Christmas Eve Memories

 Showing a few pictures of a time that went too fast. We had a wonderful assortment of foods at our noon gathering. There were stories and laughs. There was a lot of noise by the afternoon Dirty Santa game.   

Little Etta was sleepy and cranky and missed out on much of the day.

Hopefully I can borrow a few photos of Etta that day from Lauren.

Lauren's gift of the girls' picture was just what I hoped for. 

Chance's ornament gift was perfect for me. 

Part of my Dirty Santa gift was this memo board with dish for burning fragrance cubes. 

By the end of the day I was tired but also happy for the enjoyment and love of being together.

Our group of twenty filled the house.

When they departed, our house became very quiet.

Corkey and I were blessed with another Christmas Eve of memories. 

Decorating, Part 3

 Piling pretties in a wooden bowl is a fun way to decorate, and using dough bowls for centerpieces is a lovely way to show off seasonal decor.

This Christmas I chose for the nativity only Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

The glass candle holder gives off this beautiful pattern when a votive is lit. 

My mother gave me this delicate ornament. I placed it on the metal piece to showcase its simple beauty.

My mother had a Santa collection, and this one was always my favorite.

Below is another scene on the bookcase.

The boy and girl in their snowsuits are two ornaments that are rarely hung on the Christmas tree because I like them on the shelf.

This year I have a new favorite ornament to cherish.

My friend Mary had it specially designed to look like us.

The next three I came across while thrifting/shopping.

Finally got around to making the outside look a little festive.

Hope these last few days before Christmas are filled with joyful anticipation.

Decorating, Part 2

A few more glimpses of Christmas decor...

This banner hangs above dining room windows.

This wood piece displays a collection of small trees. It is high up above the front window in the living room.

This green chest has plenty of drawers for Christmas treasures.

 

Tallulah and Etta have a couple of presents under the Christmas tree.

Hope they will hang those little felt reindeer on their tree.

The two photos above show Christmas displays on the bookcase in the front entry. I think every shelf is loaded down with Christmas items that hold memories.

This feather tree in a guest bedroom has tiny French horns.

The photos at the base are family photos from past Christmases. 

The kitchen window

Red and green always looks good at Christmas.

  Christmas balls end up here and there.

This miniature tea set is a sweet one for Christmas.

These little sets were once very popular.

There may be one more installment of Decorating for Christmas. I'd like to share a few more nooks and crannies as well as a selection of ornaments. 

Decorating for Christmas, Part 1

The wreaths  are old; the countdown display is new.

Decorating the house for Christmas is one of the joys of the season. I try to use a mix of old and new possessions. This year I am happy with the mantel. The garland idea came from a picture of Tasha Tudor's mantel. Les and Pennee were here the day after Thanksgiving  to help set up trees and hang the garland. 

The silver reindeer is a new purchase from Abandoned Antiques.

The silver aluminum tray belonged to my grandmother.

White bowl with pinecone design was purchased years ago in Covington, TN.

The pitcher was a souvenir buy from Granville, TN.

The red lantern was a thrifting find.

*A closeup view
One Granville shop had a wall of decanters for sale. Each one was priced at twenty dollars. I couldn't resist this handsome one with all the animals. 

 

This tree has treasured ornaments that I enjoy every year.

Usually I have the houses atop a tall bookcase, but decided they could be seen better on top of the piano.

 

The hall tree has hooks that help display the bells.

 

These slender ceramic trees may stay out long after Christmas. I am smitten by their shapes. Hobby Lobby had these and all sorts of decorative trees.

It's obvious I love decorating for Christmas. More to come... 

I'm Back

 Due to Thanksgiving preparations and company, my birthday activities, and Christmas decorating I have had to put off blogging. Hope you had a wonderful time over the Thanksgiving holidays. We were blessed to have a houseful this year. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were hectic days of good times. We filled up two dining tables on Thursday, sharing food and conversation.Then on Friday on my birthday I had great help putting up trees and lights.

P.S. Wish Ryan, Telsey, Nick. and Lucas could have been with us. Jeff, Jason, Garrett, Stefanie, and Evelyn were here but not in this batch of photos. 

Thanksgiving and Christmas are such special holidays that pass so quickly.

I'm trying my best to enjoy these precious times.