Christmas 2013

My Christmas Tree on Christmas morning.
That's Te'a, one of my pooches, waiting on
her Christmas bone.  

I've had my Christmas tree since at least 4th grade, maybe 2nd or 3rd. I remember my mom seeing it in a boutique and falling in love with it. It was on sale and still pricey, but she showed my dad and he agreed that she should have the tree. Now, this is my Christmas tree. I love this tree. Although it sheds and I'm afraid one day it will be bald and then I may have to be clever and redesign the branches with garland, it still looks like a perfectly joyful O'Christmas Tree. There is something whimsical about the shape that scoops from top to bottom rather than poof from top to bottom. 

When I was younger and the science of tree forgery was less sophisticated, it fooled people. One of my friends used to test it year after year, pinching it and joking with my father that she thought it was all a trick and actually alive. We would sit in the floor and she would brush my hair (totally little girlish!) while watching Christmas movies and sipping cocoa with marshmallows. It wouldn't be cold outside- south Georgia only got cold bursts- but we would participate in these holidays as though snowmen could be built if we chose to do so. Her tree was always real and had colored lights and nutcrackers beneath. We would sit in front of her tree watching the same Christmas movies and we'd run into the kitchen to make chocolate chip cookies as soon as we saw the Nestle Toll House commercial of a cookie split in half and chocolate streaming between the pieces like a tightrope between buildings. 

With childhood memories like that, and counting the candy canes my mom would hang from the branches, or studying the gifts beneath it until I could guess what was wrapped, and the many other typical childhood Christmas shenanigans, I can't abandon our/my tree. I can't part with it. Even if another is purchased one day, this tree will have a prime piece of real estate within my home. It totes too many wonderful and magical moments on its limbs; I'd miss it. It has been with me for a long, long time. I don't actually remember the Christmas moments before it. I only know them from photos. 

Anyway, my take on the Christmas Tree: They aren't just another part of a commercialization of a religious observation. The Christmas Tree is sacred because its lights shine in a sleepy, darkened home when a family is full of appreciation and giving... and because they glimmer, as do the eyes of believers bursting with anticipation, gathered around a perfectly Godly centerpiece- a tree. What is more perfect on Earth than a tree? 

I hope for everyone a tree that grants wishes and answers prayers, brings together a giving spirit rooted in love. 

The decoration for our entrance is simple, but still festive. The wreaths are of bay leaves with a metal finish and I fastened a heavy ornament of a glittery deer in the center with a bow. I can put these up earlier, around Thanksgiving, and take them down later, before February. I'm sad about taking the lights down off of anything. They make me happy.

The staircase is spiraled with garland and lights and then I almost throw ribbon on top. I try and do it gently but with enough force to let it stay the way it falls on top of the garland. I like the curls and randomness of the loose ribbon. The red velvet with white edging is a favorite two years running.  

The wreath that hangs is an older twig wreath I grabbed from my decor heap and glued moss covered balls and red, green, and white beaded holly berry ornamentation to so that it could look like Christmas. 
  

My sweet little bird gets used often. I found it as a tree topper and it isn't brilliant as a tree topper because of its weight and awkward coil spring it sits on, so I put it in different versions of nests and this year I stuck some green accent pieces in to give her extra tail feathers. I think she likes them. She looks at them all the time. ;)wink

The snow flake is a huge ornament that wouldn't stand out many places and I like that it is simple and small and not over bearing for my bird.

Ta da. On Christmas Eve we had family over for cheesecake and other sweet things like chocolate truffles and berries with fresh whipped cream. We had cheese (mostly brie) and truffle honey from Umbria and Chianti. Simple. Many laughs + Monopoly and we could say it was a casual and fun night. My sister-in-law waxed us all. She was a sneaky monopolizer.

Christmas morning, Selma Lu had the 411 on her stocking and that she could finally get inside of it. She stared at it all morning. She guarded it, stood by, sat fixated, pancaked with puppy eyes. She did it all, and the biggest prize of all was a ball dressed like a cow. It was her favorite by far. Te'a loved her stuffed bunny... and Selma's cow ball which wasn't popular with Selma. She doesn't like to share Selma's toys with her. She collects them on her dog bed, carries them around and hugs them. Seriously.  China snuggled in her new blankets. She's a pro snuggler. The absolute best. Needless to conclude for you- It was a successful Christmas for these three dogs.

I threw these pretty artificial pomegranates and flowers with a wildlife accent in a pewter vase along with a large fir twig, tied it with a burlap bow and that was that. The most ridiculous center piece arrangement ever. I have this burlap runner my mom made me. There is blanket stitching along the edges and I love the blanket stitch. I topped that with a strip of green moss and some glitter garland that drives everybody but me nuts. There are river rocks and mercury glass votive holders scattered around on top of the runners. Also shown: a rogue red decoration from the mantle and the salt and pepper shakers and parmesan container I didn't put away. oops. Oh well. I wasn't going for perfection.

Now the sad part. I have to de-Christmas tree!

I wrap each ornament and decoration separately and to do that this year, I compromised the use of the breakfast table. I sorted them by theme, because I'm partially insane, and grouped the birds together, Santas, snowmen, reindeer, balls, snowflakes, stars, dogs and wooded creatures, safari wildlife refugees, uncategorized favorites, Christmas trees, fillers, garland, ribbon. That is the gist. 

On the right is my Christmas tree down to lights and topper. The cardinal at the top is a new addition and I think it will remain atop this tree 'foreveh'. She's perfect!

China is the only pup not shown sneaking in a shot, so this is 'just because'. I love her. 

She got that dog bed last year. Isn't she so dainty?

Last year's version of tree and mantle. It was more Dr. Suess. The tree is a bit crooked because I put it up by myself and I topped it with a giant gold and green polka dot, sparkled 'C'. 

The mantle last year had the curling ribbons I put on the stairs this year and the wreath as well. I like the center. It's a big twig and moss butterfly. 

It was a giggly Christmas theme last year. This year, more subdued, more texture than color.