I want to make special mention of my Aunt Erica who is entering a new season of her life, so has bequeathed many family belongings to me over the last months. Chris jokes that she is secretly moving in with us one box at a time because of how many boxes have showed up at our doorstep! Erica has given me our family china, crystal, cut glass, silver, great-grandmother's handmade quilt, and some fine books. In addition, Auntie E has given me nearly her entire extensive Christmas decoration collection. We are so blessed! Truly, I have hardly bought any Christmas decorations in my life but I was given all my baby and childhood ornaments when I launched out on my own, some friends of ours downsizing homes gave us many Christmas wreaths, and now Erica has probably doubled our collection of ornaments. I festooned our house and probably put out half of what we now are blessed to own.
The nativity scene is in the dining room.
This little trio of trees contains Auntie E's "woodland creatures" collection of ornaments. We now have several additional small faux trees that I did not put up this year. I did not put out my collection of fruit and vegetable ornaments--called my "harvest tree." Chris told me he was glad I didn't put it out, so I cut him off sweetly and said, "Don't say anything too bad about my harvest tree because I'll put it out in future years!" He said, "Well, I just think it's corny." I replied, "Corny like the cornucopia ornament that is on my harvest tree?" Hardee har har!
We rearranged furniture for putting up the Christmas tree and we really are liking using the kids' train table as a coffee table. I think we'll keep it this way in future.
The tree! This year I put essentially non-breakable ornaments on the bottom third, cheap glass and durable glass ornaments on the middle third, and delicate ornaments on the top third. I thought that division would be obvious, but I think it turned out well. I am taking a real gamble this year by having our tree be totally accessible to the kids. I figure that at three, John is teachable and Mary, though one, is much more docile than John. Already she is behaving differently toward the ornaments than John did, so I hope I can teach her. Let the adventure begin!
This handmade tree skirt is also a gift of Auntie E. Her decades-long and very talented friend MaryJo sewed it. 
This is the "religious tree," containing ornaments of nativity characters and saints.
Thank you to my husband for carrying ten boxes up and down the attic stairs!
Katherine, your den looks awesome arranged like that! The tree and stockings give the seating a nice focus.
ReplyDeletebeautiful! You have soo many trees... it's amazing! We have one (little) one this year, and 99% homemade ornaments... :-)
ReplyDeleteChristine: And I think I have three more small faux trees that I did *not* put up! I figure I'd have needed a domestic servant to help me do all that work. I see this as a season of my life: right now I can manage all these decorations and fancy glass ornaments. A day may come when I'm more busy managing many of God's blessings (children) and I forgo this kind of decorating--to be sure!
ReplyDeleteAlicia: You know, we haven't put up the wreaths this year! But they're so beautiful. We are very grateful for all the items you gave us when you downsized. We use them often so think of you often! Having a small, simple house definitely has its advantages, though, doesn't it? Much less maintenance work/time!
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