If you visit me regularly you know that I love repurposing and upcycling. But I also love photography. And I especially love to share with you my Greece. Yes, “my Greece” because I usually shy away from the typical postcard beach pictures.
Today I’d like to share with you photos I took during our month-long Christmas celebration when my town was all decked out in it’s finery. And a visit to my favorite shop. These are my favorites from around town.
The clock is standing watch in the town square…
…as are the wooden soldiers who are protecting the tree.
The horses are brightly colored to give warmth to a cold winter day.
And Santa’s workshop cannot be missed with all those poinsettias and the bright red color.
The Nativity with a ray of light shining down on the baby Jesus.
A giant, really giant trumpet.
There he is, the Tin Soldier. In his paper boat…
..which happens to be in the middle of the pond.
And what about that bridge?
I ought to point out here that all this Christmas joy lasts until The sixth of January when we celebrate the Epiphany. We have good reason to leave our decorations up till then and maybe a week later, while everyone else is decluttering.
I wrote a post aboutour month-long Christmas traditions here if you’d like to find out more.
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And now we turn our attention to my favorite shop, Wedding Planner Shabby Chic. It is a wedding and baptism planning store that sells all sorts of favors and other adorable trinkets. Varvara Chrisanthopoulou is the wedding planner and designer of all this beauty.
These eyes keep away the evil spirits. These are always popular here in Greece.
The owner, Varvara is a creative genius always decorating her store with shabby chic goodness. One of these doilies is beautiful but a whole collection is spectacular.
And what about this collection of crocheted ribbons, hanging so elegantly next to the dress form and the pine cones. So much shabby chic goodness in one spot.
And this rusty pot, holding the pretty hearts. Rust never looked so good!
More rust, but here it is used as overhead decoration. And those stars? A perfect gift for a friend.
Do I spot some fish in the background? Surely those were made for me.
A whole shelf full of spools, holding a variety of embellishments, crocheted borders, and twine.
Have you ever seen a wreath like this before? Can you tell what it’s made from? I actually did a double take when I realized they were wooden shoe forms. This is such a creative repurpose.
More spools but this time hanging from a wire with clothes pins.
Now you can see shy this is my favorite store. It is full of original decor and Varvara is constantly changing things around. If you like what you see, pop on over to her blog orto her Facebook page and follow along.
I have not been compensated in any way for this post, I simply love her style.
These are some of my favorites from around town at this time of the year. What did you like the best.
If you’d like to see more photography of Greece go to my photo gallery here.
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WOW! Love all the pictures! So vibrant! Thanks for sharing. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Thank you Cindy for taking the time to go thru them.
Wow. So awesome. That store has some really cool, unique things – I see why you like it so much.
I really, really like that store. For me it is a one of a kind. Especially in Greece.
Liked your photographs very much Mary.I checked out Varvaras facebook page its no surprise you like it so much.She has a wealth of beautiful things in her shop.
I’m so glad you did Mary. I know that her shop is far away but her ideas transcend borders.
Those are all inspiring Mary. I especially like the shop photos & I can see why you like the place. Love her display of the hanging crochet “ribbons.”
The Christmas decorations around town are unique too. Toy soldiers are fun & different…not like here where you have the usual star or some other decoration on the electric pole.
Everything is so unique in the shop Florence. And the town is all dressed up in its holiday finery. They choose a different theme each year so it makes it fun.
these are so cool! I love the ballerina and Santa’s workshop!
stop by and chat 🙂 http://storybookapothecary.com
Thanks Tianna, the town was really celebrating.
That shop has so many unique, whimsical items, no wonder you love it! I would love to see some of these things in person.
Your town really knows how to do Christmas right. Santa’s workshop looks so cute 😉
That is a quite a special shop Doreen. And especially for our area.
As for Christmas I think we are winding down just about now. Many of the schools and organizations are cutting the New Year’s Day cake now. Yes, we like to drag out our holidays as long as possible.
Beautiful photos, Mary! My favourite was the paper boat. Oh my, Varvaras store looks like a very dangerous “day” outing because I suspect you’d need an entire day to take in all the displays.
It is not a large store Marie, but it is chock packed full of unique things. And she switches them out all the time.
How many amazing pictures Mary! I was really impressed with the tin soldier into his paper boat! I think this decoration should be in your town all year long!
I agree Ntina. It makes everything look extra special.
Wow, what beautiful photos Mary, I really enjoyed them! I especially loved Santa’s Workshop and of course, the Varvaras shop! Thank you for sharing!
I had such a great time walking around and shooting them. Thanks Kaycee.
Hello Mary,
lovely pictures but horrible shop (toooo many pretty things – I would always be tempted to buy at least one of these).
Have a great day,
Marjan
The best shop for inspiration Marjan. I never buy anything anymore just craft supplies.
Love the doilies. The town is decked nicely, all it needs it snow 😉
Jas, it got a ton full about a week ago. And the funny thing is it only gets snow once every 10 years. But this year it came down hard.
Thanks so much for stopping by!! What a wonderful post showcasing where you live!!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie, I try to show the other side of life not just the blue beaches.Thank you.
What beautiful Christmas displays in your town!!!
Thank you Shirley, we go all out!
Oh I love that shop! Too many cute things, I would spend a fortune in there!
Kim I know exactly what you mean!!
What a fun tradition to have a Christmas park. My kids and I would love to visit it. And a wonderful trinket shop. I can see why it’s your favorite. Thanks for sharing all of your beautiful photos.
It is a recent one Rebecca but I am so glad they have started doing this. It makes a bad situation a bit more cheerful.
Oh, Mary!! These places are so pretty and festive. And you know how I think, right? They’d be so absolutely perfect as a backdrop for my outfit photos.
Next time you ought to pose with one—-then we can call you a fashion blogger 🙂
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Jodie that is so true. The perfect backdrop for your fun outfits. But I’m going to leave the modeling up to you.
The Steadfast tin soldier was always one of my favourite stories as a kid…so sad.
Ahh, they certainly have made it come alive.Thanks for stopping by.
Your town really goes all out with their holiday decor Mary. And that there’s even a different theme each year is amazing! That bridge looks like so much fun, I bet at night it’s glowing beautifully!
At night Katrin the whole park lights up. It is incredible. I didn’t take many night pics because the lights are so bright they obscure everything else.
Such a pretty little shop you have there! You never know where you’ll find treasures!
Zografia this little shop is a treasure in itself. So many great ideas.
What an amazing display!
#MySundayPhoto
The Mayor of our town goes all out every year to bring some happiness and cheer to the town.