Blog Archive

Thursday, December 18, 2025

An Apple-icious Country Christmas Hutch Tour and Mini Santa Sampler Freebie

 Do you remember these apple ornaments from the 1980's -early 90's?

 In the  golden olden days, we could purchase a  pack of 12 candy red apples  at the Dollar General or the five and dime for a dollar or less. Aaah the good old days... ( Hmmm, Can the 1980's be referred to as the olden days? LOL My grandsons think so- the little stinkers!)



 I still have a few of these little ornaments that used to adorn my Mom's tree. 

Dear Stacy who knows my love for apples sent me a vintage pack a couple of years ago. This year they took center stage hanging on a small tree nestled in a Watts cookie jar on my hutch .   

 πŸŽπŸ "An apple a day keeps the doctor away. "- Proverb 🍎🍏

Good morning, Sweeties and welcome. Well the holiday season is in full swing so today I thought I would share a country clutter tour. Now many of you know me- I am a maximalist and I  love to see my vintage treasures on full display . So if you are up to it, I sure would love for you to join me in the kitchen to see how I decorated my small wooden hutch that Mr. Pinker made for me years ago. So grab a cup of coffee and let's go. πŸ˜€πŸŽ


My hutch is nestled in a corner in the small kitchen which is filled with vintage items and advertising pieces. In the bottom of the hutch, I store many of my Christmas dishes. 




I began by pulling out my plaid table runners and Dollar Tree plates and then strung a some white lights on the hutch for a bit of sparkle. 



Then I filled it to the brim with  all sorts of apple related goodies... like my pie plates ... and ...


Some Watts pottery... and...




Of course I had to include some family treasures like my Nanny's 1950's Coffee canister.  Did you notice that the "C" is long faded and it is splattered with white paint. πŸ€—


I could not have a Christmas hutch without some of my vintage 1980's Santas scattered among the shelves. 


Scattered among the clutter are a few cross stitch pieces like the darling Santa stitch finished as a small log cabin quilt . A precious gift from sweet Joan. πŸ€—

And my little "Always Believe" stitch that I finished in 2021. My daughter always says if you stop believing then you do not get presents. I still believe . Do you? πŸ˜€❤


This hutch is certainly  filled to the brim with apple goodness. 

Do you think I could squeeze one or two more treasures on the shelves? Hee! Hee!  Well I won't try this year. Hmmm or will I ? πŸ€”πŸ€ͺ


I am so very grateful that you joined me today on this country clutter tour. I hope I did not make your head spin with all of the clutter. 

Well , Sweeties, I better get off here . I have Christmas stitching to work on. Yep, I am still stitching Christmas . How about you?  

Have a jolly day! 

Whooa there Nelly! Before you leave, I have a small stitch to share with you-  my Mini Santa Sampler


I will finish it today. It is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN COLORS chart, but I will share what colors I am using. 

THE FLOSS COLORS I AM USING:
DMC   898 ( alphabet)
            815 ( Santa suit)
            Blanc ( beard and pom pom on hat)
            310    ( Santa's eye)
            407 ( Santa's skin) 
            842 ( Santa's mustache)
            3688 (Santa's rosy cheeks)

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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Have a beautiful day, dear friends and ....



As Always...


Happy  Stitching and Quilting,

 y'all

Melisa 

"The smells of Christmas is the smells of childhood. " - Richard Paul Evans

Hugs and Stitches!!!!πŸ€—πŸ§΅❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ…πŸŽ… 

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes- Early 2025 parade of home freebies.

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.
🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025
🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.
🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 
🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 
🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.
🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 
🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 
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I had a wonderful doctor's appointment yesterday. She said I was fit as a fiddle and has released me from her care. I only have to see my primary doctor every 6 months now. It has been a long year, but I am as happy as a clam! 

 I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needleworkers to meet. 

Cecilia at My Thrifted Store Addiction for Vintage Charm- Wednesday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters


36 comments:

  1. For as long as I can remember my grandmother had an apple topped cookie jar in her tiny kitchen. I can see it clearly in my mind's eye. I wonder what happened to that cookie jar?
    I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to the Big City - nice to get away but always fun to pull into the driveway. I am feeling better but still feeling a little tired every day. Great reason for a nice deep nap. LOL I haven't been doing much however I am still stitching like my hair's on fire. ROFLOL I am crazy about your wonderful Santa Sampler. I really need to stitch it very, very soon. All the mini samplers would be fabulous 2026 projects. Guess I should head to bed but I'm enjoying watching Sister Act II for the millionth time. LOL Thursday Hugs just for you, DarleneJ

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    1. Happy Happy Thursday Miz Darlene. I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better and you are keeping your needles and hair on fire. Hee! Hee! I have been reviewing and thinking about my goals for 2026 . Hmm what to stitch and what to quilt? I am sure I will come up with more than enough projects to work on. I am so happy you like my little mini Santa sampler. He has been a fun one to work on. Have a fabulous evening. It is rainy here- I think I will cozy up to a movie too. Hugs.

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  2. Ooooooh this post makes me so happy! I LOVE apples 🍎 and have an apple display with my cross stitch and quilts every September. 😍 Just yesterday I found an amazing apple metal sign that I will use to mount a cross stitch on. 🍎🍎🍎 And a couple of years I found a pack of those little apple ornaments at an estate sale and they are on our Christmas tree because they bring back childhood memories πŸ₯°
    Thank you for sharing your apple decor, it made my day 😁 And also thank you for the mini santa sampler, I will definitely stitch it! I'm currently finishing up a Prairie Sampler santa...I really like how Joan finished that santa in a little log cabin quilt, I think I'll do that with one of mine! Now I have a bunch of ideas in my head and am all excited...but they have to stay in my head for a few more days cause I have work and appointments till 12/24 πŸ€ͺ
    Anywho, have a great day Melisa! Hope your doctors appointment went well! πŸ€—πŸ€— Talk to you soon! Hugs, Alex

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    1. Please ignore all my typos 🀣 It's still early πŸ₯±

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    2. Good evening, dear Alex and Happy Thursday. It just warms my heart that you enjoyed my little Christmas apple display. I usually decorate with apples in September too. How lucky are you to find a package of these little apple ornaments at an estate sale. I am glad they found a good home . I bet your Santa is looking fabulous. I am sure you will have him all stitched up before the big day. Bummer how that old "work thing" gets in the way of fun. LOL. Enjoy your day. Warm hugs.

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  3. Your hutch is filled to the brim with lovely apple-dom, Melisa! So pretty ;))) Trying out our new little apple-peeler-corer today--we've gotten it to cut but not peel so far--tricky little gadget...
    It may end up being a decoration if it won't behave for us...hahaha
    Hugs, Julierose

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    1. Oh how fun, Julierose. Is it one where you clamp it to the counter? I have two- one suctions to the counter ; the other clamps. I agree they are tricky little gadgets. Hee! Hee! I eat an apple every day- the are my little indulgence. LOL Have a blessed day. Hugs.

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  4. I eat a lot of apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away ! Good to hear your appointment went well.
    What a lovely Santa sampler !

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    1. I truly believe that, Anneilies. I eat at least 1 a day. Thank you so much for the sweet visit. I hope your day has been a lovely one. Hugs.

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  5. Love your new sampler - thank you. As for apples, I made apple butter the other day - enough for us, one for the freezer and one for my middle dd. Glad you got a good report from your doctor. Blessings!

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    1. Oooh I have not had good homemade apple butter in years. I bet yours was delicious, Donna. Do you eat it with biscuits? Thank you so much for the kind compliment on my sampler. It is a lot of fun to work on and I was jumping for joy with my Doc's report. Hugs and Blessings.

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  6. Thank you Elizabeth Pratt

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    1. Aaaw you are so very welcome, dear Elizabeth. I am enjoying working on this little fella. I hope you enjoy him too. Merry Christmas. Hugs.

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  7. Oh I do remember those little red apples. I had arranged some in a pretty little Christmas bowl on our coffee table. Out dog got bored while we were at work on day and decided to snack on them. I came home to a hiding dog (never a good sign) my pretty bowl on the floor (Unbroken happily) clumps of styrofoam(that's what the insides of my apples were made of) stuck to the carpet and red coloring there too. Somehow, gratefully, she didn't get stick. oooh she was a mischievous pup which is probably what landed her in the dog pound we adopted her from. Thanks for the memory that I can laugh about now and your lovely tour

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    1. Oh my what a mischievous little pup. That little fella knew he had made a mess didn't he? Did Santa give him some coal for Christmas. LOL. It is good that you can look back upon it and laugh now, but I bet you were fit to be tied for a moment. LOL. I didn't realize the red dye on the apples would run until one of mine got wet. Wheww! I hope it didn't stain your carpet . Thank you for bringing a smile to my day, Maureen . Our fur babies certainly keep us on our toes. Right? Hugs

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  8. I do remember those apples. At one time, I had 24 of them. . .now, there are maybe eight left! They grace the tree every year! Your display is so pretty!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects

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    1. Before Stacy gave me these, I had only a few of Mom's . It makes me wonder where did they disappear to. LOL I am glad to hear that you still enjoy hanging yours up each year, Terry. I bet your tree is gorgeous. Hugs.

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  9. I do remember those apples! We didn't use them, but I was working at the big mall in those days and I remember seeing them in some of the store displays. Happy stitching.

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    1. Oh how fun, Kate. I bet the mall displays were gorgeous. Mall visits were always a special treat for us. In fact, I am hard pressed to remember if we ever did go to the mall during Christmas time, but we did go to Woolworth's . I am so glad these brought back fond memories. Thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  10. Well, if the 80s are considered the good ol' days, then I'm here for it :) Your hutch is decked out nicely for Christmas. I can see so many of your treasures being out for the autumn apple season, too. The mini Santa sampler is a cute design, Melisa.

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    1. LOL . I get tickled when my grandsons' say the 80's are the old days. I have to remind them their dad was born in the 80's .LOL Bless their hearts. To be young again though. Oh yes, I usually have my apple decor on display in September, but this year I decided to do something different. Thank you for the sweet visit, Jeanna. Hugs.

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  11. I used to have an apple theme in my kitchen back in the 90's. So yep the good old days, haha. The santa sampler will be a great addition to your holiday decor;)

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    1. LOL I did too, Vicki. Then I jumped to the sunflower theme. I have to admit I still love the 1980's -90's decor. Thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs

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  12. It's a beautiful sampler,Melisa!
    Thanks for sharing
    Regards

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    1. Aaw thank you so much, Isabel. It is going to be a quick little stitch. Hopefully, it will be on display very soon. Hugs and Blessings.

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  13. I always forget about red apples, and they are so pretty! Love your hutch tour. Like you I love putting white sparkly lights around things - it's just really special. What a neat Santa profile cross stitch! He looks quite handsome from that view. And yes I do still believe. I actually watch for his sleigh. ;)

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    1. Aaw thank you so much, Linda. I turn on my twinkly lights the 1st thing every morning and my Christmas music. I am looking very forward to finishing the Santa stitch and having him on display. Oh yes, we have to look for Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve and Rudolph. Hee! Hee! I still do too. Hugs.

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  14. Your apple themed hutch is darling, Melisa! I love your red-checked curtains, too. I have a red-checked tablecloth on my kitchen table during the month of December and it's just so cheery! Your new Santa sampler is darling--thank you! And yes--I'm still stitching Christmas (of course, I do so all year long :) Have a wonderful day, Melisa! ♥

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    1. Aaw thank you so much, Carol. I have a lot of red in my house and have always thought the red checked curtains give a vintage vibe. I do need to stitch Christmas all year long. I always make goals to but they fall to the wayside. Have a blessed day. Hugs.

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  15. Oh boy do I remember those apple ornaments. Those and small red velvet like bows along with small red metal ornaments like bicycle, wagon etc. Oh those were some holidays! Thank you for the sweet Santa sampler. I am still stitching Christmas and I am afraid they will be held for 2026 Yikes - I hate saying that. I collect the Franciscan ware apple pattern. They go out in Sept and Oct for me here in the apple state 🍎 Have a wonderful day productive day ♥️ nwpaintedlady

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    1. Oh I have some of those vintage red bows and I had forgot about the wagons and bikes. Mom used to have those on her tree. And I must not forget the silk ornaments in every color imaginable. Aaw yes the Franciscan ware - I collect the apple pattern for that too. You may have seen a glimpse of some of the plates throughout the year. I move them around everywhere. Thank you for the sweet visit. Have a great evening, Sharon. Hugs.

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  16. Elaine
    I have those apple ornaments. What a lovely trip down memory lane.

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    1. Aaw thank you so much, Elaine. I am so glad they brought back fond memories. They do for me too. I wish you the most lovely evening. Merry Christmas. Hugs.

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  17. Love your apple decor, Melisa. So pretty! Cute Santa, thank you for sharing the pattern.

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    1. Aaw thank you so much, Astrid. I decided to try something different this year for Christmas. I am enjoying the apple Christmas theme very much. Hugs and Blessings.

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  18. Thank you for the handsome Santa and his mini sampler. Your Watts pottery is perfect for a holiday display. All that red & green shown off wonderfully. I have one of those little apples, too. Even today, my sons (grown men) will tell you they believe, if asked, because..."if you don't believe, you get underwear and socks for Christmas". Haha

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