December is a busy month every year but this year promises to be busier than any I can remember. I decided to get a head start on my Christmas decorating early. This past weekend we had warmer weather and the sun was out. I had a couple of hours to spare so I decided to seize the opportunity and string the holiday lights outside and I also brought down the boxes of indoor decorations from the attic. I have never done this in November, ever. Definitely a first!
I do not buy many new decorations every Christmas..sometimes just a couple of ornaments for the tree or a new candleholder. Decorations are collected over the years.. a few at a time or when something breaks and has to be replaced. The one big (size-wise) purchase is the real tree which we pick up at our local Stew Leonard's. I wanted to make something this year. Last week I had also paid a visit to The Container Store. It was the day before Thanksgiving so I thought it was highly likely there would be no crowds. I was right. I love to look at their selection of gift wrap. There is something for everyone. I picked up a few rolls of some interesting paper which I thought were quite beautiful and these were made from recycled cotton. The patterns are stunning. My thought was to do something decorative with them.
Gold and silver and greys and the red one looked like fabric from afar. These will last a while because I will use them only for special projects. I also picked up a couple of packs of patterned tissue paper. I found some rolls of leftover wrapping in the attic which I wanted to incorporate in a festive decorative item I had in mind.
This is all across the table in the dining room right now. I also began setting up the Nativity set. I had purchased it at Treasure Island many years ago.
I got it at 50% off but it still cost me over $100. It is a very special set - good size figurines (some glasswork) with a lot of detail. It was definitely an investment - these sets should really last many, many years. I have not brought it out for at least 3 years as we have had littler kids running around the house and this was set up on a lower table. I was worried about breaking the fragile parts. Now I have a higher piece of furniture on which to display it.
I also bought a couple of these from Joann's last week and am incorporating them into this setup.
And I am also working on my mantle. We did not use stockings on the mantle growing up as far as I can remember. If we did they were purely decorative and not functional (believe it or not, stocking stuffers were new to me until I came to this country). I looked up the history of stocking stuffers and it is a little unclear but has something to do with poor sisters hanging up their washing (socks) to dry by the fireplace and coins being dropped down the chimney and falling into them - or so the story goes! I do not hang a stocking for every person in the family although last year I did fill two stockings up for the girls but they would not have missed it had I not. Are they an essential part of the celebrations?
I shall share more pictures with you over the next few days. Have you started your decorating yet? We plan on picking up our tree this weekend and I will have to get started on decorating it almost immediately. I know the girls would love to help me - it is about tradition and creating memories, right? A lot to do but all fun stuff.
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Lisa
Please Note: I have not been compensated in any way for this post.
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