Saturday, December 12, 2009

In the Nick of Time

After looking at the boxes of Christmas decorations
for a couple of weeks, I decided it was finally time
to bite the bullet. Of course, I decided that it would be great
to light a fire and let the kids help...
and I hadn't even had a drink!

We did light a fire,
we did put on Christmas carols,
and we did have a good time...
we did not get anything decorated.
Instead there were little piles of Santa's,
candles, and snowmen all around the house
in all sorts of interesting places.

Thankfully, I abandoned my out-of-control
decorating ideas years ago, and the joy
of watching the kids "discover" the
Christmas treasures was all worth it.
So, yes, we did not get anything accomplished,
but we did have FUN!

I don't necessarily have a theme when I decorate -
I thought about it this year (and every year),
but end up using the items that call to me instead.
I think the closest I am getting to a theme
is the use of black and white with the
accents of green and red, like my gifts.
I was going to do red feathers
and made a wreath like the one I did for Halloween,
but it did not receive rave reviews -
it looked a little bordello-like.


(Joe made this in Kindergarten...still one of my faves!)

Might I also add, the decorating is minimal because
there is a certain little person who lives here
that thinks everything is hers, and so far,
has broken a leg off of a Santa,
hidden Christmas ornaments,
and who-knows-what-else she has done
that I have not yet discovered!

So, here is what I have done...
I love mixing rustic with a little glam.
It is not really traditional, but not really modern...
it is eclectic and...it is just us!

I drape pearls over the mirror every year...
best part they work as New years decor too!

 
I dress up my crazy "junk-store" fireplace decor
with some chandelier crystals and poinsettias,
and then we hang our stockings!


Some shiny new ornaments on a bed of moss
and Tiffany candlesticks!


The "sparkly tree" on a bed of moss,
perched atop a rustic container,
anchored with a silver and crystal platter.

 
I pulled some branches out of the yard
for Thanksgiving and loved the way they looked.
I just had to keep them for Christmas.
I put them in a vase, filled the vase with red beans
and hung more chandelier crystals.
This is one of my fave decorations...
but I cannot get a good photo! Bummer!


Joe loves Nutcrackers.
So, when I found a bag of Nutcracker candles
at Goodwill, I just had to have them.
There is just something kitschy and adorable about them.


These are my two fave's from this year.
Both kids sat quietly, intensely coloring their Santa's.


If the kids got to decorate...
our house would be full of singing Hallmark snowmen!
(Thanks Grandma!)

Oh yeah, no tree photos...because there isn't one yet.
Yes, we wait and wait.
In fact I really wanted to go cut our own tree this year,
but "Wholly Moly!" there is too much to do.
If only I had one more weekend.

As for the decor, next year, I am determined
to steal my parents Blinko -
a snowman from my grandparents
with a light up "blinking" nose -
I have never seen it blink
and pretty sure no one else has either,
but granny said it did.

What is your favorite holiday decoration?
Is there a story behind it?
Tell me..I just have to know!

Cheers!
Holly

There is still time to enter the GIVEAWAY!
You have until midnight PST on Sunday, December 13.



38 comments:

  1. Love love love the kid's handmade decorations the best!! (Both yours on your blog and my own kids creations.)

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  2. We love our singing snowmen and have most of them. I think I missed one year when he was playing a piano. They aren't doing them this year. It's a Snoopy one I think. ER even has one in her room. She likes to press the buttons on one at a time down downstairs and then run to the next one. So we've got a chorus of singing snowmen going on at once. My favorites are the ones with the cute penguins too.

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  3. Holly, I love the pearls! I admire the way you found the joy and beauty in your children's discovery of the family Christmas treasures, rather than giving in to the pressure to have everything laid out perfectly. Oh, that sweet little paper angel brings back so many memories! I still have Maddie's too!

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  4. Holly it all looks so beautiful! I love the kids' decorations and the snowmen, santas and nutcrackers, they are all so 'Christmas" to me. Your home looks and sounds festive!
    Enjoy it :o)

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  5. It all looks so beautiful! It's so different than the traditional look and I love it for that! I adore your little angel too. Those childhood keepsakes are my favorites too!

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  6. Anonymous2:08 PM

    Cheers to you Ms. Holly! I love your decorations.

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  7. Holly you are a great Mommy!!
    Love that chalkboard tray!!

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  8. Beautiful! Love all the decor. I am very much into decorating, but we hav not got our stuff out to decorate. We do our yard too, but it has been raining in the Bay Area. We want to pull everything out at the same time.

    You have given me inspiration for some mirrors. I am going to MAYBE try to wrap one of my mirrors as a present. (We will see)

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  9. I love the pearls on the mirror. and you aren't the only one, we are finally putting up our tree tomorrow.

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  10. We just came back from cutting down our Christmas tree a few hours ago. We will decorate it tomorrow.

    I love all of your decorating! The ornaments in the moss are my favorite! I've done something similar, but I LOVE how you put them in a jar (I use an antique bowl). I'm totally stealing the idea!

    My mom has given my kids the singing Hallmark Santas too! I never know where to put them!

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  11. It's all so pretty! My favorite is a nativity set my son made when he was 4, it always has a place of honor :)

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  12. Holly...it's all so lovely. Really! I especially love what the kids had done! Wonderful!

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  13. You're very creative Holly. I envy you. My favorite is a big plump rustic looking snowman I bought years ago. He has a carrot for a nose and twigs for arms. We always put him on the wall next to our fireplace. He gets a lot of attention from guests.

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  14. It all looks great.

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  15. I treasure the ornaments that I purchased 23 years ago for my first Christmas tree and a ceramic Santa that my Mom gave me one year.

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  16. I think it is great you can relax and just let the kids play with the ornaments. I was always torn between the loving the time with the kids, the eggnog and the mess...and wanting to lock everyone out of the house and go for "perfect"! I found it was best to compromise...and try a little of both. Time passes quickly, I wish I had a little of that kid time back!

    Sue

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  17. Love your decorations!! It is so great that you let the kids help. Now go get a tree!!

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  18. I love the kids' stuff, it's so sweet! I also had to learn not to be a perfectionist when I became a mom; this year we have a small Charlie Brown tree so that Urijah can't pull it down.

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  19. Anonymous6:23 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. Anonymous6:23 AM

    I have a gorgeous hand-blown glass tree topper that was my grandmother's and she gave it me. It's very old and it's just so beautiful. I love old fashioned glass ornaments.

    Your house looks cute. I love the kid's projects.

    Very Nice!

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  21. Anonymous6:42 AM

    I'm back! Come on over to my place. I've got a little bling bling for ya.
    http://www.middayescapades.com/2009/12/awards-galore-part-ii.html

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  22. I absolutely LOVE your idea about draping garland beads over mirrors....may have to blog about that soon! Love the blog, and thanks for visiting, SITSta!

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  23. It all looks great! I wondered if you did the boa wreath for Christmas. Bordello might work for some people! (Not for me, either.)

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  24. Love your draped mirrors. Nice little Christmas visit! Thank you!

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  25. Hi Holly, I have an award for you at Rook No. 17: http://tinyurl.com/ybcc3vc

    You only have to pass it on to one blogger (and that's only if you wish).

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  26. I love your decorations! Right up my alley!

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  27. I love your decorations! So creative and everything looks great! I hope you do get that snowman and see if the nose will blink for you... :)

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  28. My teenage son put out all the Christmas decorations, putting away my framed pictures and hanging up all the artwork from the kids over the years. It's really nice.

    I see you have such memories around your place too.

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  29. Holla Ms Holly,

    After a week of semi-yelling, which probably was yelling, I decided what the heck and let them have at it. I now have some Littlest Pets hanging from the ornaments as they have magnets on their feet! So now that their psycho mother has settled down, we will just let Christmas be!! Picture perfect Christmas probably not, but good memories it will!

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  30. I'm going to copy your idea of draping the mirrors with bead garlands. Love it!! And your kids ornaments are super adorable!

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  31. Oh I think the pearls over the mirror is my fave! Lovely decorations:)

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  32. Love your decorations! So far our decorations are staying in tact. The presents...well so far it's ok.

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  33. I love the hand-made kid ornaments...my mom still has the gazillion I made in school!

    ~WM

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  34. Great decorations! We're trimming the tree tonight. Can't wait. Now I'm inspired!

    Thanks for stopping my blog. I'm digging yours too!

    Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner?
    www.MaWhats4Dinner.com

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  35. Everything looks gorgeous---and I love the idea of the pearls hanging on the mirror--FABU!

    ;-)

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  36. I love the pearls on the mirror honey! Adorable. I am cracking up because I have that snowman/dog thing from Hallmark and mine finally ran out of juice because I played it so often. The dog barking cracked me up! Kori xoxo

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  37. Your gift wrapping rocks!!! LOVE it. :)

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  38. Love the pearls on the mirror--super pretty!!

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