Deck the Halls ~ Christmas Time is Here

I've not felt particularly festive this December, which is why I decided to decorate anyway. I refuse to let life's troubling situations keep me from celebrating the most holy season of the year.

My Christmas tree looks pretty much the same year after year. I'm an old-fashioned kind of gal and will always have an old-fashioned Christmas tree. Some of the ornaments on my tree are homemade and date as far back as 1976. They were created by me and my twin sister and have been in my possession for 20+ years. Some have met their waterloo, but I never tire of those that are still around. The juicy details can be found in a post from last year.

Some of the homemade ornaments from 1976 can be seen in this photo from a previous Christmas: The mirror, trimmed in gold and pearl strings; the fabric-covered snow-cone, and the medallion with green Christmas tree in center.

The snow-cone and the lollipop (yes, that's a coffee stirrer) are two of my favorite "designs" from twin sister.

Two of my designs from the Homemade Collection (Has a vintage ring to it, doesn't it? Hey, maybe sis and I should start our own company. Not!). The basket, crafted from a manila folder, covered in velvet and trimmed in gold, and the plaid hat, another manila-folder-fabric-covered creation, are two of my "designs." Amazing what you can do with a little glue, some styrofoam, a stapler, fabric scraps, and some imagination.

Here's a Christmas tree in honor of the retired firefighter who lives here.

I've been buying dated ornaments since The Man and I married in 1980. This was the first one I bought and it's still returned to its original box every year, as are my other dated ornaments. (I'm weird like that.) To read how the dated ornament tradition began, and continues, you can click on an image at the end of this post.

Some years bring more than one event worthy of an ornament. I have several from 2010 in my collection, and here are two of them. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, where The Man and I celebrated 30 years of marriage in August, and my daughter and son-in-law on their wedding day in September. Sweet memories.

I didn't put up a tree last year, due to being out of town during the Christmas holidays, so I was happy to hang this on the tree for the first time, commemorating our summer trip to the East Coast in 2009.

This little nativity has been in our family for almost 70 years. It's made from cardboard and is very fragile, but the colors are magnificent. I love it.

That cute little girl is yours truly, pretending to be a Christmas caroler. I made this in the first grade at Eliza Fox Elementary School on Grove Street in Vicksburg, MS, many moons ago. Precious memories.

There's a wonderful history to these Christmas stockings. My mother crocheted them, beginning in the late 70's. She made one for each member of the family. As son-in-laws joined the ranks, she crocheted another one, then another one, then another one. And when the three grandbabies came along, they got a stocking, as well. Eventually, Mother stopped hanging these stockings and asked who wanted them. I raised my hand and no one seemed to mind. Truth is, I had my own Christmas stockings, made from scratch, that I used every year, but I wanted these anyway and am using them for the first time this Christmas. Now that I have a son-in-law of my own, these four seemed to work out perfectly.

Onward to the dining room ... For a few minutes each day in autumn, my dining table gets a strip of sunlight right down the middle. I just happened to see it on this day and couldn't resist a photo.

During the Christmas season, the dessert cart is transformed into a beverage cart of sorts. Hot apple cider anyone?

 

In the evening, candles lend their own warm glow to the room.

 

The old pie safe gets a festive look during the Christmas season and adds that nostalgic touch that I find so charming. I purchased this piece in McComb, MS while shopping with my mom in the early 90's. It was in sad shape at that time, and I spent many hours in the garage refinishing it. It's not perfect, but neither am I, which is probably why I love it so.

 

My sweet niece brought this over one day last year.

I can't argue one bit with its message.

 

In 2005 my then-editor at The Dallas Morning News asked me to write about how my dated ornament tradition began, and continues. You can click on the image, if interested.

 

I hope you enjoyed this Christmas tour.

I'm linking up to Seasonal Sundays, Deck the Halls 
and The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes.