Decorating for Christmas

Yes..... I am decorating for Christmas.

Please don't judge me. 

There really is a method to my madness.

You see,  I LOVE Christmas!

Okay-it's more than love.  The truth is:

 I'm obsessed with Christmas!!!

But it's not my fault.

It's mom's.

Yes, mom is definitely to blame.



All the traditions.

All the excitement.

All the memories.....

  So many-WONDERFUL, AMAZING, FABULOUS, memories.

Yes, mom was an expert at making Christmas the most magical and joyful season of all.

So of course, it was only natural that I would want to create that same magic, when I became a Mom.

But there was one Christmas tradition that mom had-that I really didn't like... waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to put up the decorations.

And yet, even though it wore my patience to a frazzle-I kept that tradition alive.  I waited.

And waited.

Until the pumpkins were rotting on the front porch....

And the faux flowers in my fall wreath on the front door, had long ago blown away.

But make no mistake-before the turkey and stuffing had time to digest in my tummy-I was already planning my strategy for the next day.

Decorating for Christmas day.  Or, as some call it- Black Friday!

Sure-it was the biggest sale day of the year-but I didn't care.  While everyone else was out in the cold, battling the crazy crowds and standing in line for hours, I was enjoying an inner peace that can only be found while untangling lights.

But, I'll admit, sorting through boxes and boxes.....and boxes of Christmas decorations is one thing-but putting them all up in ONE day-is quite another.

Yes, it was an exhausting endeavor-but back then, I had a little 'elf' to help me.

It was then-during the trimming of the trees(we had 4), setting up our Christmas village(my sister got me started on this), and hanging evergreen and lights on everything close to a plug in-that Mel caught the Christmas bug too!

Then Mel grew up-and soon she had her own home to decorate.

Can you guess what day SHE decided to throw away the pumpkins and put up her tree?

But this year I decided to do something different.

This year I decided to throw tradition to the wind-and take a stand!!!

"I WILL NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING TO DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS!"

Of course, one doesn't break such a long-withstanding tradition, without having a very good reason.

I did-and it was quite simple.

Why exhaust myself decorating the entire house in one day-when I can stretch it out over a few weeks?  No stress there-right?

It all made perfect sense to me.

After a long day at the computer-once the dinner dishes were done, the clothes were folded-and hubby and Mr. Bentley were out of the way....

I could slowly begin the process.  A tree here-a string of lights there.  Simple-right?

Logical even-or so I thought.

"You're going to do what...when?"  This coming from a man who, for the last four years, has found every excuse possible to be out of the house when it's time to decorate for Christmas!!!

No, I was not surprised at hubby's slack jaw-or rolling eye when I told him my plan.  Obviously, he had no idea what it took to turn our home into a Christmas wonderland in one day!

But I did. And I was determined to end the cycle of deadlines and chaos-and begin a new tradition.

Which is exactly what I did Friday night when I began decorating the foyer.

I chose that room, because I had a little surprise up my sleeve for hubby.   I figured once he saw it, he would TOTALLY be on board with my plan.

To my utter amazement- the surprise did work.  Once hubby saw his set of old skis (he recently found them in storage) all decked out again for Christmas, and sitting in the newly decorated foyer-he couldn't have been happier!  So much so- that he actually agreed that this new plan of mine-just might be a good one.

With the foyer complete-I set out to start in the dining room, early Saturday evening.  After putting up two trees, and taking everything out of the built ins- I decided it was time for a break.

There's nothing better to bring on Christmas cheer-then a mug filled with a Tom and Jerry.

What's that?  You've never had a Tom and Jerry, and don't even know what it is?

Oh goodness-well, I best leave that for another post-this one is getting pretty long.  But for now-let's just say it's the VERY best part of decorating for Christmas!!!  (te he!)

Any hoo- while I was sipping that glorious, creamy concoction-I suddenly realized that I'd been so excited about putting hubby's skis up in the foyer-that I'd totally forgotten about the tree that usually takes center stage there!!!

So, I left the pile of decor on the dining room table, and went in search of the foyer tree.

After an hour of trying to find a place for the tree without disrupting the skis-I finally gave up, and started making dinner.

Hubby finally got up from his reclining position, took one look at the dining room table, and rolled his eyes.

"I'll be in the living room setting up the stack tables, if you need me," he said.

Brilliant idea.

I was busy with other chores on Sunday, so I didn't have time for decorating.  But since I am no longer under a deadline-I wasn't worried a bit.  Of course, that meant we had to eat in the living room once again.

Monday night found me back in the foyer-moving furniture-changing out lights-and searching for extension cords, just so those darn skis could remain where I'd put them. (Or rather, where hubby wanted them.)  Again we ate on the stack tables in the living room.

Tuesday, hubby and I both had the day off.  While he found a quiet place on the sofa to catch up on his reading- I was back in the foyer-moving furniture, taking down lights, and silently cursing the extension cords for not be longer!

By mid morning-I still didn't like how the foyer looked, so I decided to step away from it, and finish decorating in the dining room, so we could eat at the table for once! (Hubby had now moved to his rocker recliner, and was watching old war movies.)

While I was down in the basement, searching through boxes for the perfect pieces to set on the mantle-I looked up and saw the old chippy window pane(without glass) that I'd recently found at the farm.

That's when I remembered what I'd planned to use it for-Christmas wall art in the foyer!!!

Now, not only did I need to figure out how to fit the tree, skies, and everything else- into our small foyer- but I also needed to make room for wall art!!!!

Obviously, I had to completely start over in the foyer-and the fireplace mantel and dining room, would just have to wait.  Yep, you got it-dinner was served in the living room!

Last night I was in the kitchen working on my wall art, when hubby arrived home from work.

"How's that new decorating plan working out for you?" he asked, as he glanced into the dining room.

"Great," I said, wiping a  huge glob of glue off the kitchen island.  "No deadlines-no stress-I couldn't be any happier with how it's all working out!"  And then, "Oh, by the way, dinner might be just a tad later tonight."

"I hope you made a extra batch of Tom of Jerry mix," he finally said, after collecting his jaw off the floor. "Because I have a feeling this Christmas is going to be one I'll never forget."

Well of course it will be!!!

And with that-this long post about  my Christmas decorating finally comes to end.

But come on back tomorrow, because I'll be sharing my Christmas wall art project-and you won't want to miss that!!!!!

Blessings,

Christine