FABBY: Tree, Mantel & Nativity

 The den with our tree, mantel and Nativity scene all ready for Christmas 2011.  My mother, our two daughters, Alexandra and Sofia,  Giancarlo our sil and grands will come for the hollidays to our house.

I copy cated this mantel with the snow from our local Christmas store and I liked it cause  it contrasted the decorations better against the wood panneling.

 The middle part down of the tree with some of my fav ornaments, actually I love them all!

 I always take out this ceramic frames made at our formal Ceramic Co. where I keep pictures of our daughters in Disney World and another with hubby holding both our infant girls, wow, where did time go to?! This is our den's end table.
 The native Nativity that my grandgirls love to play with so much, like feeding the piggies and chicken and some of the musicians playing Xmas carols have fallen...oh, those girls!
Below is my St. Patrick's Cathedral a small replica from the NYC one....it has little lights to it too, I don't know if you can notice them, they're so tiny!

     In a couple of posts back I showed where I had my tree last year and for many years before that; although it was great because you could see it from all over the house, now we had to move it next to the fire place in the den, or our family room... all because the space it used to be was the foyer which now it's ocupide by our "French vintage table".  We love it in the den because it's next to the fire place where the Nativity is, as the weather around my neck-o-da woods is 70-75 and more, dry, so because of this we use the fire place to set a small Nativity with folklor pieces of indigenious people's, a little town with farm animals, dancers and musicians for Baby Jesus's birth celebration. My grandgirls just love this the best, they play with it and move the pieces around every day, lol!   Today Sunday, their parents came to fetch them and they went home, we're already missing them, they're so sweet, smart and well behave, they're a joy to be with.

 Our den, or family room with our Christmas tree for the frst time here, along with the mantel and Nativity scene.

 We're enjoying the new place of the Christmas tree as now it's our Christmas room.

 I fixed a snowed up mantel that I copy cated from the C'mas store's faux mantel and I loved it, so to give a contrast to the arrangement against the dark wood panneling. I fixed it with my tall and thin angel  the same tone as the St. Patrick's Cathedral resembling the one in NYC.  The skinny long legged Carolers I have for several years and were a present from hubby's, they're one of my fav things for Christmas decor I have. I love the golden raindeer too. The brass angel candle holder I have for ever; I really don't buy much each year, except a tree ornament as it's my tradition since our first Christmas in 1975, the year we got married.

The Christmas stockings are one for Victoria and Cayetana, the doggie one was from our beloved Pug Ben,  who died last year...but now it's Chloe's, the grands's Chihuahua.

Inside the fire place we usually fix our Nativity scene with folkloric figurines, like the cute houses, farm animals, trees, musicians and dancers for the upcoming celebration of the birth of Baby Jesus.   My granddaughters love it the best, they play and re-arrange the figures every day while they were here and they add some modern ones, like Barby pieces, like dogs and magic figures, whatever, lol!

Our tree started at our first Christmas back in 1975, the year we got married and since I've been collecting the ornaments, there are ceramic figures made by our daughters when they were children, gifts from friends and family, some of the people are not here anymore...pics of my little girls and little grands too... of course, I can't show them all otherwise you'll never leave this post, lol! 

Here are some made by a dear aunt who's long passed in NY.  The cute sweaters by Russ I bought in NY a long tme ago.  At left there's a little C'mas tree picture frame where my younger daughter Sofia is, the mother of my grands, wow!  A figure of a pug to remind us of Ben and because I collect dogs and I have some in my tree too...some where.

Here are a crystal candy in a wrap I won years ago, along with a few great things for holliday decor. In the little wreath picture frame is my darling daughter Alexandra when she was 1 year old.

A pretty tin angel was a gift from my hubby.  The vintage glass German santa in the cloche.

Most of my tree ornaments are from several and many years ago. I love the angel at the tree top, she has such a pretty green velvet dress.

The santa lady with the red skirt was made by our daughter Alexandra when she was a young girl at our former Ceramic Co.  The blue and white Delf porcelain ball with Dutch scenes.

 A look at part of the snowed mantel.

 I'm so happy to have a replica of St. Patrick's Cathedral from NYC.

    I hope you like it, so here you have it!  The red velvet skirt is from Spain from many years ago.

Thank you my dear friends for all your visits as they make me so happy to read your comments an I love to visit you, so I will be joining some Christmas parties from now on so we can meet and share our holliday decor.     All my love to you.
FABBY

Thank you lovely hostesses for giving us the chance to share our Christmas decking at your fun and great  parties!

Blue Monday at:  http://smylingsally.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Masterpiece Monday at:  http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
Amaze me Monday at:  http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/
Show off your Cottage at:  http://thehouseintheroses.blogspot.com/
Holliday edition: Capy Cat Challenge Time at:  http://debbiedoosbloggingandblabbing.blogspot.com/
Tabletop Tuesday at:  http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Wow Us Wednesday at:  http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at:  http://primp.blogspot.com/
What's it Wednesday at:  http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Bonny Hop Party at:  http://bunnyjean.blogspot.com/

FABBY: French Tablescape

Hello sweet friends!

Looking  for  Martha Stewart's Holiday decorations in the Internet,  I came around a beautiful table scape for Christmas with an aqua-turquoise china and instantly I remembered my mother's vintage Candle Light Limoges dishes in aqua and immediately  got inspired to make a table scape for Christmas, all my own, in this not classical color. 
 
Martha had hers beautifully done with a gorgeous centerpiece  with white flowers, whereas I decided to use my hubby's,  French Art Nuveou porcelain center piece with the monogram of his grandparents, which is just like our last name's initials and when his mother died, almost three years ago she left it to him.

I am calling this table scape French as everything in the table is "almost" French, like the beautiful stems that were my mil's, my mother's pretty French Limoges dishes and the gorgeous porcelain centerpiece, which I arranged it in a modern fashion for the holidays. 

 I used my vintage, Carrara top table that's in the our foyer; the one  hubby bought in the European Antiques Shop last April and the manager told my hubby that it was Italian...so great, we were so happy, who cares from where, we just fell in love with the gorgeous table. 
 
The other day I was in the antique shop to see what's cooking, and I ran into the owner who had come from Europe recently and asked me how I liked the gorgeous Antique FRENCH table for my foyer and WOW... it turned out French and not Italian...hehehe.. 

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 Mother gifted me with this French Limoges dishes, a set of eight with some serving pieces several years ago. This was her good china, she used it only for guests, back in the 60's, or before, therefore, some have chipped even, so I have a set of perfect six left as mother enjoyed serving her guests for many years in NYC in her dear china.  I love the aqua color to them... I wonder what dishes Martha Stewart used in her picture, the ones that inspired me this tablescape??

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 I just love this gorgeous hand embroidered, linen napkins with a C'mas tree on a blue bucket. I won them around ten years ago, among other things in a local C'mas store because I taught how to decorate a C'mas tree; it was a $200 gift certificate from the store, so one of the items I picked was this lovely eight linen napkins.

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 The chargers I used here are my pewter ones, so to keep a Wintery cold look to the tablescape.


Here is the gorgeous French Art Nuveau antique porcelain center piece that belonged to my Fil's parents'.  I chose for my arrangement some C'mas tree balls in aqua and silver along with the blue-silvery grapes on the sides and those thin blue-silver twigs.

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 The French stems glasses were my Mil's and they come in three sizes, twelve of each.

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 The table scape in my "newly discovered", French vintage table with Carrara marble top. A little peek of our tree and mantel in our den.

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The living room in the back ground with my beloved Francoise Sagan's round coffee table, (this is how I call it).

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 I high shot to appreciate the entire table scape. 

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 The color of this photo looks old fashion, like something retro 50's.

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 Sitting in the living room couch I took this shot, with some of my reds in the coffee table. You can see here the entire great vintage "French table" in our foyer. The two red velvet striped chairs are of French style too.

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 The Christmas tree in the back ground in our family room.

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 The monogram in the antique French Art Nuveu from the 20's,  has an A and a C, as my maiden name is Alba and hubby's last name is Crespo.

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I like the soup bowl's shape, it's so old world.

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I love this beautiful linen napkins.

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new and they had a Transfer ware perfect dishes set for 12 in blue and white with zillion accessories...I almost fell for it, but I have enough blue and white.  Ok, let's get back to the table! 
I met the owner who lives in Holland and that's from where he sends all the antiques to Ecuador, he buys them all over Europe and he says:  Sra. Fabiola,  I heard you got months ago that beautiful FRENCH TABLE with the Carrara marble top!!  You can imagine me!...I was so surprised, happily too, but I've been calling it all along... my Italian table, because the manager told us it was Italian, lol!  Well, this is the story.  Here is my  French table scape on my "French vintage table" all set for Christmas.   I hope you like it.

Your lovely, generous and kind visits are so appreciated, they always make my day and put a smile on my face no matter how bad I may be feeling that day, so really, I cannot thank you enough my dearest wonderful friends. I love you all very much.

FABBY

I will be linking to such terrific parties and will start at: 

Susan's Tablescape Thursdays at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/   Hope to see you there!
Vintage Thingie Thursdays at:  http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/
Made U Look Thursday at:  http://madeinaday.blogspot.com/
Open House Party at:  http://nomonimalisthere.blogspot.com/
Transformation Thursday at:  http://theshabbycreekcottage.blogspot.com/
It's a Party at:  http://acreativeprincess.blogspot.com/
Pinning and Singing on the Weekend Party at:  http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/
Feather Your Nest Friday at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday at:  http://commonground.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home at:  http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell Friday at:  http://myromantichome.blogspot.com/
Inspiration Friday at:  http://thepicketfence.blogspot.com/
Flaunt It Friday at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday at:  http://apotpourrilife.blogspot.com/
Beverly's Pink Saturday at:  http://howseewtthesound.blogspot.com/
Saturday Show Off at:  http://therosegardeninmalevik.blogspot.com/
Sunday Favorites at:  http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/
Seasonal Sunday at:  http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

FABBY: First Christmas Table 2011

Victoria decorating her cookies, she does a great job as she's such a little artist.

Cayetana is decorating her cookies too and she's taking her job so seriously...she cracks me up, lol!  Cayetana was my elf 2 years ago and now she'll be 5 in January 26th.....for the ones that saw my last post, where I show my 2010 Christmas?!



I made this casual tablescape inspired on my grandgirls's ginger cookies and they came out so cute!  The mugs and sherbets with pedestal were made at our former Ceramic Co., I copied the design from a Christmas fabric!   The tabletopper has been mine for  30 years, it looks old fashion...well?  My daughters were so little and they loved it, and now my grankids also chose this one, so I'm glad I've kept it for so long!



Look at these great cookies, aren't they?! The pretty red glasses are vintage from my mil too...and maybe for a little eggnog!

 The cute angels and gold stars on the tablecloth.

 The teapots were made at our past Ceramic Co. in the design of my formal Christmas dinnerware as it didn't come with teapots. I will make a formal Christmas dinner table with that china later on. 

 My breakfast room buffet with the German Christmas carousel, a present from hubby several years ago.

 My mil's vintage French mirror with a wreath.  That's a cook book in back and it's called: Christmas From The Heart of the Home by:  Susan Branch... and it was a Christmas gift several years ago from my friend Stephanie, I always love to display it here come the Christmas season to check on the recipes for the Holiday season. 

 My lidded cheese plate  was a birthday present from mother's years ago. I love the little bear with a dress on which I bought several years ago. Most of my C'mas decorations I have kept them for many years, some already have memories.

My  Mil's antique in an Art Deco style English buffet, which was part of a four piece set of dining room furniture from her parents.  This is where I display my favorite things for the use of everyday through the Holidays  Season.



The pretty white linen napkin is beautifully hand-embroidered with a Christmas motif.  Here is a close up of the napkin.



 Our breakfast room it's  all ready for the Christmas holidays.  I'm not the cluttered kind, but I love to change everything into Christmas items I can use, see and enjoy everyday until January 6th. which is the Three Kings Day and after this date I usually start to put away my Christmas decor and back to normal.

 A better shot of our breakfast room. The door you see, next to another tea set,  leads to the kitchen.

This platter with cloche is for a dip and chips, or cheese dip and crackers and for the holidays I display cookies, chocolates and Christmas candy in it too.  The platter was also made at our former Ceramic Co.  My flowers are on a Bohemian crystal vase and I loved the red leaves!

I made this runner around 25 years ago when I used to sew and embroider, now I'm a blogger grandma!...it goes along with a big tablecloth I also made and embroidered for my formal dining table; I used them for many years in our Christmas day gatherings at my former house, where I used to have my father, my Fil and Mil and  my grandmother Stella, all passed away now, just wonderful memories.

My grandgirls Victoria 7 and Cayetana almost 5 in  January; are visiting us for a week as their parents went to Miami for a medical check up because my son in law has some back problems.  My daughter Sofia just made black Friday too and did some Christmas shopping, how great!  Well,  their little girls in the meantime are baking  ginger cookies with grandma and grandpa and so that inspired me to make a casual tablescape to later have some tea and cocoa with their cookies, along with hubby and the girls....we'll also have a little eggnog  in the vintage red glasses from their great-grandma.   I hope you like the first casual Christmas  table I created for  the girls and for us in 2011.

Thanking you my darlings in advance for your wonderful visits and generous comments.   I will also be joining some terrific parties and I'm thanking the lovely hostesses who welcome us every week!

Lots of hugs to you all,
FABBY


                        HAPPY HOLIDAY DECKING TO ALL !

Blue Monday at:  http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Show off you Cottage Monday at:  http://thehouseintheroses.blogspot.com/
Seasonal Sunday at:  http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Masterpiece Monday at:  http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
Amaze Me Monday at:  http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/
On the Menu Monday at:  http://stonegable.blogspot.com/
Mod Mix Monday at:  http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/
Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday at:  http://ladykatherineteatimeparlor.blogspot.com/
Sandi for Tea Time Tuesday at:  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
Wanda Lee and Pam for their Tea Things Party at:  http://theplumethpen.blogspot.com/
Martha and Terry for:  http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com/
Trish's Tea Party Tuesday at:  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tabletop Tuesday at:  http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Patty and Paula for their meme: What's It Wednesday at:  http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Miss Spencer's Teacup Thursday at:  http://missspencers.blogspot.com/
Wow Us Wednesday at:  http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
Wayfaring Wednesday at:  http://decortoadore.blogspot.com/
Whassap Wednesday at:   http://elementsinteriors.blogspot.com/
Primp your Stuff at:  http://primp.blogspot.com/
Tablescape Thursday at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Vintage Thingie Thursday at:  http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/
Open House Party at:  http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Thursdays at:   http://bornagaincrafter.blogspot.com/

FABBY: Christmas 2010

    My Little Elf here, when she was almost three years old...now my Elf, Cayetana is four and a half and can reach a lot higher!

 Here is where the Christmas tree used to be and now this is where the vintage Italian table is now, so no more space for the Christmas tree in the foyer. As soon as I give the last touches to my new changes and Christmas decor, I will post it, I think it will be after Thanksgiving .

 I loved the way you could see the tree from every where, living room, dining room, family room and foyer...but the new changes I will post when I finish, I think you will like too.  My grandgirls are here visiting for a week and they love where the tree is now and of course, some changes to the mantel I did.

 We also changed, as you remember last October, the wall color and the window treatment...so the pictures will look  different this year, all together!


The mantel how it looked last year.  I really didn't like it much.

 

 The grands love the Nativity scene that I make it inside the chimney as the weather here this time of the year is 70-75 and even 80 with no humidity, so it's great!  For many years been a Newyorker I missed white Christmas, lol!

Hi Darlings!

 I'm posting my Christmas decorations from last year as there has been a few changes here at home.  I'm sure the ones that follow my blog saw that a few months ago hubby bought a gorgous vintage Italian marble table for the foyer and our Christmas tree used to be set there...here are some pictures from last year, where changes happen, besides the fact that I have a better camera now too, lol!! 
The new Christmas decorations will be posted later on when I finish giving the last touches to them.  Everything I'm posting has been changed somewhat.
Meanwhile, wishing you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy every minute with your family.
Thanking you in advance for your very appreciated visits my dearest friends.
Thank you to the lovely hostesses of the parties I will be linking too.

Love always,
FABBY

Tablescape Thursday at:  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
vintage Thingie Thursday at: http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/
Open House Party at:  http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/
Delighfully Inspiring Thursday at:  http://thefrenchcupboard.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Thursday at:  http://bornagaincrafter.blogspot.com/
Pinning and Singing on the Weekend at:  http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/
It's a Party at:  http://acreativeprincess.blogspot.com/
Feather Nest Fridat at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home Friday at:  http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Things Fridat at:  http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell Friday at:  http://myromantichome.blogspot.com/
Flaunt it Friday at:  http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday at:  http://apotpourrioflifeat2805.blogspot.com/
Pink Saturday at:  http://howsweetthesound.blogspot.com/
Sunday Favorites at:  http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/
Seasonal Sunday at:  http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/