A Little Bit of Christmas

After I finally thawed out from the cold this weekend, 

I wanted to share a glimpse of our Christmas decor. 

 So many families came for pictures with our red truck

 and enjoyed a sunshine but COLD day.

Lori Sparkman Photography

This sweet fellow just melts my heart!

100 years...that is how old we are!  

Driving through the front gates, Miss Magnolia wears her winter scarf.

Several of the families that came for pictures had been married here. 

The boat house wears twinkle lights all year long.

Buddy kept a roaring bonfire for us to warm up by.

The "Wedding Crashers" had to swim 

and check out the Christmas tree in the wooden dory boat.

The red tuck looks so cheery with Christmas lights. 

We have wedding planning meetings during the holidays, 

so the front porch is decked out and ready for guests. 

The kitchen gets a splash of Christmas too.

One hundred years ago, kitchens were rather small. 

As if stepping back in time, 

our kitchen is all original.

Since we are on the Historic Register it still seems to work. 

Silver gets a fresh polish this time of year.

The breakfast table window is filled with photos from Christmas past. 

Most family and friends

 come in our laundry room door on the back porch, 

so we have a splash of Santa there too. 

The wooden  Christmas tree filled with suckers is from my children's past 

and now gets to be enjoyed by their little ones. 

My vintage Santa mugs are perfect for this little table....It stays ready for a party!

More family photos this afternoon..not quite so cold and the sun is shining! 

 This wonderful old estate is made to share the past with the present. 

I will be ready to warm up by a cozy fire again tonight! 

Thanks for stopping by...

 Hope you all are enjoying this Christmas season !

“And a Sixpence in Her Shoe”

In the past, you have probably heard the saying a time or two: “ Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.”  The poetic rhyme from the English and quoted in Victorian times seemed to catch on and is still often repeated today. Each item is usually applied to the wedding outfit rather than décor…something the bride would wear. The items serve as good luck tokens to a bride on her wedding day making her attire personal and sentimental.    

The “Something Old” symbolizes the bride’s family. Perhaps a strand of pearls or grandmothers broach fastened onto a hand held bouquet. It does not have to be from a female side…maybe a button from one of the brides fathers suits sewn into the hem of the gown.  

Megan wears her mothers and grandmothers pearls

A “Something New” symbolizes hope for an optimistic future with the marriage. The gown, the veil or even the rings, may be the “New”. “Something Borrowed” needs to come from a happily married woman thereby lending some of her own marital happiness and the item must be returned! The item reminds a bride that she can depend on that friend or family member. A “Something Blue” represents a symbol of faithfulness, love, purity and loyalty. It can be the bride’s garter or simply blue shoes underneath the gown. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color as well.

A sixpence was a coin used in the British Empire beginning in 1551. One sixpence represented six pennies and was last used in 1967. People used to be very superstitious in the middle ages and it was a good omen as a lucky charm. During the early 1600’s it was traditional for the Lord of the Manor to give his bride a piece of silver as a wedding gift. Worn in the left shoe, the tradition of the sixpence as a symbol of good luck continues today. Some families have passed down the same sixpence through the generations to continue the hope for good luck to future brides. It's also nice to seek out a sixpence minted in the year of your parents or grandparents wedding. If not a sixpence then a coin with a meaningful date should do!

Carlea lost her mother at a very young age. Here she wears her mother's wedding dress as she holds a picture of her mother wearing it on her wedding day.

Brides have been honoring the tradition of wearing an old, a new, a borrowed and a blue item during their wedding for centuries. The wearing of these items is supposed to share good luck but most important they express admiration for a few special people on a very special day. 

Wedding Trends 2015

Wedding Trends 2015

             Keeping in tune with trends makes a wedding seem fresh and stylish and it seems everything old is new again…with a twist on tradition. There are so many little details that a bride must decide on when planning her special day. The day itself becomes a cherished memory and all of the little details make it special and very personal. Trends and traditions are all a part of making your wedding one of a kind and personal. 

            It seems the trend has flipped…from inside weddings to outdoor weddings…a return to nature so speak. Some of these trends have been around for a while, but they seem to becoming more prominent for 2015.  The return to nature translates not necessarily to rustic, but leaning toward a vintage trend. Hand tied bouquets with a traditional teardrop shape are making a return…bouquets that look fresh picked and lots of ribbons. Lace wedding gowns, with vintage details revisit the past. 

            A glance to the past is showcased in a meaningful way with homemade favors and locally sourced organic food, with vintage inspired packaging labels.  Drinks iced down in an old boat or galvanized washtubs add a welcoming vintage flair. Nostalgic food is a revisit to childhood by serving classic childhood favorites…all in a meaningful way. Think homemade Banana Pudding, Peanut Butter Pie, or Oreo Cheesecake instead of traditional chocolate grooms cake. Ask for the grooms favorite and incorporate it into the reception as a traditional Grooms Table. 

Milk and Cookie Shots on a Silver Tray

Home Made Banana Pudding

            One of the biggest trends in table décor is the addition of Mercury glass. My great-grandmother had several pieces and the vintage feel adds a bit of sparkle to any theme or table setting. Grouped together, with small flower arrangements it gives an altogether, vintage, luscious look. Mercury glass is seeing a popular revival.

Mercury Glass & Silver Teapot

            Years past, a guest would sign in upon arrival with a feather pin in a small guest book. Today guests may sign everything from stones, platters, quilts and boat paddles. The item may then be used as décor in the new home and enjoyed on a daily basis. 

            Bottom line, the biggest trend is expecting the unexpected. Surprise guests with fireworks, Confetti cannons, or a White Dove release. Put a modern twist on an old tradition that is personal and meaningful. Little details make the wedding meaningful especially with a touch of family tradition…a grandfathers pocket watch, a grandmother’s broach, a family Bible to carry the rings are all tiny details with huge heartstrings attached.  From the moment of engagement, write down little things you would like to incorporate into your wedding day…both old and new!

What are some personal, sentimental details for your wedding?