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Wow, can you believe December is here? I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact Thanksgiving has come and gone. Today’s topic is our decorating style and more importantly a favorite holiday decorating item to us.
I have always loved Christmas. I am not a fan of the snow, but I love everything else about it. It was a time when our home had a stead stream of relatives and friends coming and going. My parents would hold parties for both sides of my family and I would get to play with my cousins that I didn’t see throughout the year.
When my husband and I met and moved in together in college we had nothing to decorate with. I remember we put our pennies together and went to a local Kmart. We bought the cheapest tree, that was considered floor style, I was taller than it, I think. We also bought the cheapest ornaments and garland they had. It was a sad little tree, but it was my first tree as an adult. We did not, however have the money for a tree topper. I had mentioned that to my mom on a call home.
A few days later, my dad was in the area for business and I got a knock on my door. He made a special trip to my apartment to give me a light up angel he went to the store and bought (he hated shopping!). He said his little girl couldn’t have a tree without an angel.
That would be my last Christmas with my dad, as he died of a massive heart attack that January.
It wasn’t an expensive item. It isn’t even the prettiest and I could have swapped it out now 26 times, but my tree will never go up without that topper on it.
This picture is not the exact topper, because we are decorating this weekend and the boxes are still in the basement, but this is a good likeness.
As for the rest of the house, I guess I am a traditionalist. I use green garland where I can, we always have colored garland and tinsel on our tree, with colored lights (I would love white, but my husband isn’t into the holiday as much as I am, so I give him his colored lights).
I collect snowmen and have over 100, so they make appearances all over the house. I used to display them all on the mantel of the fireplace, but that now holds our tv, so they are spread out.
My husband and I have a neighborhood party each year and invite our friends and neighbors, so I want them to feel welcome and be in the spirt when they enter my house.
I do have to admit, as excited as I get to decorate for the season, I am just as excited to undecorate after. I get overload sometimes toward Dec. 27 and will be ready for it to all go away until next year.
How do you decorate? Do you like to leave it up, or do you take it down as soon as the holiday is over?
By the way, today is release day for my newest book Marked for Love! I’d love to hear what you think of it! https://clairbrett.com/marked-for-love
Next up is Caro Kinkead, check out how she decks the halls for the season.