Yesterday I went to the Alameda Antiques Faire to do some Christmas shopping, and I also gave myself permission to buy holiday decoration items if I found any I particularly liked. I have decided not to get a Christmas tree this year, but I still want my home to look festive. Actually, one might say I'm still on the fence about whether or not to get a Christmas tree this year. It would probably be better not to since I shouldn't spend the money, I don't have anybody to help me with the hauling and weaving it through my entryway, and I will probably be spending a big chunk of time at my parents' house which will undoubtedly have a mammoth Christmas tree. I shouldn't get one. Shouldn't. But, man, it was SO GREAT
having a Christmas tree last year. It made my apartment look so festive and cheery. Plus, I have a big cardboard box of Christmas gifties and a pile of toys in the corner of my living room which would certainly look less clutter-esque with a Christmas tree to tie the room together. But, no. I shouldn't.
Where was I? Oh, right. The Antiques Faire! For my mom, who loves wee dishes AND blue and white china patterns, I bought this.
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| It was made by Spode, if you are into dishware and that means anything to you. |
I'm realizing it probably looks to be a regular sized gravy boat in the photo, but actually it is very wee!
For my two littlest nieces, I picked up an assortment of knicky knackies.
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| I gave one girl a Matryoshka doll for her birthday recently and she liked it a lot, so I figured the other girl might like one, too. |
I'll probably keep my eye out for some more little animals.
From the $1 bin, I bought some pretty scarves.
I like to use them for wrapping gifts because, at this juncture in my life, buying wrapping paper feels like throwing money away. Plus, I find it easier to store a pile of small, foldable scarves than a tube of paper that will fall over every time I open my closet.
I managed to find a couple things for myself. Oops.
That's a wee little tray ($2), a decorative chicken hangy uppy thing ($4), and an enamel pot/jug of some sort ($25, down from $40). The woman who sold me the enamel... vessel (?) said she thought it was for pouring batter. I think it looks pretty on my stove. I'm going to hang up the chicken in the kitchen, because Kitchen Chicken is fun to say.
I also found THE BEST SKIRT IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD.
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| It's from the 70s, if you haven't guessed. |
The woman who sold it to me made me try it on first, to prove I could fit into it. "I've had SO MANY people want to buy this skirt." I managed to wrestle it on by taking off my own skirt, pulling it over my leggings, and hefting it up to my natural waist.
Yesterday was apparently Rainbow Clothing Day, because I also scored this crocheted sweater thing.
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| The color came out kind of weird because it's a cell phone picture. I did my best to correct it to as close as the actual sweater colors as possible. |
Yes, I'm still rockin the side braid.
I found a holiday wreath!
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| Do you spy that photo of my mom and me when I was tiny enough to fit in my own Christmas stocking? |
I've always liked those fabric wreaths.
This wooden tree was marked $24, but as I was standing there admiring it the owner said all the Christmas stuff was half off. Score. I also bought four Christmassy cups, for holiday decoraty purposes.
On my ever-growing list of things to do I have "Get Xmas box" (that holds my ornaments and other festive decor items (I'll probably need a bigger box after this year)) from the storage cage downstairs. And maybe re-ponder the whole Christmas tree idea one more time.
