The House Getting Dressed Up For Christmas

The hutch in the dining room. These pictures are not so clear, but you get the idea. Our living room tree...ready for Santa's visit.

The tree in our breakfast nook. A first for us this year.

Here is a picture taken at night. You can see all my hard work in the cold.

The decorating is getting done little by little. We do celebrate Advent, but still put out the Christmas decor early. Boxes all lined up and marked...on the boxes the last date that we used the contents.( Like Christmas 2008...small manger.) Every year we do something totally new. This year we will have another small tree in the breakfast nook. This is where I have my rocker and bird watching supplies. The double glass doors are there for me to see our back yard and the woods beyond. I am calling this My Mother's Tree. I took many of her ornaments and decorated a new little tree. Christmas was a big thing for my folks. Their tree was so pretty. All glass ornaments. Mom would search for new ones all through the year. Any time she saw one that she liked it would be in her bag. So this year, I will bring them back. When I am eating a meal, I can look at the tree and remember my parents and their joy during this season. Our medium tree in the living room is decorated with mainly Joe's ornaments and some that are special to me. It sits in the living room and we light it all day long. At night, I will be knitting, and Joe will say, "Balisha, let's have some ambiance and turn that light off." He loves to sit in the room with just the tree lights on and the fireplace going. The dining room holds my ceramic village. The breakfront is where I display my little houses. Each house was a gift to me. I started collecting years ago...the first building was a Church. Kids come over and rearrange the little people, trees, and train. Their eyes open wide, when they come in our front door. The door opens to the dining room...my favorite room in the house. Joe and I usually eat in the breakfast nook, but use the dining room for special occasions. I think that I will start having Sunday dinner in there as well. Christmas plants, candles, baskets of books and Christmas magazines are placed where we can enjoy them. Wreaths hang above the lace curtains in the living room. Stained glass cardinal and picture hang in the windows. My collection of snowbabies in the hall bathroom. All across the front of the house, in the windows, hang lit snowflakes. A huge wreath hangs on the house with santas and red and clear lights. Roping on the railing with red and clear lights and red bows. An old sled leans next to the wall near the front door. A door hanging with Let It Snow embroidered on it.

More to come later...this is just a first glimpse.

Balisha