string of lights on the railing of my balcony. Then my tree normally has a couple of strands of silver and the other red beads.... then silver garland. I too love the tinsel... but with cats and Mattie being such a mess as she is, would really hurt herself.. Just starting to type up this post, she finished breakfast and went for her morning run... that included attacking the wrapped presents under the tree. I think she likes me to fuss at her... she has so much fun when I do.  Jack the Christmas ElfThen there is Jack... Yep... I love my elf. I crochet'd him many years ago. He's a doorknob hanger with long thin arms and legs. He wears a green outfit and matching hat. Silver bells for buttons and a silk red ribbon for a bowtie. I love his little ears that poke out on the side. Why I named him Jack? I have no idea. OK... I think I"m posting while I"m asleep... so off to bed I go.  |
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Post by rin68nyr on Dec 18, 2010 13:50:45 GMT -6
AH! With the cats, we can't use the tinsel either...but we have the real metal kind, and though they play with them, it doesn't hurt them. We've lost one over the years, but there's still plenty. i love how they catch the lights as they turn and sway back and forth.
Erin
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Post by grandpalovegood on Dec 18, 2010 17:45:40 GMT -6
AH! With the cats, we can't use the tinsel either...but we have the real metal kind, and though they play with them, it doesn't hurt them. We've lost one over the years, but there's still plenty. i love how they catch the lights as they turn and sway back and forth. Erin I"ve seen some like ornaments, but they are silver or clear... or even mother of pearl icicles... Is this what you are saying? You have to actually hang them using a string or an ornament hook? Those are beautiful as well. |
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Post by rin68nyr on Dec 18, 2010 19:35:02 GMT -6
AH! With the cats, we can't use the tinsel either...but we have the real metal kind, and though they play with them, it doesn't hurt them. We've lost one over the years, but there's still plenty. i love how they catch the lights as they turn and sway back and forth. Erin I"ve seen some like ornaments, but they are silver or clear... or even mother of pearl icicles... Is this what you are saying? You have to actually hang them using a string or an ornament hook? Those are beautiful as well. Yep! Ours are silver, about 6 -7 " long, and twist as they go down. It's very pretty, and a lot neater! We used to have tinsel hanging around for months! LOL Erin |
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Post by fangsfan1 on Dec 18, 2010 21:24:46 GMT -6
They all sound so pretty-this is really fun hearing about everyone's decorations. I forget about the icicles getting into everything, we used to find little pieces all over the place too.
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Post by Duddahs on Dec 20, 2010 13:33:24 GMT -6
Oh I love to hear about everyone's Else's decorations. It makes me smile so big that my cheeks hurt!
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Post by fangsfan1 on Dec 23, 2010 12:32:02 GMT -6
For those brave Griffindors I put on their tree-little medals of valour. When you put them on, the face on the medal will change to be the hero of your life, whoever is the world's greatest hero to you.
Enjoy!
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Post by rin68nyr on Dec 23, 2010 16:25:44 GMT -6
AH...a comfy couch....a warm fire...a soft blanket....just perfect for a little snooze. Hmmm....those little ornaments on the tree look interesting.....but my eyes are closing...I'll check them out later........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Erin
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Post by grandpalovegood on Dec 24, 2010 7:40:06 GMT -6
OH look what I just found! I found my tiny little wooden painted snowmen, each with a different look. So I thought I'd decorate the Gryffindor tree. I have tons so all houses can share.
Notices Erin all in a snooze. Tucks her in a little better to help keep her warm.
Shhhh.....
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Post by rallem on Dec 26, 2010 3:47:03 GMT -6
Is there a sorting hat to place me in a house or can i just assume that I am in Gryffindor?
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Post by rin68nyr on Dec 26, 2010 8:49:53 GMT -6
Rallem.. Welcome to Gryffindor! Here, we can visit any common room we like!
Erin
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I told her when she has kids of her own they will get to come over to my house and be able to play with it too. Now still... I have my ceramic set set up in my lighted curio cabinet. Still... with her set.. I used it to teach her when she was so small what the true meaning of why we celebrate the Christmas season.
