I'm joining that sweet blogger, Susan, at Thoughts from Over The Rainbow for Deck The Halls. Yesterday, I told you that I would take you inside the family room in our home today. You may be sorry you decided to come in.
Do you panic when you go into a store that is filled from top to bottom with merchandise? Do you start feeling nervous and agitated? If so, you may want to leave this blog now. Don't scroll down any further. I am not taking you to a Christmas store. Believe it or not, this is our family room!
Do you panic when you go into a store that is filled from top to bottom with merchandise? Do you start feeling nervous and agitated? If so, you may want to leave this blog now. Don't scroll down any further. I am not taking you to a Christmas store. Believe it or not, this is our family room!
I'm sure if you keep scrolling through this post, you'll agree with Santa. I AM crazy!
The first year we lived in our current home, we moved in two weeks before Christmas. We always have a real Christmas tree, but I was just too busy unpacking to help my dear husband go get a tree. He came home with a tree that was too short for our high ceilings in this room. I didn't say anything about it, but he knew it should be taller. A few days later, he came home with a tree that was the perfect height. We ended up putting one on each side of the fireplace. Of course, I had enough ornaments for two trees, and we enjoyed them so much that we have continued to have two trees each year. Now, my husband tells everyone that it was his idea to have two trees in our family room!
It really began with a gift from my husband on our first Christmas 40 years ago. After he gave me that Santa figure, we started seeing Santa and Father Christmas figures at the after Christmas sales, and I quickly had a collection. Everyone decided that Father Christmas figures were a wonderful idea for Laurie for birthdays and Christmases. I don't know when it got so out of control, but every year when I'm putting them back into the holiday closet, I again tell myself that I am certifiably crazy!
The large Santa head (the one that looks a little scary-in the center photo in the above mosaic) hung on the back door of my home every Christmas season when I was a child. The Santa-shaped candles were also in my childhood home.
See that beautiful French Father Christmas in the upper left corner of this mosaic? Rose at Santa Maker's Journey made that one, and he is definitely one of my favorites.
Sorry, there are some repeats in the above mosaic. I got a little confused about which Santas had appeared in a mosaic. (See there really aren't as many as it appears - I'm just repeating them in mosaics - that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
When I added my Christmas header to my blog, several of you asked about the nativity that is on fireplace mantle. You are not going to believe this story. I still can't believe it. I was at an estate sale several years ago and spotted a cardboard box on the shelf in the closet. On the side of the box were the letters "XNT". I asked my husband to get the box down, because any time I see the letter "X" on a box, I think of Christmas, since a lot of people mark Christmas boxes with the word "Xmas". Inside was this Fontanini nativity set. There was no price on the box, so when I asked about it, the estate salesperson glanced inside and asked me if I'd give $25.00 for it. I calmly replied that I thought I would and raced to pay for it. When I got to the checkout table, the lady checking me out was astonished that I was getting this set for $25.00. So was I! Under each tree, I have a nativity set that the grandchildren can play with. One is a cloth set, and the other is a Fisher Price wooden set.
Santas sit on our door toppers and hang around on our light fixtures!
They even read Christmas stories at the coffee table.
That's my childhood Christmas stocking. The one next to it was also mine (my name is on the other side of the stocking), but since my poor, dear husband did not come to the marriage with a handmade stocking, I've always let him use my extra one. He likes it because it's bigger than mine - more room for Santa to fill up. Both stockings were made by family friends.
The plastic Santa face on the lampshade was one of my favorite childhood ornaments. My sister and I spent a long time trying to get our Santa faces to hang just right in front of a light on the tree. The pretty card in the left hand corner of this mosaic was hand made by my friend Jeri, and the pretty tag on the right hand corner of this mosaic was made by my friend Cindy at Applestone Cottage. I don't know how I got lucky enough to have such talented friends.
If you feel that you are having a nervous breakdown from the overload of all of this Christmas decor, just try to be thankful that it is not at your house! When it's time to take it all down, I'll be wishing it was at your house!
I know that comments on this post will include "where do you keep all of this stuff?" Behind that fireplace is a walk-in holiday closet with shelves on two sides. No, I cannot show you the interior of the holiday closet - especially at Christmas time! Our holiday closet was one of the smartest things I have ever done (or maybe it was the dumbest - Without that closet, I'd definitely be getting rid of holiday decor). When I take all of the books, etc. off of the shelves to put up holiday decor, it all goes on the shelves in the holiday closet (where Santas reside the rest of the year).
I know living amidst all of this chaos could drive a person crazy. It might drive me crazy if I had to live with it year round, but I do enjoy it during the holidays. I DON'T enjoy it when I'm having to take down the decor though. Bring in the psychiatrist! Laurie is crazy! She keeps doing this year-after-year!
If you feel that you are having a nervous breakdown from the overload of all of this Christmas decor, just try to be thankful that it is not at your house! When it's time to take it all down, I'll be wishing it was at your house!
I know that comments on this post will include "where do you keep all of this stuff?" Behind that fireplace is a walk-in holiday closet with shelves on two sides. No, I cannot show you the interior of the holiday closet - especially at Christmas time! Our holiday closet was one of the smartest things I have ever done (or maybe it was the dumbest - Without that closet, I'd definitely be getting rid of holiday decor). When I take all of the books, etc. off of the shelves to put up holiday decor, it all goes on the shelves in the holiday closet (where Santas reside the rest of the year).
I know living amidst all of this chaos could drive a person crazy. It might drive me crazy if I had to live with it year round, but I do enjoy it during the holidays. I DON'T enjoy it when I'm having to take down the decor though. Bring in the psychiatrist! Laurie is crazy! She keeps doing this year-after-year!
I do want you to know that I am not super woman. In the midst of this holiday craziness, I still have to go to work every day. I have not been able to visit a lot of blogs lately, and I'm missing seeing all of y'all's wonderful holiday preparations. Please know that I would love to be visiting all of you each time you post, but there just don't seem to be enough hours in my day. I'll be by to visit soon.
I hope you don't feel like you have had too much Christmas overload on my blog to go get links to Deck the Halls at Thoughts from Over the Rainbow. Look at it this way - it will surely be a relief to see all of the beautiful holiday decor that sane bloggers are posting! Thank you for coming to visit our Christmas store -- I mean our family room. laurie
