Ethne's House is Decked for Christmas!

Posted by Ethne~

We’ve got our house all decked out for Christmas ~ which I say lasts from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, but the culmination being Jesus’ Birthday!  It’s my favorite time of the year besides my birthday and the girls’ birthday (same day) (and of course I reserve the right to have several other favorite times of the year but I’m pretty sure those are the top three).

We really don’t have a themed tree, like all silver or plaid ribbons with red cardinals or something – our tree is full of the sentimental ornaments collected from childhood (mostly mine since Shaun’s kid ones are still on his parents’ tree), from our time together, and now the girls’ growing collection.  I love to look at each ornament and wouldn’t have a themed tree in exchange for anything.  Of course, if I had won the Powerball last week, we’d most certainly have purchased a mansion with a big old entryway and then I could have a themed tree in the entryway to look snooty and them my sentimental tree in the living room where we didn’t care so much about being snooty.  And it could be real too, because my cleaning staff could pick up the pine needles.  TOTALLY.

Shaun is awesome about decorating, too.  I don’t think I could’ve married a Christmas Scrooge.  He decorates the house with me – outside (I supervise) and inside!! – applies the lights and garland to perfect alignment on the tree (I like real, he likes fake, but for the sake of our marriage, I’ve compromised on fake with balsam fir-smelling candles) and he doesn’t raise objection to all of my Christmas crafting that grows exponentially (not really, since I give a lot away) each year.  PLUS, he is totally on board with our Elf on the Shelf, Lyle.

Lyle macking on the Barbies

So here’s what we’ve got.  If it gives you any ideas, that’s wonderful.  We’d love to hear about your Christmas decorating traditions, too!

The tree - wine cork garland juxtaposed with nativity tree skirt - totally works.

It plays ' Halleluiah ' when it lights up too

I made the teensy mouse in the walnut shell

The famous leg lamp from 'A Christmas Story'

Shaun's Jack Skellington

The girls' first ornaments ~ from Shaun and me

The Christmas Pickle - so many layers of interpretation

I loved this ornament as a kid - one of my first

The Advent calendar I painstakingly made last year

This day Lyle was hanging in the door wreath (inside of course, where he can watch)

Santa Homer doesn't dance anymore when he sings, but he's still Shaun's favorite decoration

Whit made this weekly Advent candle hanging years ago, modeled after one she made in Sunday School as a kid.

The musical houses are the village aroung my Christmas cactus centerpiece at our table.  Note the teeny owl sitting in the cactus.