Christmas Decorations 2011

I really don't go overboard with Christmas decorations (not that David would agree).

I like to have some out, and of course our tree, but as I read all the great decorating blogs I realize ours are minimal!

We start decorating the day after Thanksgiving.

David chose to put the house lights up a couple of weeks ago though, when it was freezing outside.

He had a great helper.

I love them.  This photo doesn't really capture the light.
It's really pretty strung along the lower roof line.
We also had tea lights in pretty luminaries along the driveway the night of our wine club get together.

Two new additions this year that I really like.
The little tree is something that I've been thinking about for awhile to have full-time on the front porch.  Found it at Lowe's for 70% off!
I also bought this new, larger, Christmas wreath for the front door on sale at Lowe's.

Thomas and I added lights and a bow for Christmas.
Love it!

This year the boys really wanted to put up the Christmas tree downstairs on their own.
We let them and then they found the ornaments and started working on it.
They chose a Santa hat for the top this year.
Before we realized it, they were practically done (they chose to only use half our ornaments this year).
Then I realized we hadn't strung the lights yet.
We made a decision that this year we would go light-less and do lots of lights next year.

And at night.

This is another new purchase this year - from Willow House.
We've got it hanging on our coat closet when you first walk in.
It's holding all of our photo Christmas cards this year.

Now it's pretty full so I think I'll display any more that come in in the kitchen.

We bought this at Bob Evans a couple of years ago and the boys love updating it each morning.
Santa comes a couple of days early for us because we are with family on the 25th, so they enjoying updating it with OUR Santa date.

And this is an important part of Christmas for us.
Jeanne gave it to the boys several years ago and we put it out each Christmas Eve (OUR Christmas Eve) for Santa, along with carrots for the reindeer.

I bought mistletoe this year from mistletoe.com.
Brennan ducks under it this year because he is afraid of getting kissed under it.
I snatch him and kiss him any chance I get.

I made this Eddie Ross-inspired ornament wreath a couple of years ago.
It hangs near the screened in porch now.

Our Advent calendar is always filled with Hershey's Miniatures and hangs with the platter my sister-in-law Donna made for me a few years ago.  I've been inspired by all the great Advent calendars in blog land and would love to try a new one, but this one would have to be a part of our lives as well.  The boys would never give it up. 

I plant paper whites each Christmas.

This photo is from a few days ago, they're blooming now.

The first year that I planted them (we lived in Memphis), they smelled fantastic.

The last few years though, the ones I've purchased have no fragrance.  Hmmm.

I tried hanging ornaments from the light fixture in the dining room this year.
Thomas was a big help.
Not sure I love them but they're fun to have as something new.

My friend Kari brought back this gorgeous Advent candle holder a few years ago from Germany.
I love it and it lives in our living room.  I decorate it for the holidays.
These are the original decorations Kari decorated it with for Christmas.

A few gifts from over the years.

And our important stockings.
Santa comes down our chimney in the living room and leaves a gift for each of the boys and fills their stockings.  We start there and then go downstairs to the tree to open our gifts to each other, and those our friends send.

Then it's off to Mississippi for 5 more Christmases!

Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season.