Getting ready for Christmas!

Our Italian Tree - insprired by my heritage on my mom's side!

Our Pewter Tree--this was started by my Longaberger ornament collection, but many other pewter ornaments have been added. This picture does not do this tree justice! It has white lights, pearl garland and pewter ornaments with some red poinsettias here and there!


My Christmas decorating is well underway! I only have 2 rooms left to finish! I have the pewter tree in our den. In our dining room, I have the Italian tree and the John Deere tree. In the kitchen, I have a small Polish tree. In the living room I have the miniature Hallmark tree along with a tree that just has Hallmark garden themed ornaments. Next week we will go cut down a live tree that will go in the living room and has all of our other Hallmark ornaments. My son has his full size tree up and a table top one. My daughter has a full size horse themed tree up in her room and a table top horse themed tree. In our upstairs hallway, we have what we call our "Gaga & Popi" tree. What is that, you ask? Well, when my hubby's grandparents moved here from Michigan, I bought them a pencil tree for their apartment and every year I would go over and put it up for them. When they had both passed away I knew I had to put a tree just like that one in memory of them. So I went out and bought a tree and just happened to find all the same ornaments that i had used on their tree! So now we have a "Gaga & Popi" tree! In my bathroom, I usually have a blue themed tree, but this year the lights died and I did not want to wait to go and buy more...I wanted to get it up right then and there. So it is a hodge podge tree this year! In my bedroom will go the snowman tree and a new tree---my Bill Hixson ornament tree! ( I got the pleasure of meeting him the night before we left for Savannah!-I bought a bunch of his ornaments and he signed them!!) All my trees have started out as 4' trees and as I accumulate more ornaments,they grow to 7' trees! I have a tree down in our family room that is all handmade ornaments that people have given me or that I or the kids have made! I am also adding an OSU tree in there this year since the room has an OSU theme to it! Gosh--did I forget any trees???
I just love decorating for the holidays! I owe that to 2 special people that have touched my life! On my dad's side it was my Aunt Joanne. She always had the most festive house at Christmas! We would go over there on Christmas Eve (more about that story later--I will let you know my childhood memories soon!). Anyway..she had colorful Christmas lights EVERYWHERE! I can still picture her mantle and her nook in her kitchen! I always thought "when I grow up this is how I want my house at the holidays!" She will always have a special place in my heart! I miss her and wish she was still here to see my home!
My other inspiration is my Aunt Jo on my mom's side. She is a wonderful person! I loved going to her house on Christmas Day! She always had the most awesome tree you can ever imagine! I can still see it....I loved the chocolate ornaments she would hang on it! I happened to find them last year at World Market and was able to put them on my tree for my kids! It brought back many wonderful memories! I also remember all her pine cone wreaths she had hanging! They were gorgeous! And I remember a wreath that was made out of paper cones and the paper had little squares cut out of them! It was neat!
As you can imagine, I have lights and garland anywhere you can put lights and garland! I do not even have to turn on any regular lights! Nothing is more magical that sitting in the glow of holiday lights! And they must be colored! White lights are pretty, don't get me wrong--but I use those the rest of the year! It is the colored lights I remember as a child!

Today, I am jotting down everything I do for the day and tomorrow I will chronicle my day for you! I am one busy person! Come spend a day with me!

Until tomorrow....