Christmas Decorating!

I was a little late in getting things ready this year, but I finally have some Christmas decorations up, so I thought I'd share! While the outside of our house remains dark and uninviting (maybe Tom will actually get around to doing lights next year!), the inside is full of holiday cheer! Let's start with the centerpiece...the Christmas Tree. Tom and I went to a nearby Christmas tree farm and he cut one down for us.

What a man!

I was all ready just go get a pre-cut Charlie Brown style tree and call it good, to just get a tree up and be done with it, but I'm glad he talked me into getting a nice one! Only...it looked a lot smaller outside...once we got it in, we had to cut a bit off the top! The tree was over 9 feet tall. I wanted to put it in the middle of the room where our ceiling is highest, because it would have fit. But, alas, the base of the tree was much larger than what would fit there (that's where the Charlie Brown tree would have gone!) So, we did some re-arranging, and Tom placed the tree right by the front door in our living room.

untying the tree!

And then, I got to decorate it! Tom helped, of course. Also, I'm pretty sure the star at the top is gouging out a hole in our ceiling. That tree is as tall as will possibly fit there!

Tom also found our most special ornament: the topper from our wedding cake!

Besides the tree, I was pretty excited to decorate my house this year, because it just looks so different after all of the work we've done. You can read about our Winter House Project from last year and a couple updates to see the difference. To be honest, we're actually not quite done yet. Just a few more things to do. But, with the white trim, I like my Christmas decorations even better! I found this beautiful garland for 90% off one year at Hobby Lobby after Christmas:

The only problem is that I only have 2 strands. They are perfect for both of my stairways, but we also have the little balcony that overlooks the main level. So, here's what I decided to do there:

I ended up really liking the way the garland looked with the ornaments hanging from it, so I decided to do the same thing on the top of our china cabinet in the dining room:

And, since we don't have a fireplace, our stockings are hung wherever I can find a spot:

I put some mini ornaments and a few decorative items in a large glass vase for the center piece on our kitchen table:

But I actually prefer the centerpiece that's out in our sun room right now -- real winter berries from a tree in our side yard!

I also have a nativity scene up, some "Christmas houses" in our living room and a few other odds and ends. Christmas decorations just make me happy. And Christmas is only a little over a week away! I guess I should start thinking about doing a more serious Christmas post -- that'll be a project for next week. Until then, enjoy the decorations and always celebrate the joy and love of our God!

at the Water's Edge