I grew up in Bethlehem Pennsylvania a town dedicated to the spirit of Christmas. The house I lived in was a modest story and a half cottage style home built by my father over a period of years. Cut into the wall and hidden by a panel of wood was the Christmas closet. All of my parents Christmas treasures were stored there only to be opened the weekend after Thanksgiving when for me, the festivities began. Fast forward to the adult “child” who by a convergence of circumstances still lived in the home raising her own children who excitedly waited for the weekend after Thanksgiving to open the hidden Christmas closet. Christmases came and went and our daughters grew. Then in 2004 a flash flood swept through the neighborhood and the home with its Christmas closet content became just another casualty. But for us there was a silver lining in what at the time was a devastating loss. We moved to the country and began the task of rebuilding our Christmas “closet”. The add-on country farmhouse was bigger than the home my father built. Years of stalking local thrift stores, perusing end of year-end sales and anxiously accepting the occasional Christmas hand-me-down has allowed me to fill my “Christmas closet”. This year arrived with an additional blessing, both our daughters with their husbands came home for Christmas. The first time in ten years we were all together. The home had to honor the Christmas closet.
In the kitchen are trash day rescues. A wooden high chair, small stove, enamel table and four chairs. The chest is a $9.00 thrift store find and the Hoosier a $297.00 antique store rescue.
The white NOEL is a yard sale find, the little red car was my fathers’ and I made the Christmas trees.
The Santa’s were a gift from my daughter, the banjo my fathers’ the house my father built and the angel NOEL a yard sale find.
The Tinsel tree and kaleidoscope lamp were my mother-in-law finds. Both cost less than $5.00.
The Santa’s and sled were thrift store finds.
The dresser was a freebie from a yard sale, the green slipper chair a $2.00 find, The Christmas tree a $1.00 find and the bed the first we bought as a couple!
The metal bed was a $65.00 thriftstore find. The curtains were made from a tablecloth and the red chair and skates were yard sale finds.
The leather sofa was a $40.00 yard sale find, the cedar chest was my grandmother’s the tree an $18.00 triftstore find.
All the vintage ornaments and beads were yard sale and thrift store finds. None cost more than $4.00 a box or bag.
The artificial tree was a freebie, the dream catchers are from a non-profit trying to solicit donations, the brown garland is packing material the pinecones are from my garden.
Nothing on the main tree was full price. The ribbon was free from a craft store that was closing. The apple garland a thrift store find. Dried flowers were from the gardens.
Even a small dining room holds hidden treasures. Each item was chosen with care and placed with love. Christmas is indeed a magical time in our home.
The Iris and the Lily 