AMERICAN HARVEST

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS AT HOME

Have you started your Christmas decorating?  Because I am working so many hours at American Harvest, I stay up late and/or get up very early to decorate my home for Christmas.  Rodger and I began decorating the tree on Thanksgiving morning and just finished it last night!   More decorating will continue throughout the house, as I find time!  Let me know how your decorating is going.

Antique candy jars filled to the brim with vintage Christmas ornaments.

My addiction to antique bottle brush trees continues to grow....I just cannot get enough of these treasures.  This forest of trees is on my family room mantle.

I loved this book when I was a little girl....Mom read it to me often.

We bought these ornaments the first year we were married.  They are now considered vintage.....OH MY!

This sentimental ornament was crocheted by my Grandma Donnie when I was a little girl.  She lived to be 94 and we still talk about the incredible Christmas cookies that she baked for us every year.   

My youngest son, Jeremy made this ornament for us in pre-school.  Talent abounds in our family!

Not to be outdone by his younger brother, Noel created this lovely ornament in Sunday School.

My newest addition to our tree is this fabulous cone that was made and given to me by Lidy Baars on the day we met this past October.

Nicol Sayre's incredible angel watches over the Christmas festivities at our home.  She graces our hearth all year long. 

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE, PART 4

We are happy to welcome Christy Meyers to the American Harvest Family of Artists.  Her outstanding work is a valued complement to our shop.

Featured here are two exquisite original Santos by Eric Cortina. 

A vintage silver tray holds pine cone boxes and a large Dee Foust ornament.

Debbee Thibault's "Good Tiding Santa" in red and "Sadie, the Dog Gone Dog" are exclusive color changes for American Harvest only and are limited to 75 pieces.  In the background is the original version of the Good Tidings Santa.

Nicol Sayre's Angel was designed for Midwest.  The village within her dress actually lights up!

Penny McAllister's Jolly Old Elf observes the festivities at American Harvest.

Ornament designs by Penny McAllister brighten any Christmas tree.

Nicol Sayre's Saint Nicholas is adorned with many antique toys.  Sorry, he is already sold!

Santa's Workshop is now open, please stop by for a "live" visit if you are in the neighborhood.  We'd love to meet you!

 

SERENDIPITY, PIANO MAN STYLE

Serendipity: the gift of being able to make delightful discoveries unexpectedly.

Sometimes unexpected opportunities are presented to you and you just have to seize the moment!  Rodger and I were fortunate enough to receive such a gift Saturday night.  Our son's best friend is a "roadie".  Jose is like a third son to us.  Late Saturday afternoon we got "the Call" at American Harvest.  Jose asked, "Got any plans for tonight?"  "No", I replied, "just dragging my weary, exhausted body home to a house that has no food in the cupboard and an empty fridg."  (I've been too busy to grocery shop for the past two weeks.) 

"Do you want to see Billy Joel in concert tonight?  I've got three tickets if you want them."   

Suddenly, my 1960's teenage years kicked in and a little voice inside me said, "Party On!"
We called our friend, Joyce, who is fun, fun, fun and we were off to the Oakland Arena.  So we ran home, fed the dog, gobbled down half of a leftover enchilada, ran to the car and drove to the freeway that was at a stand still.  We met Joyce at our son's home, got the tickets, and in no time at all we were parking at the arena.  We ran up the outside flight of stairs, handed our tickets to the woman at the gate and she said, "Oh my, you've got great seats!"  What?  We hadn't really noticed where we were going to be seated, we were just happy to be there.  We kept walking down the stairs into the arena, and kept going and going.  Finally we were shown to our fifth row seats.  Elevated just enough to see over everyone's heads in the first four rows.

All of a sudden, we were surrounded by a blue spotlight.  We looked up to see that Jose was running one of the spotlights for this show.  He waved, we waved back and in five minutes the show began.  We could see the sweat dripping off Billy's now balding head.  It was great!  Our seats turned out to be where the band's family sat.  Billy Joel put on a tremendous show... no gimmicks, no fancy fireworks, no dancers, just pure good music.   He is a great showman.

My favorite song of the night was his rendition of "An Innocent Man", it was sultry and sensual to a calypso beat.  The number was so HOT that a couple in front of us needed to "get a room".  They did in fact leave early, much to my relief.  Just too much visual information there!

Toward the end of the evening, Billy got a serendipity gift of his own.  Three bras were thrown onto the stage.  A rather large black bra did get his attention.  He picked it up and walked back and forth on the stage as to ask "who's is it?"  No one claimed the bra.  Funny moment.

When did the glow of cell phones replace Bic lighters for an encore performance call?  Guess it's been awhile since I've been to a concert.  The effect was luminous and did the trick.  Three encores later, he ended the evening with "Piano Man".  A perfect ending to a great concert!

Our seats were spectacular, the crowd was lively, and Billy Joel and the band were incredible!  Thanks Jose and Billy for the unexpected gift.

CHRISTMAS 2007, PART 3

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!  by Susan Arnot

Angels We Have Heard On High...Crowns, Relic Case and large angel ornament

Silver Bells

Small French Doll, Joyeux Noel, by Nicol Sayre

Beautiful German Glass Ornaments by Debbee Thibault

Vintage Sign in our baby section

Sweet collage art by Connie Govea Stuart

Altered Book by Connie Govea Stuart

Dalene Ruhe's handmade glycerin soap...ooh la la

Gorgeous French motive crown by Ingrid Pomeroy....DREAM

Susan Arnot's doll holding  a Paris Theatre, with vintage German porcelain doll head

CHRISTMAS 2007, PART 2

Debbee Thibault Santas

Peaceful Christmas

Christy Meyers' Whimsical Angels

Paris Crown by Ingrid Pomeroy

Wendy Addison's Eiffel Tower and Christy Meyers' Winter White Santa

Sandra Evertson Parisian Doll, La Cage, Bird Cage Couture

An angel sits atop a vintage porch pillar from a San Francisco estate.

Santa's Ark pull toy by The Whimsical Whittler

Angel in clock face cover by Ingrid Pomeroy hangs on a vintage silver tea pot.

Santa in  green velvet robe by Nicol Sayre

CHRISTMAS 2007

Welcome to Christmas at American Harvest!

Nicol Sayre's original Santa greets you in Santa's Workshop.

Christmas in Paris

Crowns and stars...what would we do without them?

Exceptional Debbee Thibault folk art.

Heavenly chandeliers adorn our office.

The Russian window surround has a new angelic greeter.

Santas awaiting holiday shoppers.

I love pink at Christmas time, don't you?

Paper stocking by Connie Govea Stuart

A variety of treasures at every turn

Dreaming of a white Christmas

Angels and Santos announce the coming of the Christmas Season

Our hard working staff, beaming with excited anticipation

Sharon is seated, then left to right:

Rodger, Sarah, April, Blair, Laura, Jan, Marion, and Barbara

Thank you to everyone who made our Christmas Open House so successful.  I will be posting more pictures of American Harvest each day this week, so please come back often!  Merry Christmas!

THURSDAY NIGHT TEASER PREVIEW

Oh my, it is a little after 1:00am and I am just now getting home from American Harvest.  This was a major decorating day!!!  Laura, Jan, April, Rodger, Monique and I worked liked CRAZY.  I'm obsessed with Christmas decorating...anything that isn't moving gets my magical touch!

Laura rested her head for just a minute and what do you think happened?

That's right!  I decorated Laura's leg with Christmas garland!

For relaxation, Jan does yoga.  Here she is doing the "tree".  An appropriate position this week at American Harvest.  I couldn't help myself, I just had to start decorating her!

Pretty colors and shiny too!

Christy Meyers' Santa waits with anticipation for the American Harvest Christmas Open House this Saturday.

Angelic creations by Constance Mueller, my New Jersey friend.  I'm sure that her outstanding work will delight all the California girls.

What would Paris be without a pink poodle?

Delightful mercury glass candy canes find a home in a vintage soda fountain cup.