Christmas at My Old Historic House

Then 1845 Historic Elgin/Cottrell House, aka, My Old Historic House.

My Niece Linda adds a bow to the white pine garland that we made. We gathered the pine  and I gave the girls a lesson in garland making. We used no electric lights in our decorations.

        I'm hoping to take you on a trip back in time, when Christmas was a rather new word. A time when the world was a much simpler place. A time when Children couldn't sleep at night, waiting for a simple treat, like an orange or a stick or two of peppermint,When children were very good and waited all year for a penny and a bright new toy. A doll that cost $1.50 and  a wind up truck that cost a few cents. A time when families would travel for days to visit and stay for weeks.A time when people snuggled under goose down comforters and wore nap caps to bed ,to keep them warm.

The 11 foot Christmas Tree in the Down River Parlor.Hand made paper ornaments and garlands of Ribbon Roses. Antique hand blown ornaments.No electric lights. 

   In 1845 America,when My Old Historic House was started, very few people knew any thing about the celebration that we call Christmas. There were no Christmas trees or Santa Claus. In 1860, when an addition was added to, My Old Historic House, Christmas and Santa had made it's way to America. The Christmas traditions were started in Germany and England. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, actually brought the Christmas Tree to England from Germany. When pictures of this tree were published, the tradition traveled to America. Very few people had store bought decorations. Most trees were ever greens that were cut from the woods. Decorations were mainly hand made. The Christmas card is a 19th century invention. Santa Clause was originally a religious figure, St. Nick.  When the little children book, "The Night Before Christmas", was published, this made Santa ,a house hold name. We Americans gave him the name of Santa Claus and invented his traditional look.

Trees made from Gum Drops  , ginger bread men and Cranberry pie.

A ginger bread house and a cookie tree. 

Gum Drop garland  made by lacing a florist wire through  the gum drops and they were hot glued to the cake plate.

   Store bought Christmas Tree ornaments are a 19th century thing. They were at first all made in Germany. Hand blown from glass into metal molds and decorated by hand. These were made in a cottage industry, and were soon being shipped all over the world.Electric  lights were not  used on Christmas trees till the 20th century. Most homes did not have them  till the middle of that century. Candles were often used to light the Christmas Tree. This was very dangerous and they were only lite for a few minutes. Most homes kept a bucket of water close by, just in case of a fire. The traditional home would decorate the tree on Christmas Eve , after the children had gone to bed.What a surprise when the woke  on Christmas morning.
    The first Christmas Trees in the American White House were not placed there until around 1921. Christmas was made a national holiday in the in 1899.The date of December 25 was settled on at that time. The original Christmas meaning was to mark the Birth of the Christ Child. This is often over looked in  world today.The Christmas present was to represent the gifts that the three Kings brought to the Christ Child. The Christmas Carol in Europe is many centuries old, but in America, it is mostly a 19th century inventions.

Hand made ribbon roses were linked together to form a garland.

Paper Victorian Scrap ornaments.

   Oh my how Christmas has changed. Today there is Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Trees are up before Halloween, people go into debt and Children get things that cost  as much as some people have to live on.Bright, flashing lights are everywhere. Some displays are  so over the top, that ,"Christmas Toxin." is the way I can describe it. I guess all this is progress. But some how I long for the simpleness of the pass. I hope you all will stop and think about the Real meaning of this season. Take time to be thankful for what  and who you have. Keep in mind, those who will do without and maybe be a little generous with the giving in that department.
   I am showing you today the Christmas decorations at, My Old Historic House. There is no flashing or twinkling lights.There is a 11 foot tree, loaded with hand made paper ornaments, ribbon rose garlands and some of those first, hand blown glass ornaments that made there way to America about the same time the house was built. I had my sweet Nieces and one Great Niece come and help. They chose to get dresses up in there Ante-Bellum Christmas gowns for the occasion.  We had fun decorating the tree, making ginger bread men and houses.I had ribbon candy, orange slices, pecan pie, fruit cake and plum pudding , for treats. The dining room table was a feast to a little girls eyes. There were Christmas trees made from Gum Drops and goodies to eat. Candles were lite all over the house and we all stood back and admired our creations.

My two nieces, Linda and Elizabeth and Elizabeth's daughter Patricia.

She looks like a little girl from a former time. 

My Great Niece Patricia adds decorations to the tree.

   I sure wish you all could come and visit, My Old Historic House , for a Christmas Tour. I know this is a busy time and we all live far apart, but I'll take you on a tour  today, by the 20th century invention, the computer.
    Come anytime,I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will always meet you with a big jump and a big kiss. I hope you all are having a wonderful  Christmas Holiday Season and you surely are thankful for what you have. I know I am. Christmas Love to each and every one of you!! Richard

 

The Down River Parlor with a fire in the fireplace and all the candles aglow. 

The Up River Parlor with a 20th century feather tree on the center table.

A simple bunch of English Ivy from the garden with a pretty bow .

Hand made ribbon rose garlands, paper scrap ornaments, clip on candles , feathered butterflies and antique hand blown glass ornaments decorate the great tree in the Down River Parlor.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TOO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

   

  .

Being Published.

    There is nothing more excited than having your home or business featured in a publication.For years I wanted  my home to be featured in a magazine,and  after many portfolios sent in and rejected, it finally happened in June of 2011. Victorian Homes  Magazine ,did a 12 page spread about, My Old Historic House. I know most of you have heard me brag about this over and over, so I promise this post is not about it.

This is the book. 

   Years ago,1995, when I lived in St.Louis, in a townhouse, I had a Christmas Party at  my apartment, which was decked out for the Holidays. One of my guest ,was a friend and customer of mine, Ms. Mary Engelbreit . When I invited her, I had no ideal she was working on a Christmas book. No, really I didn't. Any how, she asked at the party, if she and her photographer could come and take pictures for her book. Of course, I said yes. And when I asked  when, she said, Tomorrow. Well it took a little late night cleaning, to get the after party picked up, but we did the shoot the very next day.
    Mary grew up in St.Louis and started her business by selling home made greeting cards to her friends. She became very successful and  now, she is almost as well know ,as Norman Rockwell. Mary came into my shop often. Sometimes to buy things for herself, other times to look for props. The shop I had in those days was called, The Antique Garden. It was located in the oldest freestanding greenhouse in the state of Missouri. It had been built by a florist around the 1904 Worlds Fair.The old  floral shop was in the front and it housed one of St.Louis's best Antique Shops. I had been working for a wholesale florist for about 10 years and I thought it was time to open my own business.So I did , and I rented this old greenhouse and  it was a combination floral and antique shop.But that is another story. Anyhow ,Mary Engelbreit became one of my good customers and this is how I ended up in her book.And, being in her book sure made a difference in my business. Was a very good thing for a new business owner.

This is Dear Sweet Shelia.

This is a comment Shelia left me asking me to post about being in Mary Engelbreit's Book

The comment I left for Shelia at Note Song 

    Last week I was following one of my dear blog friends- blog and she mentioned Mary. It seems she had gotten an ideal from one of Mary's  magazine publications, for her Christmas decorations. That blogger was Shelia from - www.notesong.blogspot.com. I left a comment about being in Mary's book and she  in return asked me to post about it. So that's how we got to here.Sorry Shelia, I am not the smartest  blogger out there in blogland, so I am afraid ,I do not know how to add your link. But, please everyone, go visit Shelia.

My dining room at my townhouse apartment that was featured in Mary Engelbreit's Christmas Book.

caption from the book.

   My townhouse, that is featured in Ms. Engelbreight's book ,was the whole second floor of an old 1900's Victorian Mansion. Parts of the townhouse still retained the Victorian charm, while other parts were very  modern. I had never lived in a townhome before and this was a fun adventure. You entered my apartment through the original front doors and went up the original, beautiful staircase. The staircase opened to my entrance hall, which was actually the second floor landing. There was a fireplace in this area. It was a rather large space and I decorated it with a big square marble top table. A very large living room was to the right and the dining room, kitchen and two bed rooms were to the left. You will see things in these photos that you have seen in, My Old Historic House posts, so I am sure you will recognize them right away.
   Have fun and enjoy this post. I have to say, I do not have a scanner. I just took these pictures with my post and shoot camera. I am afraid they could be better, but are not too bad. I did not get any pictures from the original shoot, so these, that I did for this post, can now go into a folder, and that's a good thing. I bet if you don't have this book and want a copy it could be found on Ebay or somewhere. The Title of the book is: Mary Engelgreit's Christmas Companion and it was published in 1995 by Andrews and McMeel Press from Kansas City, Missouri. My pictures are featured on pages 22,55,85,92 and 108. If you have some of Mary's books, look and see if you can find me.

This was my Entrance. Notice  all my domes. Most of them are now in my Dining room. 

Caption from the book.

I added gold stick on stars to lots and lots of candles. They were placed on a  large serving tray that I  gold gilded. Fresh gardenia flowers and an antique French gilt cherub were also on the tray.

   I hope you will come sometime soon for a real tour of, My Old Historic House. I will always leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will greet you with a big jump and a kiss. I am working on Christmas for this year. Don't seem to get much done, too busy writing and posting this blog. So maybe, by Christmas Day, I will have some photo's for you, of Christmas 2011 at The 1845 Historic Elgin/Cottrell House Museum. Happy Holidays.
 

The dining room with the table set for the party.

I  no longer have this side board but I do still have my dogs.They are now in my kitchen.

The dining room had two windows and I added shelves and placed all may cranberry glass on them. Cranberry looks very beautiful when the light can come through.

One of Mary's drawings from her book.

Caption from the book.

These lights were on my tree when I was a kid. I have kept them all these years and always place them somewhere at Christmas time.

I used a box wood wreath to circle my Mothers silver punch bowl. I added winter berries, dried orange slices and real fruit that I had gold gilded.

Fresh pine and a large bow  was placed above all my ,"store bought relatives."She now hangs in my Up River Parlor.

A close up of my ornament collection.

Mary Engelbreit when she was young, visiting Santa.

This  is another wall of the dining room.. Notice I had fresh flowers everywhere.

Caption from the book.

My enrance hall as it appears in Mary Engelbreit's book.

 Fresh fruit was  sugared for the dining room table.

                                   I just checked and this book is available at Amazon.com. and some are used and very reasonable.