Christmas House Tour

Merry Christmas to all of my readers!  I have noticed that a lot of the blogs that I read have done little tours of their Christmas decorations.  I thought that was a very neat idea!  How many people actually come to your house and see your decorations?  In my case, not very many (not that I am complaining or anything.  I'm a homebody - or as my brother likes a call me a "hermit"!)

So, without further ado - my Christmas decorations...

This is my antique school desk that I bought at an auction.  The crock was a Christmas gift from my parents.  The little hanging shelf-thing (I'm really not sure what it actually is) is from another auction.

This desk is another auction buy - my very first "big item" that I ever bought actually!  I love my nativity set that my aunt got me many years ago - before I was even married or living on my own!  It was just something for my hope chest.

I have always wanted seasonal pictures that I could switch out from season to season.  This was the first one that I ever got.  My brother got it for me as a Christmas gift a few years ago.  I now have a summer and fall picture to add to my collection.  I'm saving up for a spring one, but my summer picture will suffice for spring and summer right now.  All of my pictures are paintings by the same guy, but I can't remember his name right now.  He uses his wife, children, and their home to get his inspiration.  I love his work!

My Christmas village.  This is another decoration that I got years before I had my own house.  I think that I started getting these when I was in middle school.  When we were getting ready to move into my house, my mother and I decided that this picture window would a great place to put my village.  It is probably my favorite Christmas decoration.  I have a love/hate relationship with it though.  It is a serious pain to set up.  But once it's all up, I love it!   Here are some close-ups of my village as well.  I love it with the snow outside! (Notice the date is December 7th - no White Christmas for us this year!) 

Do you see our stockings?  My mom made mine for me when I was a baby and my sister made Carolyn's for her the year that I was pregnant.  The really neat thing is that my sister used scraps of Christmas fabric that she got from my mom.   If you look very closely, there are pieces of my (and my brother, sister, dad, niece, and brother-in-law) stocking fabric in hers.  Talk about a family keepsake!!! 

Then there is my Christmas tree.  Not crazy fancy, but I like it just the same.  My parents always gave my brother, sister, and me a Hallmark ornament each year.  We all had series.  I had teddy bears and dogs.  They are a pretty big chunk of my ornaments.  Actually, Santa would visit us the night after we put the Christmas tree up to check out the tree and would leave them for us.  This is a tradition that I started with Carolyn.  She also gets a new Christmas book with a little note from Santa in it!   My mom and I made my tree skirt last year.  It is still in need of being hemmed around the edges and the holly leaves and berries need stitched.  (You wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't told you!)  Maybe I'll have it done by next year!   And YES, my tree is crooked!!!!  I cannot put my tree up straight to save myself - never have been able to accomplish this!!!  :) 

Here is a shot of my living room.  It is all neat and picked up because it was cleaning day and my precious babe was sleeping!  It is usually not like this!

So, there you have it!  I am well aware that Christmas is over and I am late in posting my decorations.  But...we are technically still in the "holiday season" because school hasn't started yet!   Have you taken your decorations down yet?  I will admit that I took my down as early as I possibly could.  Not that I don't like Christmas or anything...   But after Christmas is over, I like to get everything put away and back to "normal."  Not only that, with Santa bringing a new kitchen set, table, and chairs for Carolyn, my living room was a little more than crowded!!!   

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their family and friends!