Christmas Time!
I posted some photos here of our Xmas decor in 2006 and 2008. As I appear to be on the "post every two years" plan and we have some new furniture & Xmasy things...and we didn't even put up a tree or decorate at all last year...
View from the kitchen into the living room. This year, we've added red chile pepper lights around the doorway. And of course the tree itself is new, as it's a real tree.
I took this photo last week, when we'd gotten about a foot of snow. It's largely gone now and I don't think we'll be having a White Christmas. Anyway, I found some mums that kind of echo the purple lights (some of which have faded to almost white over the past few years) so even though they're not exactly Christmas-y, I put them in the window. The vintage ceramic horses aren't either, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put them so they stayed put.
This is the window at night.
Also new this year in Xmas decor are the red chile pepper lights & glass snowflakes & mercury glass candle holders on the mantle.
On the TV stand is this tiny little thing which we've had a long time. There's a flameless candle in the holder in back, making it look like there's a fire burning in the fireplace.
We got a new bookshelf because I ran out of space for my books. Then I filled it up with books and...now I'm out of space for books again.
I've had this little doggie for a long time. I think he looks like Snowy, Tintin's dog.
I recently got this Bluetooth Retro Handset from Think Geek. I had an old dial phone that doesn't work, and, inspired by "customer action shots" on the TG website, I removed the handset & cord and now this is where it lives. It works great. Next to it is a Hallmark Christmas ornament, a radio that plays retro style songs & commercials when you turn the dial.
I made an attempt at creative gift wrapping for my dad & stepmom's gifts--they've been traveling a lot, so I got them travel related stuff, and bought a few pieces of fancy "travel" wrapping paper to put around plain brown paper, to give a sort of hint as to what's inside. The "wanted on voyage" tag I cut out of the paper to use as the gift tag.
The Christmas cactus has gotten into the action, right on time. On the shelf below it is a little felt snowman & bear on a sled ornament my grandma made.
One change this year that is not welcome is that this will be the first Christmas in 16 years that our dog Tobi, represented here on one of these handmade ornaments, is not around. He died several months ago. Tasha died two years ago. At the time we had these ornaments made, our two ferrets had died, so they were given halos, as they were now "angels"...now all four of them are gone.
And so as not to end this post on a total downer note...please have a candy cane before you go! Thanks for stopping by!
Edited to add: I commissioned the pet ornaments from Leroy and Willy. Her work is amazing.