Many years ago my new husband and I stood on a corner in front of a shabby Victorian house. We had a blended family with 4 children and a baby on the way. We dreamed of living in one of these big old homes where we could have more room for our growing family. It was December and the city was walking through the neighborhood enjoying the Victorian Front Porch Tour. The historic homes were decorated with Santas, elves, angels, and Victorian people. It was magic!!!
By the time that "baby" started Kindergarten we lived in that house and were in the process of restoring it! We are still in the process....the "baby" is now 13. We will never be done, but it is a work of love!
The Porch Tour is 17 years old. It started when my former neighbor, artist Jan Jones, had some life sized paper mache Santas that were not being used that Christmas. She and some of the other neighbors decided to sit up some displays on a few porches for the city to enjoy. It grew every year!
The porches are lit up each night for a driving tour starting Wednesday, December 9th. On Saturday the streets are closed at 5:30 to traffic so that people can stroll on the streets, enjoy entertainment on many of the porches and get a closer look at the displays. Many of the neighbors dress up in Victorian costumes to greet the guests. And it is free! It is Opelika's gift to the community. Here are a few pictures from last year!
And a soft couch for 
A loft for the Boy...
We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Dixie Stampede, which was great. You have to eat with your hands! A whole chicken, pork roast, baked potato, corn on the cob, vegetable soup, garlic/cheese rolls, and apple turnovers!
On Friday we went to some outlets- it was very crowded!
I loved the blue trees at The Christmas Place!
The boy got a BB gun at 
I also saw some okra angels at a craft show recently so I am going to try making some. I haven't gotten far. The craft show version had a wooden bead for a head. I used some air drying clay to mould a face. I will use some sheer silver ribbon for wings.
The next shirt is like the craft fair shirts. The tree is the same shape. This time I cut the "Heat-n-bond" the same size as the tree and ironed it on. I went around the tree with a blanket stitch by hand and added the button.
I hope this one does not fray as much when I wash it! I should have tried on the shirt before I sewed the tree on. It was a little snug- so I'm sending it on to my thinner daughter and I will have to make another one for me with a larger shirt!!
Last spring a favorite little gift shop closed. I bought a few things on sale then I began to notice the left overs showing up at a thrift store.... So I've been using some of these finds with my tree collection to spruce up my decorations this year. I would never buy those stacked boxes with the $61 price tag on them...but for $5.99...they are mine! Much of the greenery and stem decorations were $.59 each.... that's a long way from $3-$12 each!
