I just love this time of year. And I love decorating for it. This year, I went with a colorful Christmas theme - mostly centered around green, blue and red.
The little nativity is a favorite. It is from Nicaragua. I wanted it to be focal, even though it is small, so I nestled it among some paper trees and beside a framed star I bought at a craft fair.
Now, decorating for Christmas is a little more difficult with a little one - all decorations must be up high and out of reach or childproof. This little Happy Holidays sign is perfect for our living room side tables as it can't really be hurt too badly. And the tin is form Target and should always be filled with cookies or candy... but then I would eat it all.
I snagged this little reindeer a few months ago in yearning for the holiday season. He's another favorite. And since our dining table is quite small, it's nice that I can make a centerpiece with him and some candles that is both festive and compact.
And this is the kitchen window. (My reflection is a nice touch, I think.) The photo collage was another craft fair find last year. I need to replace it with one made from this year's pictures, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
And of course, no Christmas decorating is complete until
Jingle Bugs is on the table... Ellie just loves that book.
I made the stockings myself using this pattern/tutorial for
Elf Stockings from
Sew4Home.com. The fabric line is "Colorful Christmas" by My Mind's Eye for Blake Riley. They may look a little limp at the moment... but they won't on Christmas eve!
This post could have also been titled "Decorating for Dollars" as nearly everything I used to decorate was either a gift or handmade from materials on sale. Target provided the little sparkly balls atop the trees (they were originally ornaments in the dollar section). To make the trees I recycled paper from last year and also purchased some more from
Brenda Walton's Peppermint Twist Collection.
And while I was taking these pictures Ellie thought it must be time for a photoshoot of her as well. Look at those beautiful blue eyes. And notice the jingle bell she stole from a wreath.
