Jingle All the Way

I am heading out of town for a few days tomorrow and as soon as I get back, I am going to be at a whirlwind pace getting ready for our Nutcracker weekend, cookie swap at daughter #1's house in St. Pete with daughter #2 and and grand daughter #3, back home for 2 days before heading back to St. Pete with daughter #3 and her kids for more fun. When I return from that trip, I will only have one full day to get ready for Christmas Eve with daughter #3 and then everyone arriving at my house on Christmas day. Whew! And somewhere in all of that I still need to shop (which will hopefully get done this weekend with daughter #2), wrap, write out cards, bake for our family Christmas and bake and package for the cookie swap...not to mention planning meals for all of the times I have someone here who just might feel the need to eat! It sounds super crazy when I put it on paper but I am so looking to forward to that "crazy". The holidays will be over soon enough and things will get back to normal (?) so I am going to savor every minute while I can. That being said, I am going to show you a bit more of this year's decor while I have a chance. And, in case you don't notice it for yourself, it looks like red and green have exploded all over these rooms as well!

You know that old saying, "you get what you pay for?". Well sometimes it is really true-although I didn't pay that much. My husband and I went to Mt. Dora many, many years on our anniversary-Dec. 27. We loved that little town and I was always giddy at the thought of picking up beautiful Christmas items on 50% off sales from some of my favorite boutiques. I also always checked a gorgeous florist shop while there. I almost always found something I loved but wouldn't ever pay the full asking price. This centerpiece is just one example. It is really not all that much my taste any more but the faux items used to make it were such good quality that I don't think they will ever lose their needles or look tired. And so, I use it every year. You can't tell from this picture but the taper candles in the piece are the thickest tapers I have ever seen...and, I have never seen any like them since. It is a good thing that I grabbed up extras the day that I bought this. I should have enough to burn during Christmas dinners for years to come.

So that is the dining room for this year. On to the family room.

As you can see, nary a gift under that tree. Definite need to get shopping! At least you can get a better look at the tree skirt while the tree is empty. My mom made that for us many, many years ago-probably before our tree stand had to be so big. The skirt is a bit off in proportion these days but I couldn't think of a Christmas without it!

I ended up using almost all of the new Luminara candles on this mantle and in the sconces and lanterns in this room. This spot is so pretty when all of the candles click on around dusk. It is right in my line of sight from my cozy spot and I find myself mesmerized by the shadows created every night! And, I just realized that with Valentines being the next holiday I will be decorating for, all of these red and white candles can stay just where they are-yay!

We are now through much of the house-just a bit more to show you. I'm off to get ready for an afternoon with grand daughter #5. Seems she is home from school with a head cold today and Mom has a client meeting so Presley and I get to cozy in and enjoy the colors of the holiday. I hope you're finding time to enjoy the little things as well. Yesterday I had an impromptu invite to daughter #3's for a glass of wine and to go over the kids' lists. And then later tonight, I am off to see my oldest grandson play volleyball for his school. Even with the ever growing list of to-dos, there is always time for family. Stay tuned.