Countdown to Christmas - Day 19

My Hubby's favorite movie is "It's a Wonderful Life" so that is one of our Christmas themes. The village is the smaller of our two Bedford Falls buildings. It is in the hall. The tree is also in the hall. Not all of the ornaments are movie related. I have included other Victorian looking things. Missing the gold glass balls this year! I really love the candle lights but they do get me in a fit of bad language when I try to put them on the tree- they tangle so easily and quit working if any of the bulbs get loose while I'm untangling!

Countdown to Christmas - Day 20

I worked on decorating the hall last night and this morning.

These are some paper mache Santas that I have made in years past. I didn't do any paper mache this Christmas. In fact I have not been very Christmas crafty at all this year. Time just got away from me , even though I had plans I only got one thing completed- more on that later.

This was my 2001 Santa- The first year I tried to make one!

And this is the 2003 Santa - I try to make a different ornament each year that I give to holiday visitors. I think I made 10 Santas wearing red toile that year!

Countdown to Christmas - Day 21

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care........
These are for decoration only - the "working" stockings are hung in the kitchen. I'll save them for another day!

There are a few glass ornaments here - but I anchored them with Handitak.

Lulu assisted me with the garland. She was worn out after wrestling it and settled down for a little catnap. She was a little disappointed when I hung it up! I have it anchored pretty well just in case she tries to climb it.
I've changed things around this year since we redid the parlor. I had more stuff on the fireplace in years past to cover the shabbiness of the mantle. I also used yellow lights on the little trees. They look more like candlelight than the bright white lights.

Countdown to Christmas - Day 22

The paperwhite bulbs I grow every year in my bathroom have been hitting the bottle! I read on Deep Fried Kudzu that you can stunt the growth of paperwhites with alcohol. So I tried using a touch of Vanilla Vodka in their water. Hopefully they end up a little shorter this year! A nice side effect is the vanilla smell in my bathroom!

Countdown to Christmas- Day 23

FAILED CHRISTMAS PHOTO SHOOT!

Where's Bitsey???
Refusing to pose in a picture with cats!

All dressed up -but, refusing to look at the camera!

Countdown to Christmas - Day 24

I try to resist them, but they find me, one way or another and I have to take them in..... Vintage elves and Santa boots!

Countdown to Christmas - Day 25

Saturday I faced my Christmas nemesis - the tree! We have a fake tree- I wish I could handle a real tree, but I can't. The cats make it too hard. Plus we have high ceilings and we really need a big tree. When we moved in we found the tree in the basement (dirt floor, dark, damp, scary) -

It still had the price tag on it, but it was scattered in over 100 pieces all over. The paint on the tips of each branch had rusted off. We knew it was tall and we were so excited for our first Christmas on the Porch Tour that we decided to try to put it together. That year we started on Halloween. I had on my scarecrow costume as we sorted the branches and tried to figure it out! It took two weeks. We now have it down to 4 hours. That is just to put the tree and lights up - no decorations! I start by clearing a space in the dining room (which was easier before we got the table!) And I play my Il Divo Christmas CD on repeat the whole 4 hours.

The branches are sorted and shrink wrapped, stored in trash cans.


DH comes in 1/2 way to tie the tree to a hook in the ceiling (the first year Seven, the cat, rode the tree to the floor in the middle of the night).

Four hours later I have a big, naked tree to look forward to decorating the next day!