A Day Trip to Port Gamble...

I celebrated my 47th birthday

over the weekend...

Birthdays in December are always kind of meshed

with Christmas festivities,

so I usually like to get away for a quiet day trip...

we headed Northwest

to the usually sleepy town

of Port Gamble,  WA...

population 916...

the town dates back to the mid 1850's

and is like stepping into Old New England...

Charming with a capital C...

this grand Victorian building

is the center of town...

it was a cold and stormy day,

the waters of the Puget Sound

rough and choppy...

the sky so moody,

looking back at my pictures

 it looks like they were all taken over several different days,

a blue sky here a black sky there...

in the beginning,

 I said a usually sleepy town,

because we were surprised to see how much

 the town had changed since our last visit,

 ten or so years ago...

main street was dappled in a hand full of cute little shops...

and they were hosting a Christmas celebration...

I did a little window shopping...

and caught a glimpse of the "Big Guy" himself...

the quaint cemetery on the hill,

is the most peaceful I have ever visited...

Gustave Englebrecht was buried here,

 the first U.S. Navy Sailor to die in the Pacific,

he died on the city's shores

 in the Indian War of 1855-56...

see

 a blue sky!

I am joining...

Outdoor Wednesday

Thanks for joining me today...

I am Smitten...

I am smitten by wings

and twinkling white lights...

fluff...

and sparkle...

the dazzle of Christmas...

with a rusty edge,

mixed in...

Feet,

What do I need you for

when I have wings to fly?

Frida Kahlo

don't you love Christmas,

when you can let your imagination fly?

Tonight I am joining...

White Wednesday

Wow us Wednesday

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Feathered Nest Friday

Show and Tell Friday

&

Funky Junk Interiors

Saturday Nite Special

Thanks for visiting me today...

My Stick Christmas Tree (literally!)...

I have been slow to start my Christmas decor this year...

I am usually

 a get it all done the weekend after Thanksgiving girl...

this year I wanted to shake up tradition,

try something different,

leave the fake trees in the attic,

dream a new dream...

do you nest hunt?

in the autumn

when the last leaves have fallen

I love to look for nests...

these mossy delights

are the most common nest style found here...

tradition says that a nest in your Christmas Tree,

will bring you luck in the coming year...

so when I found this nest

in this perfect little tree top,

I decided to make it my tabletop tree...

besides with two puppies

a tabletop tree was a good idea!

the pups are eight months old now,

what I think of as the rebellious teenage years :-)

a pretty little silver bird

roosts in the nest...

and sparkle was added...

snow and ice are a common theme

in my Christmas decor..

because, 

I am always dreaming of a white Christmas...

I love the soft ghostly patina

of vintage balls...

only a hint of color remains...

the silver bird looks content,

maybe she too is dreaming of a White Christmas,

snuggled warmly in her soft mossy nest...

Today I am joining...

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Tabletop Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

&

Funky Junk Interiors

for

 Rustic Christmas

Thanks for stopping by today!