Monday, December 10, 2007

Greetings from the Little Red House



Every Christmas season, I try to get the outdoor decorations finished before it gets too cold, but try as I might, I always seem to leave it too long. We've got freezing temperatures here, and I am loathe to stay outside long enough to do much more than hang a wreath.






We have a tiny porch next to our garage, with a bench and some baskets of greenery. There is a bird's nest in the ivy next to the door, and we are host to a family of robins each spring. This year, I bought a tiny live tree at Home Depot, which has found a home on the porch, along with my old Flexible Flyer and my husband's old ice skates. I need to add a bow to make the whole thing a bit more cheerful.






It's amazing, though, what a little dusting of snow can do to make things seem more festive. Here is the Little Red House after a few flurries.





The picture below is my neighbor, Heidi's, house. Isn't it beautiful? I can see Heidi's house as I stand at my kitchen sink.






The other day I saw her landscapers' truck pull up. They blew the leaves from her lawn, cleaned out the shrub and flower beds, and put up all the window and door trimmings. How great is that? I could definitely use some "instant outdoor decorating!" Couldn't you?


Have a wonderful week!












35 comments:

  1. Mary I think your porch is so cahrming! The cold weather got the best of my outdoor decorating this year. I am not a big fan of winter cold and have stuck some tree trimmings and a wreath on the front porch and called it good. I would like to have "help" like your neighbor that I could watch from the warmth of my window while sipping a hot tea. Ha! Maybe someday:>)

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  2. Wish I still had my Flyer! Your porch looks great, the home depot tree can become part of your yard after the season? Enjoy, your house is looking so festive!

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  3. I Love your home. Everytime you post a larger picture of it, I think it is one of the sweetest houses I've seen. I keep meaning to dig out my old sled.....now what did I do with that? LOL

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  4. Mary,
    Your house looks like a home; all warm and cozy. I wouldn't trade it for your neighbor's in a million years. The landscapers, however, are a different story. My yard never gets entirely cleaned and now the leaves are frozen in place, *sigh*.
    Janet

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  5. May your out door decorations look wonderful.......I cannot put any out as they would probably be stolen!
    The house's look so so inviting.
    Carol xx

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  6. Mary,

    I love your outdoor decorations! Your house looks like the perfect house to come home to on Christmas Eve--cozy, warm, inviting! As for landscapers--we have them do the mowing, as it is too much for us. But leaf raking-they charge $25 per hour per person! If any job should pay minimum wage, it has to be leaf raking dont you think?
    Have a wonderful day!

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  7. I love your porch. I have a sled and skates on my front porch.
    Your house looks so pretty with the snow.
    Nan

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  8. Hi Mary
    Doing a bit of catching up on missed posts - Your home looks wonderful all dressed for Christmas. I smiled when I saw your Flyer & old hockey skates :-} I have the same thing on my porch with my hubby's old skates and my sons 1st skates (I'll take a pic and post them in the week).

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  9. Good morning,
    My daughter, Amy, sent me over to your blog. She said, "You'll like her style." Indeed I do....We also have a little red house, our guest house.....I have a snow sled propped at my back door....purely decorations as we don't get but very little snow in south Georgia!
    Hopefully, I'll get pictures posted this week of our home with Christmas decor.......

    I have a meeting to attend shortly but I do plan to come back for some extensive reading.....

    Betty @ Country Charm

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  10. Your porch is adorable. I just love your sled and skates. Your neighbors house is beautiful, but yours has such charm. I don't think a landscape crew could arrange the things on your porch with the style that you did. My dead plants are under snow. I guess they'll still be there when it melts in the spring, lol.

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  11. Mary, your little red cottage has charm that your friend's house is lacking. Oh, it is beautiful; ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!! But, there's a homeiness about yours, a comfort, a stability (and maybe this comes from knowing a little of the history of your house)that seems lacking in the much larger, much newer ones. I love your little red house and I know you do, too!
    Merry Christmas...
    bj

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  12. Hi Mary,

    Your porch looks so cozy and charming and your sweet little red house looks very festive in her holiday dusting :)

    Hugs
    Dena

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  13. Hello Mary!

    You have inspired me to get out my 2 spiral trees that I have exactly like yours and put them outside! I have been avoiding the cold but now I must do it because yours look so festive.

    Debbie

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  14. Oooo.. I think your house is charming and wonderful! Very inviting and it looks peaceful. I'd love to have someone come and pickup for me. OK, I'd settle for someone to mop the floors! ;) Thank you for the lovely visit to your home! (and the peek across the street!)
    ~Abbie

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  15. Love everything about your home....so cozy and inviting. Makes me want to be there!!

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  16. That beautiful Mary your house, both inside and outside, I am convinced that Christmas will be a marvel. Mary hello

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  17. Your Little Red House is so homey and beautiful. The "house" across the street is just that, a house. Doesn't appear warm and homey like yours. Not to be rude, but homey is better. Love yours!

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  18. That greenery looks great against the red of your house and the dusting of snow makes it picture postcard perfect. Your neighbor's home is beautiful but yours has charm and character. I'd choose charm & character over beauty any day!

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  19. Mary, Little Red House looks wonderful with that dusting of snow. It's been in the 70's down here, so not feeling very Christmas-like about now. I'm enjoying all your decorations. The sled & skates are such a nice touch.

    Rhoda

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  20. Your porch is CHARMING! I love your Flyer. I have been looking high and low for one to put at my back door. My Grandparents had one but now my grandfather thinks he might have tossed it when he was cleaning out the garage...OH well. My search continues.

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  21. Your porch looks fabulous! When I went to add greenery to my large pots, they were frozen solid ~ something that never happens this early in December. A few days in the garage solved that problem!

    If I had to choose between your home and your neighbour's that you show, I'd choose yours hands down!

    Have a great week! ~ hugs, Lynda xo

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  22. Your home could not be more perfect...you even have a robin's nest! It's like an enchanted cottage from a storybook! Your neighbors house is grand but yours is so much cuter!

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  23. Mary, your house looks so pretty outside! I like how you decorated your porch! It was almost 80 degrees here today. After shopping I mowed the grass to get the leaves up. Strange weather for December!
    Hugs,
    Donna

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  24. Hi Martha Stewart!
    Love the ice skates and sled!! - makes me want to whisper Rosebud!

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  25. Your little red house is every bit as charming as your neighbors'! I have a neighbor with a lovely, large home, too. I certainly appreciate the view and sometimes wish that I could return the favor. ;>

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  26. Your neighbors house is nice.....but the Little Red House is my choice for warmth, coziness and charm. I have been on the look out for a vintage sled and vintage ice skates that were affordable for years. Your's look very charming!
    Penny

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  27. Hi Mary
    This is my first comment on your blog but probably not my last!
    YOur neighbors house is beautiful and all but your house is HOME! You house looks inviting and warm and I just want to come right on over but yes I could really love someone driving up and doing my outdoor decorations!
    xoxo
    Diane

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  28. I love your porch. I love the way you use the sled and skates. I noticed many doing that. Wonder if I can find a sled in Mississippi lol. Prob. not maybe a mud bug.

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  29. Well, guess I have no excuse--you say your excuse would be cold weather----my excuse is the opposite--it has been in the 70's last week here and this week it will remain the same (almost 80's actually)---I can not believe the weather ---I am having a hard time even thinking of hanging my Christmas wreaths!! Your decorations look very nice ;-)

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  30. Your house looks so inviting, so festive! I am enjoying catching up on all of your posts & photos, I've been so behind! Thanks for the inspiration, as always!
    xoxo

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  31. Oh I am so glad I had amoment today to visit your lovely red house! I adore the little outdoor vignette you created with the skates. You have a real knack for making your home inviting and cozy.

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  32. Oh Mary...your home is so perfect and so special. So pretty...so much more so than the bigger one. I mean no disrespect to your neighbor but I like what I like and YOUR is just grand.

    Your porch is just lovely...those pictures are so worthy of being on a Christmas card!
    I especially love the sled and skates.

    Hugs,
    Sue

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  33. I like your house better than your neighbors, yours has more charm and seems cozier...beautiful decorations!

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  34. What a gorgeous house you have and lovely neighbors... 'tis the season!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment. I love to hear what you have to say!