"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~ Henry Van Dyke

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Visions of sugarplums?

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap..."

from 'Twas The Night Before Christmas


I am done with my Christmas decorations in the house and find this year that I wanted to move to more simple and natural decorations. I also had to get used to decorating a new house. I have a downstairs bedroom now with a nice big window sill. Pine branches with pine cones, berries and a few large ornaments give just the right touch.

We definitely have visions of sugarplums as our bedroom is finished. I just changed my summer quilt to this winter one which is a little warmer.

I folded our summer quilt over a little chest in the corner. This corner is a spot where you can sit to pull on those warm winter socks. Or perhaps to simply read this sampler I stitched four years ago. You can read the verse on my old blog here.

If you remember back when we got the keys to this house, we found a nasty surprise of pipes sticking up in the middle of the bedroom floor. You can read about it in this previous post. A carpenter made us a chest which spans that space. It covers the pipes with a door for access and contains two large drawers for extra space. It was made to match our chest of drawers. We sawed off the feet of the chest and place it up on top of the newly made one. We think the carpenter did an excellent job. The glass door leads to the newly renovated shower room.

I use the space above the drawers for a sampler wall. To me, there is no greater joy than waking up in the morning to see my needlework before me.

I surround myself with things I love which is my stitching and quilting. That makes for sweet dreams.

21 comments:

Nanny Ree said...

Just beautiful Heidi ~ I love how you have your needlework placed. Marie x

Susan in SC said...

Heidi - what a lovely room. I like the cabinet the carpenter built for you, one would never know its secret. What a wonderful idea for your sampler wall. It is wonderful to wake up to the things you love.

Linda said...

Heidi,

Your bedroom is beyond lovely! Great fix for the pipe problem also and extra storage on top of it! And your needlework is gorgeous!

Linda in Va

Nancy said...

Heidi...your bedroom is so lovely.I love your decorating style.It is so calming and serene.

hazel c UK said...

Your bedroom is lovely Heidi so restful looking. Like your sampler wall.

Hugs and Crosses,
Hazel

Anonymous said...

Heidi--Your bedroom is so lovely and serene. It says "Heidi".

--Andrea in Calif

Jenny said...

I love your new room Heidi. Everything looks so beautiful, and your quilt and samplers add just the right touch. I am so glad you are getting settled in your new house. Hugs from CA.

Nancy said...

Very nice, I just got to see it in person but you keep adding touches. I was there when you planned the sampler wall. It is a very nice room.
Love you, Mom

Hazel said...

Lovely decs. I love your bedroom and sampler wall. x

Tammy said...

Heidi - To me your bedroom is fresh and calm and very much "you". :o) I hope the new house is feeling more like home.

Melanie said...

Your bedroom is so warm, inviting, and cozy. I love your sampler wall! I also like the way you decorated the bedroom windowsill with the pine branches. Those can stay all winter instead of just the Christmas season!

DebbieSFL said...

Heidi, I am so excited for you--what a lovely home!

Deborah said...

Your bedroom is beautiful. Very warm and inviting. Love all the quilts.

Ginny said...

Your bedroom is so warm and inviting! How lovely to wake up surrounded by quilts and needlework. The solution for the pipes is ingenious. Thanks for sharing the room with us!

Anonymous said...

Heidi, ik heb beide situatie's gezien, maar nu ook dat laatste hoekje klaar is, is alles weer "Des Heidi's". Dit konden wij in oktober niet bedenken dat het zo mooi zou worden.

Hugs, Bep.

Elly said...

Dat ziet er weer heel gezellig uit en met die heerlijke houtkachel is het fantastisch vertoeven in jullie huis.
Geniet ervan. Hugs en groetjes

onlymehere said...

What an ingeneous idea to hide those pipes! It even gives you more storage. I love your quilts and sampler wall. Your home is truly now a home!

Diane said...

Heidi, I love your room and especially the beautiful quilt on your bed. What a wonderfully talented lady you are. I often check in to see how you're doing, but after leaving Lilacs, Linens, and Lace I only keep in touch through your wonderful blog. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Jantine said...

The cabinet change was very clever indeed! It looks great! I am glad it worked out! The wall with all the samplers is beautiful too!

Brigitte said...

Oh my, Heidi, what a wonderful room you created. And that sampler wall is the absolute highlight in it.

angelasweby said...

Heidi you have already made your creative mark on the canvas of your new house. Everything looks very peaceful and serene. I love the wall of stitching above the chests - such a pleasant sight to greet you when you wake. The simple decorations are really effective.
After all the anxieties, now you can reap the enjoyment.
Angela xx