Little houses in the grands' room

When my daughter was a girl, our family would paint one building each year during the holidays to add to the collection.  There are about 8 of them total.  Her grandparents joined in the painting too.  My grandgirls saw them in the attic this year and wanted to place them around their room at my house.....it brought back such fond memories that I am going to try this tradtition out on them this year.  We still have one unpainted building.  Now to find paints.....the original little pots we used are a bit dried up!

The third tree I have posted since I began blogging.....

We chose a slightly smaller one this year.  And got it for 19.00!  What a deal, and I love Christmas trees!!!! 

A little tree for the grands...in their room

Got out the little extra ornaments, and let them do it themselves.  They had so much fun, and then we got out the painted village, which I have not displayed in years, and they placed the little houses all over the room complete with kleenex snow....

Old road into Waynesville, NC

As we travelled it, we saw this old apple market which had lots of apples and other goodies.  The folks who worked there had been there for many years.  Don't you love the entrance to it?  Now that took some time....  

Cute little dresses......

Got these dresses on sale for the grandgirls.  They are hand-painted, and soft and comfy.  My sister will give them to the girls for Christmas.  She is not feeling well, so I did a little shopping for her.  Shhh....don't tell my grandgirls yet!  The little books will be for Joisah...he loves to be read to, and is not so fond of dresses!  :)

Inside the apple orchard store....

The red rockers were outside these windows.  Inside was lots of canned jellies, jams, salsas, pickles, and gifts.  It was a nice place.  Oh, and lots and lots of apples.  You could choose a basket that was a peck, a half peck, or two pecks.  

Still exists! Since my childhood.....

And inside were two guys that were stereotype mountain men....big bushy beards, thick mountain accents as if from the movies, leather hats, willing to barter for anything....Tom and I said when we left, "Were they for real?"  Could not be.  Then we said, "Well, do they do that for tourists?  It is actually kind of fun."   They gave me a free CD (they called it a DVD) of vintage, authentic bluegrass, a family singing.  It was surreal.  But I loved it.  I really respect people with mountain roots, so I am not making fun at all.  I admire their history and the stories that come out of Appalachia and the area.  In fact, it deeply interests me.  I read many good articles from the Foxfire interviews while I was there...first hand accounts of living through a forest fire, and making tree bark baskets....love it all.  But those guys, I could not figure them out but was glad they were there.  The mountain people I have known are trying hard to NOT appear like a sterotype.  This store, along with a couple of others that have been there forever, (one is closed, but still full of goodies) lies along old 441 right by Tallulah Gorge overlook.