Vintage Santa's and Helpers.

Please join Leigh at Tales from Bloggeritaville
http://lbratina.blogspot.com/2009/12/thrifty-thursday-44.html

Today I'm going to show my 'vintage' Christmas Santa's, Mr. and Mrs. Santa, Nutcracker and Santa's helper. I collected these during the summer at 'Garage Sales' or 'Yard sales, or 'Flea Markets'.

This Santa I picked up a couple of years ago can you believe it for $1............the man who was selling it said that it was from the 50's. His kids have grown up and nobody wants him. Since he said I collect Santa's he gave it to me for 1 buck. He said he knows Santa will have a good home..........LOL.

All smiley and cheery with those rosey cheeks. I guess he's not tired yet from delivering those gifts all night.

This Santa I picked up for $2 bucks during someone inheriting a home and was having a yard sale..........she told me he is from the 60's. She said he always stood in the hallway of her Aunt's home when she would go over for the Holidays growing up........I love hearing all these memories of these items.

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Clause............notice the wires you can plug them in and they move around with the candle flickering.

They are still on the floor waiting to be put in their place for this Christmas holiday.

This is a vintage Santa's helper.....from the Workshop.

Love this Nutcracker, he was actually 50 cents..........and it was a neighbour getting rid of him. He said it was his Mom's a way back and he was already retired himself. But I love him, he even has a detailed coat on.

Hope you enjoyed my tour........and be sure to visit leigh and the other participants at

http://lbratina.blogspot.com/ Have a great "Thrifty Thursday!" Love to hear from you.

Oriental Mall

Thank you to Susan for hosting "OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY".


Today for my Outdoor Wednesday I'm showing a Chinatown Mall that we have here in Toronto. We actully have a large Asian community so this was one mall I went to was in the burbs, west of Toronto called Mississauga. We also have one in the north end of the city which is quite large and one downtown which I ended up not going because it is overcrowded and NO parking.

The reason I went was that I needed to buy these lil' 2 bucks a pair slippers. I like wearing them around the house. They are extremely light and usually through the year I go throught about 6 pairs. The only place I can get them is in Chinatown.

This is the entrance to the Mall. I was trying to take shots from the car thats why they are not so clear........and I was using my lil' pocket camera.

This is on a wall of a building, the colours are a beautiful blue turquoise and it is dimensional with the design and spans across a large building. It seems to be somekind of tile work. In the sumertime when the sun shines on it, it is breathtaking with those colours.

These three statues were right in front where I parked my car.......they were about 5' feet tall. I'm sure that each one symbolizes something but i'm not quite sure what?

I guess this is just a Gazebo.......I noticed in the summertime lots of tourists are snapping away at pictures here.

Pond and rock formation [ststue] beside the Gazebo.

This is a piece of a rock statue done by some artist beside the pond.

Corner in the mall.

This is at the Exit.............if you double click you might be able to read it. Sorry but I was hanging out the window trying to get a picture. Couldn't stop because my husband told me there are a lot of cars behind us.


Be sure and visit the other participants ..............at 'Outdoor Wednesday'

Have a great day everyone!

Whimsical Teapot

Hi to everyone visiting 'Tea Things Tuesdays' at http://shabbypinkandpretty.blogspot.com/.



Thanks to Kim for hosting this and be sure to check out everyone and all their 'tea' treasures!

Whimsical "Elephant" Tea Pot

Today I decided to show my elephant teapot. The reason being is that I'm sad because 'Tara', the hulking matriarch of the The Toronto Zoo passed away at 41 yesterday. She has been at the zoo here forever.........she was my daughter's favourite elephant whenever we took her to the zoo when she was younger. She was one of the largest elephant's there and the first one there since the zoo opened up in 1974.

This tray I like to use for a 'tea' if someone comes over, it is very colourful and bright.

Teapot with her buddies..........

Milk or sugar anyone?

Hope you enjoyed my tour of my whimsical teapot. Have a great 'Tea Things Tuesday'!


Be sure and visit http://shabbypinkandpretty.blogspot.com/. and see what the other participants are showing.

Thank you to our wonderful Hostess Susan for hosting this "Foodie Friday".

Stop by for some fun and exciting recipes and fabulous pictures at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

Bean Salad, is the recipe I'm going to show today. I learned it off my Mom. It was one of her favourites and very easy and fast to make. Also my daughter and husband enjoy it as well.

Here I used white kidney beans but I have also used chickpeas as well which comes out the same and if you want you can add some chopped up cucumber or even add 1 garlic clove minced. All optional and what you prefer.

Bean Salad

1 can white kidney beans OR 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tomato, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup cucumber, chopped

3 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 Tbsp. Olive oil

In a bowl put rinsed and drained beans and set aside.

Add chopped tomato, onion, cucumber and parsley. Mix well till combined.

Mix Olive oil and lemon juice together and pour over above salad and mix well.

Ready to eat or make a couple of hours before and refrigerate.

.....ready to eat.

Hope everyone enjoyed my tried and true simple "bean salad".........Love to hear any comments.

Have a "Happy Foodie Friday"!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. Friends.

Blue Crystal Vase

Thank you Hostess Sally for hosting "Blue Monday" for some fabulous inspirational ideas and fun!...

Be sure and visit the other participants at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/



Today I'm showing for "BLUE MONDAY" a crystal vase that has this beautiful turquoise blue pieces of crystal. The photos don't how show the full potential of the colour. It especially looks gorgeous in the bright sunlight.

This was my Mom's........she has had it ever since I can remember. She never put any flowers in it, I think because then you would lose the design. It's a special vase to me as it was my Mom's and I inherited when she passed away...........I keep it in a curio cabinet which doesn't do any justice to it, but I'm afarid during those dusting frenzy's it might fall and break.....I know I'm being paranoid but these things do happen.

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Thank you for stopping by..........and be sure to visit the other Happy Blue Monday bloggers. Happy Blue Monday to All!

Love to hear and read any comments.........I really enjoy other participants comments and their Blogs..