The Martin House at Christmas Time

We went to one of my favorite haunts after tea at the Martin House, namely Bonnesens.
I have mentioned it before. It's a five and dime store that I have been going to since I was a little kid. And I still anticipate everytime I go. We were doing a little Christmas shopping just before they closed, and it started snowing. As in Christmas movie snowing, big flakes, falling at just the right rate, as though they were cued to be picturesque for that moment in time.
I took this picture of the main street in Atlantic, IA (which is, of course, where the Martin House and Bonnesens are located), I love the decorations that they put up. My picture doesn't do them justice, there are lights on every tree and in the park at the end of the street.
It looked so very festive.

My flash wouldn't cooperate with me so my pics are a little dark.

The Martin House is a second empire Victorian that has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast/restaurant. We go there every year for tea+desserts (you should hear the list of desserts, it makes me want to create new cheesecakes) and to see the Christmas decorations, which are never the same two years in a row.

This is the view looking into the front parlor.

Looking into the dining room, so gorgeous.

I'm obsessed with the opulence of this era.

The light fixtures are amazing. They have come from several counries, including Austria and Paris, France.

I wonder if I have room for one somewhere in my house?

In the back parlor...

And another (I know, very dark, stupid flash), of the lovely front parlor.

We went again on New Years Day.

It was very nice to sit in the front parlor on the pink velvet couch and just watch the fire in the fire place.

What a house.

White tree a la upstairs

This is the tree that I set up in my room:

White, faux, like a canvas, open to over the top color or a minimalist palette.

I chose to decorate it with glittered ornaments, sugared fruits, lots of new and vintage millinery flowers, little glittered birds and silver tinsel.

Christmas Tree a la downstairs

This is the tree for the living room: It is a fir tree (live).

Our house cats favor the real trees over the faux ones. Gives the house that good wild, woodsy feeling.

I decorated this one in red and gold glass ornaments, jingle bells, vintage postcards, and paper cones filled with chocolates. And of course loads of tinsel.

Ornaments for the white tree...

I like the sound and feel of glass ornaments.

I used some gorgeous glitter to make tiny stripes on these. It is a mix of different sizes of silver and teal glitter and silver stars.I made these to satisfy the days quota of whimsical needs.

Some more elegant little orbs I glittered. These three that I have glittered started out as basic round silver ornaments.

These are so festive.

Normally I wouldn't 'go' for these as they get a little lost in a green tree, however, I have a large solid white tree...

Voila! Little statement ornaments.

I will post pics of the rest of the ornaments for the white tree,

And of the finished tree when I am done.

Christmas Trees of Walnut

They have a very large Christmas Tree in the middle of the main street, the street is cobbled.
Very nostalgic, perfect for Antique City. They have also decorated the other trees along the street, however we weren't there after dark, so I couldn't get a pic of the lights.

A table full of silver and sparkly things at Sow A Seed

I love this little pink tinsel tree, I should get one some time and decorate it with vintage glass ornaments or candy, little spice drops and whatnot. Another tree pic from Sow A Seed.

A lovely tinsely ornament from the forget me not shop.

Tree from the Forget Me Not Shop in Walnut, IA.

I love the feathers , pink bead garland and roses.

Another pretty table tree from the forget me not shop.

All is gold that glitters, another tree from the forget me not shop.