Looking a lot like Christmas

I always enjoyed decorating my parents house for Christmas when I was growing up. Now I get to decorate my own house, but I still remember what Christmas looked like when I was younger and how much I loved the lights, the garland and the candles in the windows. This year, I started decorating our house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I even set up our tree. It's not a live tree, but we like how easy it is to set up and take down, plus it's "green." I like how tall and skinny it is.

Showing you some of my decorations has been on my mind, I just haven't had the time. And I finally got some decent photos today. We don't have a fireplace mantle (well, we do if you count our Amish built electric heater), and there's not a lot of extra space for decorations, which means I have to get creative. Which is half the fun! This year I am trying new ways of arranging furniture and using items I already have, paired with a few new pieces, to compose different Christmas "stations" if you will. Remember the 96 red and gold bulbs I got from Big Lots? I put them to use.

I wanted to see how many centerpieces I could compose with one box of 48 bulbs. I also wanted to incorporate some of my favorite milk glass pieces. I pretty much used the bulbs everywhere. This is a centerpiece I assembled for our coffee table, with a round black tray from Christmas Tree Shop along with a red vase from CTS. I added a small pine cone spray with red berries, my medium milk glass compote filled with a few bulbs and tucked a couple bulbs in the greenery.

We moved our dining room table into the kitchen. I kept the burlap table runner that I used for thanksgiving and added a red satin runner down the middle (it's actually the wrap from a red prom dress!). I decorated the kitchen shelf with garland and candles, and of course a couple bulbs.

I found a beautiful red tray at Ross that would make a perfect base for a centerpiece. I placed my large milk glass compote in the middle, filled it with bulbs as scattered some on the tray, then tucked in a couple silk poinsettias. I really like all the red and gold. My Mom gave me her red poinsettia and pine cone candle stick holders when I was getting married, and I love putting them out every year. I think they compliment the tray nicely.

I made a similar centerpiece for the console table, again with a large milk glass compote (I have two), but this time I layered it on a silver tray, followed by a white platter edged with silver.

Next to that, sits my new Nativity snow globe, gifted to me by my co-worker and baker extraordinaire, Jon.

I found a beautiful large red vase at Joanne Fabrics, on clearance for $4.99. I filled it with tall sticks I already had and added some holly berries. Another silk poinsettia blossom accent, from one of our junk swaps! Thanks BA!

I kept seeing pretty reindeer made of metal or covered in glitter at many stores. They were a bit pricey though. I found this one at Ollies Bargan Outlet for $4.99. Not bad. 

Some more reindeer fun, in the form of glasses from Pottery Barn that my Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary gifted to us.

Another layered centerpiece on our buffet table, composed of a star shaped votive candle  holder, placed on top of a white star plate, then a square gold charger. I flanked it with milk glass candle stick holders from my Aunt Marion.

I hung this cute noel basket in our kitchen to hold Christmas cards.

My favorite and most sentimental piece, that has been in our family for years, is our nativity scene, or "manger" as I have always called it. Jesus' arrival on earth probably looked nothing like this, but it reminds me that Jesus Christ did come to earth, as a baby, and He experienced what it was like to be human. He met us where we are, to save us from a debt we could never pay. As awesome as His birth was, His death and resurrection is even more critical and profound. Without His death, His birth is meaningless.

Lastly, a look at our twinkling little tree. I used the second box of 48 red and gold bulbs to decorate it's branches. They definitely added some beautiful sparkle!