Merry Christmas Tour!

   

Merry Christmas! So glad to have you stop by!

Out here on the porch I always seem to use greenery saved from the Scout Tree Sales Toss Bin. When I clean out my planters in the fall, I leave the old soil and larger roots right in and poke the branches into it. The old roots act as a frog does in flower arranging. In the spring I clean it all out, scrub the pots and start over. For now, add lights, pinecones, and even weather saavy ornaments for a welcoming look.

Come on in!

My decorating happens depending on what I think I can make work with what I have. Now that's a tongue twister! This is my first real decorating for Christmas in our home - being way too pregnant (sick) last year to pull too much together!

I do believe in themes, as long as it isn't an obvious-over-done-straight-off-the-store-shelf-result. Luckily (I think), I have such a mish-mash of old stuff that there are a number of "themes" I can come up with - with no fear of being too new, propped or posed looking.

Color plays an important role in tying the decor to the room and to the mood. Here various non-matching reds came into play - a color I don't know how to use very well, but by adding in lots of free natural elements from outside, it all came together. And the twigs gave this hand-me-down tree another life in this post about how to decorate a really ugly fake artificial tree.

The reason for the season is you - He came to earth for you! How incredible is that?

The kitchen garland has been in here since last Christmas, when I hoisted my pregnant self on the counter to clean the cabinet tops (yuck!) and put it up. About August (post-partum) and sleeping again, I was going to take it down and then decided why bother? So, it has metamorphised from greenery to fall-ery, to Christmas-y with fruit, leaves, twigs, and now white twiggie thingies and ornaments.

One way I dress up ornaments is to slip a bit of ribbon through the holder on top. Looks lovely in a bowl, or here stuck into the garland. I have even hung them on the tree like this and it dresses up those older beat up bulbs that I still use.

The main living area (as seen from the kitchen) is still receiving some updates that I haven't posted about yet: some of the window treatments have been sewn and are being hung, you may notice - and never mind that they aren't all hung the same way yet! I ran out of drapery hooks and had to use the rod pocket for a few days. The boys HAD to have the TV hooked up and ran the cords themselves... I haven't found a way to hide them yet. What is it about a Christmas tree that calms the soul, the house and even the world outside? I say, who needs the TV  in here?! I love the peace and quiet at this time of year!

With baby and the weather, I sent the boys to get the Christmas tree On.Their.Own. And from HR's Boy Scout tree sale nonetheless. Yup. That was a risk! And by golly if they did not come back with the most gorgeous tree I have ever had in my home. In fact it is so perfect for a real tree that I had it in the middle of our large room with various seating areas around it, but with no rug purchased yet, I had no way to run the cords. Sigh... maybe next year.

My son hung most the ornaments and did pretty well I'd say!

Christmas is so wonderful!

Thank you for stopping by! Merry Christmas to you!