Myself standing in front of Independence Hall, wearing a shirt with Sam Eagle on it and reading "semiquincentennial"

America’s Semiquincentennial

July 8, 2026, 1 Comment

To celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial (250th birthday) Patrick and I headed over to Independence Hall. No, not the one in Philadelphia, although I would love that one day! But the one at Knott’s Berry Farm. That’s right, Knott’s Berry Farm has its very own full scale replica of Independence Hall, and the great thing about it…

Decor on a shelf, featuring a ceramic Colonial man holding a scroll that reads "Bill of Rights" next to him is a framed postcard with an eagle on it that reads "Happy Fourth" and next to that is a ceramic figure of a woman in a blue dress holding an American flag, a large die cut American flag sits in the background.

American Dreaming 250 Years Later

July 1, 2026, 1 Comment

As long time readers know, I have a particular love for the Fourth of July, especially the kitschy items that were produced as a result of the Bicentennial in 1976. For the last few years I’ve been collecting a variety of patriotic items to decorate for the Fourth of July, and have intermittently decorated for…

Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 5

February 10, 2026, Leave a Comment on Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 5

Valentine’s Day is this weekend! Can you believe it?? So what better time to share yet another portion of my vintage Valentine’s Day card collection? The one with the two blonde kids on the phone is so weird in that it uses the incorrect form of “your” but in doing so it seems to also…

View of our built in bookcase next to our fireplace.

Send a Little Love

January 28, 2026, Leave a Comment on Send a Little Love

I caught a cold near the end of 2025, and as a result we skipped celebrating and decorating for the New Year, and after taking down Christmas and a nice deep cleaning, we went straight into Valentine’s Day. I honestly started shopping for Valentine’s Day decor back in October, and found a few items online,…

Photo collage of Christmas decor and Patrick and I with text along the bottom reading "Happy Holidays"

Warmest of Greetings

December 24, 2025, 4 Comments

From our home to yours, Patrick and I wish you the warmest of holiday greetings!

A family rides a red streetcar with a deer at the helm, across the top it reads "Merry Christmas" and across the middle of the car it reads "From the FIVE of Us!"

Vintage Christmas Cards Vol. 5

December 11, 2025, 2 Comments

In my Christmas decor post from this year, I noted that I had added more to my vintage Christmas cards collection. And as has been tradition (with a few exceptions) I’m bringing you another installment in sharing a sampling from my vintage Christmas card collection, including newly added ones! A special shout out to NeatoKeen…

View of our music area, with a record player on the left, a record holder with Christmas albums, a large yellow chair, and a silver aluminum Christmas tree on the right, a large lighted Kodak sign hangs on the wall.

Christmastime Once Again

December 9, 2025, 4 Comments

November, much like October, flew by, and we had a lot of ups and downs, causing quite the delay in getting our home decorated for Christmas, but it is finally done, and ready to share with you all! Unlike previous years, where we tried to cram in our collection of aluminum trees, this year we…

Myself, looking over my shoulder with my black jacket that features a large patch of a ghost wearing a purple witch hat and playing the guitar.

October Reflections

November 5, 2025, Leave a Comment on October Reflections

Where did October go? Normally, I have multiple posts sharing unique fall experiences, but this year really got away from me. You’ll notice I didn’t even get to write about the Anaheim Fall Festival! And the reason why is both a blessing and a curse. This year I was lucky enough to be elected to…

The Haunting of Stone Oak Manor

October 8, 2025, Leave a Comment on The Haunting of Stone Oak Manor

WARNING: This blog post contains a grizzly image of a very realistic prop of a dismembered body, that some readers may find disturbing. Tucked away in the hills of Oak Glen rests Stone Oak Manor. Designed by Reginald Inwood for Murle and Samuel Baumann, the manor was built in 1926 using stones found on the…

View of a shelf in our dining room, filled with blow mold Jack o'lanterns.

Pumpkins, Ghosts, Witches and More! Our Home at Halloween Time

October 2, 2025, 5 Comments

With October’s arrival, it’s a perfect time to showcase how we’ve decorated for Halloween this year. Back in the spring, we visited Tennessee, where we bought a lot of prints from Hatch Show Print, and realized we needed to make way for more art. Previously, a wall in our hallway was home to three photos…