That being said, I also have visions of a Viking range in my kitchen and a mudroom that is a little more room, a little less mud.
In reality, I have an oven that works perfectly, a mudroom that works, and a house full of warmth and decorations that don't match. No Pinterest house over here, folks! Sorry I'm not sorry :)
My house is a mishmash of decorations that I love, and a tree with both colored and white lights because Bert and I are both twelve and agree it looks better that way. It's not exactly coordinated, but neither am I, and I love it. Here's a peek at what we have going in the Christmas decor department chez Johnston this year.
The nativity was a gift from my grandmother last year, and I love it. It's the first thing to go up and the last thing to go down, and it's a reminder that Christmas is not about the gifts, even if they're fun. I think this needs a little something extra, though, so I'm planning on a lit archway over top of everything next year! I found some coppery battery-powered lights on the good ole Amazon that I think would be perfect.
It's right in the middle of our living room upstairs, so walking past it a thousand times a day is a constant reminder to be grateful and treat others kindly all year round, but particularly during this season.
We go artificial because I put my tree up early, and also because my parent gave us their old one and you can't beat free.
I went all out with putting some presents under the tree this year although they have to fit more or less under the tree or Wacey mangles them by running into them with his walker. Funny, yet destructive. Next year we'll have to play Santa, so this is the last year for any gifts from us to be under the tree pre-Christmas. When I was growing up, my parents would put the "family presents" from aunts and uncles and grandparents under the tree before Christmas, and we'd open them Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas morning, the gifts from Santa and momma and daddy would magically appear. I plan on doing the same. We like to lay the anticipation on pretty thick round these here parts!
I love ornaments. I collect them, I cherish them, and one of the most special things that has ever happened to me was the year I had Christmas in my own house, post-college, my mom gave me a box filled with all the Christmas ornaments she had kept for me, labeled with the year I got them. I'm excited to start Wacey's collection! Thanks to my mom and aunt, we already have two for him!
I did notice, however, that she put quite a few of the ones I made. Don't get me wrong, I made some pretty cool ornaments! I also made some pretty awful ornaments, and only a mother's love could keep them on our Christmas tree for 20+ years, just waiting for the day when she can foist them off on me.
It's okay, though. They go on the back ;)
It's also worth noting that she kept the pretty cool ones.
That canvas! It arrived last week and I'm in love with it. I got it with some birthday money from my grandmother on huge Black Friday Sale (I'm talking less than $60, folks), and it's lovely. I have dreamed of good family pictures that aren't our wedding pictures for years, and I'm so happy with how our pictures turned out this year!
I know you're jealous of my horse-wrapping job.
I bought three stockings last year--I remember being pregnant in the store and scooping them up gleefully and getting all excited about three and a lady threw me some serious side-eye and I walked off humming "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch." Okay, not the last part, but I should have. Because come on, it's CHRISTMAS! Who gives the side-eye at Christmas about stockings?!? I mean, geez, Ebeneezer.
This year, Bert's great-aunt sent us this beautiful one she made for Wacey! My plan for the handmade ones are that they'll go in the kids' rooms or on their doors--growing up, I had a mini tree and stocking in my room and I loved it. I don't recall if we ever got presents in them, but I'm planning St. Lucia's day/elf on the shelf usage for those :)
I put garlands and lights over all the windows because I like them. So does Wacey. It creates a conflict. You see, I like how they look, and how festive they make me feel. Plotzing and shushing and all that (name the movie!). Wacey, however, likes the way they taste, and the sensation of them gripped in his little paw as he zooms away on his walker.
Like I said, conflict.
Do you see what I see?
These white lights in the antlers above the kitchen cabinets are a year-round fixture that Bert says look like we're in college. I say they look magical and a little tacky, but white lights are one of my love languages so oh well ;)
I also swap out pillow covers and hand- and dish-towels. Mom made these covers for me last year and I get a kick out of making Wacey look like a reindeer :) He really likes it. PS--check out how dirty his pants are from crawl-scooting around! That boy.
Wreaths on the doors and in the bedroom windows (plus the occasional nutcracker or strategically-placed snowman, and lots of Christmas jammies) complete the ensemble.
Usually we have outside lights and a garland, but this year we have a puppy who chews EVERYTHING and can jump unimaginable heights and chew on high-up things, and has already shown an affinity to evergreen branches. I am hopeful for next year, because we have those big old-fashioned colored lights and I know Wacey will find them even more magical than I do.
Probably because he won't actually have to deal with those suckers and test all the bulbs. But that's the best part about kids at Christmas, right? They get the magic and the wonder, not the set-up!
Someday, we might have more coordinated, Pinterest-friendly Christmas decor. But for now, we're sticking with multi-colored and slightly tacky because Merry Christmas, y'all!
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