The tree is up! Last weekend, Brooklynn spent the night and she helped me decorate and set up the Christmas village. I've been 'tweaking' all week, and now the house is ready. Just in time for house guests arriving tomorrow, and a birthday party for my dad on Saturday.
I've scaled down in the last few years. I had a larger Christmas village that I divided up among my kids and they are happily enjoying it in their homes. This one is the Dept 56 North Pole village that belonged to my mom. The buildings are smaller and it fits perfectly on my hutch in the living room. The creche is a smaller one, too. It was from when I was a child. My larger set is packed away and one day I'll pass that on to one of my children or grandchildren.
Our second tree is tucked away in the corner of the dining room. This is the one that has stayed up all year, our holiday tree decorated for Valentine's, Easter, etc. At Christmastime, it holds a collection of angel ornaments that a friend started for me after my mom passed away. I added seashells, so it's a beach and angel theme 💗🐚
The small hutch in the dining room holds my grandmother's dishes and some little ornaments she had, along with some Christmas glassware. I'm very sentimental about Christmas, if you can't tell!
Finally, an angel that my mother made years ago. I used to have so many Christmas crafts that I collected or made through the years. As I've cut back, this is one of the few I've kept.
Just a little glimpse of Christmas at our house. Is your tree up yet?
Karen 🎄
Your house looks so pretty! I love all the sentimental Christmas items you have. I'm afraid I don't have anything Christmas passed down from my mother, nor do I have anything from my either of my grandmas. I don't think either one was too much into Christmas. We have a 4 ft tabletop tree in our living room and I decorate with my boy's childhood ornaments. Makes me wonder what my mom did with all the ornaments we used to decorate our Christmas tree when I was growing up. I think it was all just the regular ornaments used backed then, nothing special. She probably got rid of them over the years, especially while moving and being an empty nester. I'll have to ask her.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing all your decorations. I have my Mitford winter pieces out for my village. Yours is so pretty. And I love your angel/beach tree. A great idea to keep it up year round. The first I ever heard of doing that was Harold Lloyd, a silent movie actor who had a huge tree up all year and decorated it (or rather he probably had servants decorate it) for each season.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen! Your house looks just great - festive yet cozy and homey! I love all of the very special things in your home that hold wonderful memories. We have had our two trees up since before Thanksgiving. I have downsized in the decoration department as well, but still love to have one or more trees (this year we have two) and my ever growing nativity collection. Thanks for sharing what Christmas looks like in your home! See you again soon!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I loved getting to see your house dressed for Christmas! Both your trees are lovely and I do love the idea of keeping the dining room tree up year round with its changes for different holidays. (One of your commenter's info about Harold Lloyd doing that all those years ago is interesting!) It was so nice to see the Dept 56 North Pole set, brought back so many memories of helping our youngest son collect the North Pole set as he was growing up and he took it with him when he married and now my granddaughters help him arrange it. All of my Dept. 56 villages went to family members when we downsized. I don't have enough room for them here and love knowing others have them but I admit to missing the fun of arranging them. Also the Nativity scene that took up a whole dresser top. These things do have such sentimental value, don't they? I'm sure every time you walk by your mother's angel in the dining room that she made and the angels on the tree that she collected, the memories flood in. I know that your father is so happy that you treasure them. And a very happy birthday to him!
ReplyDeleteHello! Your home is beautiful!! I absolutely love your decorations and your tree! Enjoy this cozy time of year, my friend.
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