Greetings and Happy Monday! Guess what? Only 13 days and 11 hours until Christmas! Are you ready? As usual, I am not. However, I just got a bit closer! Over the weekend I added St. Nicholas in the kitchen! And he is darling! Come see!
If you are a huge fan of Ballard Designs as I am, you’ve probably seen the St. Nicholas giclee prints they sell each year in their Christmas catalog. Each year they commission French artist, Fabrice de Villeneuve to create a St. Nicholas print on a stretched canvas. The prints are embellished with touches of paint and it looks like a real beautiful painting! They retail for around $79. This one is from the 2017 catalog and is sadly no longer available.
I’ve always admired these St. Nicholas prints but could never bring myself to splurge with all of the other expenses at Christmas time. But a few years ago, after the holidays, this guy went on sale for $25, so I snagged him! Ever since the purchase, I’ve hung him here and there around the house but wanted to find a frame to really make him into a statement piece. Then I found this frame! I love the depth and details and the price! (It was $18! Yes, $2 less than my usual purchase price point.)
The frame looked amazing with the print, however the print’s wooden frame was about 4 inches too long to fit the white washed frame. Luckily the width was perfect. So, I went to my frame shop with the frame and print in tow. The clerk behind the counter was so helpful! He suggested buying a blank canvas on a frame off the shelf the same dimensions as the inside of the frame, which is 20″ x 24″. Genius. After that it was a simple and inexpensive fix.
Removing the staples from the St. Nicholas print and reattaching it to the new smaller canvas frame was much easier than cutting down the wood frame of the original like I first planned. And now look at him! So adorable. I did lose 4 inches of the print at the bottom, but most of his hand is still showing and that’s okay. Now he is a one of a kind treasure for sure!
Look at the pretty details of the frame. I love it so much.
I hung him over the bar in our kitchen. Now when people come into the kitchen they are greeted by St. Nicholas reading his list and checking it twice.
Now when Santa comes on Christmas Eve he can help himself to a proper drink. Just in case he is tired of milk. We will be sure and leave some cookies and candy canes too.
Our butler, Bradford is waiting with a serving of single malt scotch whiskey.
And it’s five o’clock somewhere, right? The clock says “time for cocktails” and plays a tune. Perfect for any bar. Just make sure you stay on the “nice” list!
In case you are interested in this particular print, I saw it on eBay for as low as $23.99 and up to $63.20 (but with free shipping). You can google Ballard Designs St. Nicholas Giclee 2014 print and this comes up.
Meanwhile, the decorating continues in preparation for our children when they come in for Christmas. They are grown of course, but I still love decorating the house so it’s a winter wonderland when they come. One day we will pass down all of the fun decorations to them!
I hope you have a great day! Let me know if you have one of these St. Nic prints and what you do with them! Thanks for stopping by. xoxo Dell