Christmas 2014: The After Christmas Tour

The after Christmas Tour... really it is!  

To me it's still Thanksgiving and Christmas until New Year's day. It just seems to be the most special time of year when we are most thankful.

If I could, I'd decorate for Christmas during Thanksgiving week. I'd add new little handmade touches every chance I could right up until New Year's day. Loving the feel of all three holidays wrapped up into a long joyful season and allowing the house to show it. I used to. Until this year.

Things were a bit too busy since September. I went from many projects and events right up to surgery yesterday that was postponed since Christmas Eve. (a blessing, I was able to make my son's Holiday Chorus Concert) So I did what I could... the week of Christmas. My latest decorating yet.  And, I only put out a few areas. With that, I didn't have time for a Christmas tour until now. Better late than never! Brace yourself for this year's reality show.


In the living room; the tree. Not what it usually is. We went with red bulbs and gold stars this year. The rest of the good stuff stayed packed. My son and I decided to go simple... and really really fast! I had projects and shopping to do and he had his friends' and his dad's fun stuff to do. (Boys!)

So, the windows got candles and lights.

Moving to the next room, you must stop and see Britta's tree. It's her second one in two months. We have to construct an indoor playland and a tree is best.  She shreds them. I'm thinking of putting her to work on my bark removal projects.

(She says, "Hello", as my son walks by and fluffs her feathers.)

But at least it's decorated with her toys! (The newspaper mess on the floor is what she played with ten minutes ago.)

We did get festive and used gift wrap for under her play area.

Moving on...

This guy always stands guard at the corner of the fireplace each year.  I love woodland Santas. Especially if they are two feet tall and size appropriate for my dachshund. He is my animal Santa. Bet he is the one who puts treats in our pets' stockings.

"Did he bring me this new squeaky toy, Mom?" 

And now we have empty stockings. (It's after Christmas, remember) The things that were on the mantel before decorating are shoved into the fireplace. Ha! And no dusting. I'll be un-decorating soon, so why bother with proper packing and unpacking. The mantel is kind of thrown together. No rhyme or reason, just favorite stuff.

Stuff like this plastic dollar store deer stocking holder. It looks pretty with the lights behind it.  And it looks like it is adoring the resin tree it's staring at.

Then there is my favorite elf. My youngest son bought it for me a few years ago. I love the mini hammer in the apron. This little guy just makes me smile. I think we have so much in common, so he is my buddy. 

Ah, and here we all have a Polar Express mug and a "Believe" bell. Just a reminder to each of us.

Now these cast iron nutcracker stocking holders have been with me since my grown sons were little. They always sit on the Christmas mantel. Always. Except for one time when I filled one with too much and it fell on my foot.

A mantel size Santa with snowshoes is a must for this household. I adore the birdhouse he carries through our mini mantel woodland. I placed him next to another dollar store deer stocking holder that broke off. So he looks like he is snowshoeing through some snow. That was clever; at least I thought so. Maybe nobody noticed that last week.

So this is where you can see the fireplace is situated in our dining room. The dining room that I'm trying to make very antiquish looking. With Britta taking up a quarter of it. With my 10 old chairs and farm table.

It's decked out with grocery store plants and opened up napkin place mats. A first time for everything, I always say.  The lavender tree is surrounded by a poinsettia wreath. Not bad for a throw together, ey?  The picks in the tree are actually a fast cut with wire cutters from a bunch of fake berries in my stash. Again, not too shabby.

My decorating window trademark:  Hanging three red bulbs in every window is my thing each year. What you can't see is that they are shorter again this year (it happens every few years) because the golden decorative ropes are turning into stringy shreds at the top. I cut them and tied them onto a pushpin at the top of the window frame. At least they got hung up.

And of course each window sill gets a lit candle with red lights floating around it.

How about the kitchen? That will be fast. I promise.

A laser cut woodland scene in the window at my kitchen sink and a pretty gift package that my mom gave me. It makes me happy when I have to scrub pots and pans.  It reminds me of Bob Ross painting and telling me these are happy trees... Be happy you have pots and pans. And my mom in my head... "There are starving children in this world that would love those brussels sprouts!" 

My French kitchen hen gets decked out with greeting cards. 

A dollar store decoration I put together last year greets you at the put-your-keys-down-place near the front door.

The door bell. Can you believe it's been there since last year? It has. I forgot to pack it and left it there. Glad I did!  It lets me know when my youngest slips out without telling me all year long.



Let's go on outside now. 

The roses and berries door wreath. Yup, you're looking at it correctly. Still all squashed right out of the bag of outdoor decorations. I didn't have time to fluff it. And it's crooked. 

Wow, that wreath is WAY crooked. And some of the lights are out. Good thing I can check for clearance racks now.


At least I put up the evergreen garland and lights. But the usual landscaping lights didn't get up. I do that the weekend after Thanksgiving but we had a snowstorm, and another and another. When it warmed up just before Christmas, I was way too busy to do it.

But I did do this one in the rain the day before Christmas Eve. 

The holiday greeting sled got put out the early part of Christmas week! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! 

I did buy a motion detective cardinal and stuck it on a little evergreen hangy thing at the entrance light. Yay, me! Something new and creative this year!  It chirps every time you enter and leave without being annoying. And look at that, this is the first time I really looked at that light since summer with mosquitoes and moths around it. (I should clean it now.) 

Now that we are at the door, thank you for stopping by my hectic Christmas season that almost wasn't. It was just a fast approached holiday season this year and we were all too busy. Know in my heart, it was Thanksgiving, Christmas and, now, New Years that I'm very grateful for who and what I have. Whether I did or did not do my usual decorating, the spirit of Christmas lives in each of us in some way; hopefully everyday. Love, Peace and Goodwill onto others.

I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year! 

PS: I promise to do much better next year by planning and working harder and faster. First resolution of many for 2015.

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