It's Beginning to Look a Little like Christmas...

Last week I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my immediate family, at my parent's homestead out in the sticks. It is a quiet place to get away for the weekend to. It was spent with family, engorged in good food, then falling in and out of naps followed by movies. It was a lovely time. As the holiday passed I began to get more into the Christmas spirit...

As I watched everyone else put up their decorations and trees, I longed for getting my own decorations in order. The Christmas tree was up, but bare because the garland did fit around it. This year I have a new tree and it's taller than my old one, so the garland was too short... I had plans to get more garland this weekend, but for a whole week my bare tree stood half decorated and mocking me.

However it is now decorated and looks grand in my living room, surrounded by the other decorations. The smell of Christmas trees filled my living room as I spent time placing each decoration and ornament in the perfect position, moving them and rearranging them many times. Sometimes my perfectionism gets to be a little too much and I just have to make a decision <grin>

I think everything turned out beautifully in the end... even if it did take me longer than I had planned!


Ornaments from Germany!


Of course there has to be a stack of books! I have this ornaments thanks to my mama. We got this in New York City when we were there early this year for my birthday, right before the whole world went loopy. I love this ornament and it looks very good on my tree! It was the first one I hung on the tree this year <grin>


Mushroom ornaments and the two presents that are under my tree. Hidden behind the mushrooms is the Christmas pickle. 


Peter Pan and penguins will always make an appearance on my Christmas tree!


I love my ornaments from Germany! The are a very special addition to my tree each year!

Next up are a few up close shots of my simple, but festive decorations. My living room is not very big, it really isn't even a living room at all, however I like to make it as homey feeling as possible. The holiday season is upon us, these few simple touches really liven up my space for the approaching holiday. This year I am focusing on enjoying the season and simplifying it as much as possible, avoiding the hustle and bustle this time of year usually brings.




I just love this little paper village I cut out of Daphne's Diary, which is a fun magazine (one of the treasures I found over the summer), and set it up on my bookshelf. I set some more up in my bedroom.


My small nutcracker collection, placed strategically in front of my Harry Potter series.


I decided this year that I was going to be on top of Christmas gifts. It is the first weekend of December and I have just about all of my Christmas shopping done, and later I will be spending time putting the homemade ones together and getting them wrapped and settled under the tree. I spent all summer picking up small gifts for my friends and family. I enjoy giving gifts. I'll even admit that I am a pretty good gift giver. Since I had a lot of time over the summer, I spent some of that time in and out of small thrift shops and small businesses. I picked up a few things in Amish Country and found a few items at a local thrift shop that supports my county Humane Society.  I will be sharing the homemade gifts with you all after Christmas, I don't want to give anything away <grin>

Up next is my kitchen...


A new penguin nutcracker makes a great addition to my kitchen table decor.




My mom gave me this glass mortar and pestle, I decided to fill it with water and floating cranberries topped with some fresh pine. My mom also gave this beautiful poinsettia and it looks very lovely in my kitchen. I kept the decorations simple in my kitchen as well, full of natural touches.

Here is more of the paper village from Daphne's Diary, this years Christmas edition. It is a lovely magazine, full of all types of fun things from recipes to art to vintage items.

Well that's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed this little peak at my Christmas decorations inside my home. Since I live in an apartment building the outside doesn't get decorated, so I try to bring that cheer inside. It is beginning to look a little like Christmas, it even began snowing outside. <grin>

Sending you all the warmest wishes during this holiday season. It may not be the same as it has been in previous years, focus on the positive things that are coming from our adjusted living styles. I am enjoying the simpler side, the slower side, and basking in all it's glory. Happy Christmas season everyone. Peace. Love. And Joy to you all.

Namaste, my friends.

xo

Kelly

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