For many years, my family did the following: - My children and I went as a family to choose our tree on the first weekend in December and brought it home and decorated it. I did lights and tinsel and then the kids hung up the ornaments. Each child hung any ornaments that had been given to them or made by them in previous years and they shared hanging the "family" ones. I also hung a couple ornaments myself that were particular favorites and had been gifts. (In the earliest years, I also "re-dispersed" the ornaments hung by the children so that there were at least a few near the top!!) - Christmas Eve was spent with extended family (usually 60+ strong) at someone's home or eventually a clubhouse we rented due to the growth of our family. We had a pot-luck dinner and exchanged gifts from names drawn earlier. Lately, with economic times being tougher, we started doing smaller token gifts like ornaments. - After the extended family Christmas Eve, we went to the Candlelight Sevice at church. - Presents were opened on Christmas morning as soon as daylight appeared ("dawn" rule was made because Mom is a procrastinator and tended to wrap until the wee hours of Christmas Eve and I needed some sleep!). I always did stockings for each child - even when the were grown and those were opened first (each item individually wrapped to draw it out a bit!!). We tried to open the gifts one at a time, but were not always successful! So Santa's gifts were always wrapped in solid red paper with white bows and the kids were allowed to "tear into" them and we slowed it down a bit when it came to the others. - After presents, Mom cooked a big breakfast and then everyone tended to drift back to their beds to catch up on missed sleep. When my parents were alive, we went to their house Christmas afternoon. My children are now grown, and there are many pulls for their time on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. So I have changed my traditions accordingly. So for the past few years: - Any of us who can will go to the extended family celebration on Christmas Eve (some of the children have spouses or significant others with similar family events, so they are alternating years with ours). - Afterward, anyone who is available goes together to the Candlelight Church Service. - Christmas morning is left to be celebrated at each individual home if desired. When my children eventually have their own kids, they will have this time to celebrate at home with them so that Santa can come to the children's own home and they will be tucked up in their own beds. This allows the parents to come up with their own traditions, ie cookies for Santa, reading of books, etc. For now, with no grandbabies, my children can still come to our house Christmas Eve night and be there for the morning if they choose... but we are doing it differently! - We are no longer doing the dawn rush for presents as there are no small children waiting eagerly for Santa. Instead, we allow everyone to sleep alittle later and I still do the big Christmas breakfast about 9am for anyone staying here or joining us. - In years past, Christmas evening tended to be somewhat of a "let-down" with the presents already opened and all the holiday merry-making coming to an end...and I was so exhausted from getting up at dawn and wrapping till whenever that I did not do a real "Christmas Dinner". So now Christmas evening is when we have our family Christmas celebration. In late afternoon (3p-4p) we have a big Christmas dinner with the best china and all the trimmings. This time-frame allows time for anyone needing to be other places in the morning or midday for other celebrations. Anyone staying home can help decorate cookies or assist with dinner or just watch football etc! I have asked the children to dress up for our Christmas Dinner and make it a bit more formal now that they are grown and I think they actually enjoy it! I asked for "nicer clothes" but now I see even suits and party dresses... and I love it since we rarely have dressy occassions and it makes for wonderful photos!! - After dinner, we open some wine, snack on desserts and goodies, take photos, talk, and play games...just be together till about 8pm. I like to wait till dark because the tree and lights and candles are so much more beautiful. Where my focus used to be on piles of morning gifts, I now spend my energy on the food and decorations...making it a warm, loving evening with lots of old fashioned, traditional charm. Tons of candles, a fire in the fireplace, soft Christmas music, and way too many sweets (I love to bake!) - Finally, we exchange gifts. Having changed the focus of our Christmas celebration, and also the "quantity" of gifts we give, we open them one at a time with everyone watching to make each one more special. I feel it returns us to the days when people selected one or two gifts for a person and they were very special with alot of thought put into each gift and maybe even doing some special wrapping...rather than the flood of gifts I gave the kids each year. We sat down a few years ago and discussed it as a family, so no one was disappointed on Christmas(well not too much!!). It was at first an economic decision, but I think it has challenged everyone to make more of an effort to choose special gifts with real meaning for each other. - After gifts, we continue the wine and goodies and games until people need to go home (only if they skipped the wine!) or retire here for the night. - The other side of our family celebrates the first Sunday AFTER Christmas, so this allows the holiday to flow alittle smoother! I am please with the new changes we have made and hope that it allows my children (and eventually their families) to celebrate Christmas together yet not feel stressed by being pulled in so many directions at the same time! Merry Christmas!!

I'm so glad you all are still wanting to look at Autumn and Thanksgiving pics! Syble: That flatware comes in pink, too? Well, that sure is the perfect color for your house! Mine's brown. The pattern of my pinecone plates is called Pinecone, I believe. It's from the W.S. George Company and were made sometime between 1904 and 1954.You need to look for your New Mexican Indian doll, although I'll bet it's too southwestern to work with Thanksgiving decs. I know that mine are. Tammy: Hooray for Fall . . . I love it, too! Luckygal: yes, my hutch was made locally. It even has leather hinges on it. Remind me and I'll try and take some detailed pics of it someday. I'll bet your DH could make you one. Mine's made of old barn wood. As for my sugar & creamer, there isn't a pattern name on them and it only says, "OCI and the date 1993 on their bottoms. I bought them in 1993, I guess, and have never seen anothr piece of this pattern since. I do remember that the store (now closed) also had the matching cannisters. Jane, I'll pass along your compliments to Emily. Yes, decorating with things from my DD & DS's childhood brings back many happy memories. I used silk flowers on my cornucopia. As much as I enjoy seeing them overflowing with fruits, etc. my dogs will eat those, so I keep mine empty (LOL). And, yes, I love my pinecone napkin rings. You are so thoughtful to have thought of me like that! Patty cakes: thank you! I'm so glad that comes across in my pics, because creating a warm, inviting, comfy place for my family and friends to relax in is much more important to me than a home that's beautiful but uncomfortable and/or uninviting. You can put your feet up in every room in our home . . . and we do! Lee, thank you! I created that coffee table arrangement piece by piece. It's not a purhcased Autumn ring around my candleholder . . . which I'm sure you can tell, because I see it's a bit lopsided ;^D Luvs, I feel the same way~ I love Autumn and all my decorations for it. Christmas comes too soon for me, although I love those decs, too! Wish I could relax, but I need to dig out the guest room now and set up my long table for my gift wrapping center. It's always something, isn't it? NCnana, Yes, by all means, start collecting children's holiday books. I think they add such warmth and a realness to holiday vignettes. And, the bonus is that you can read them to your kids or grandkids, as well! Sarah, Hi and many thanks! Glad you can join us here. Karen, I love bird things, too! Let's plan on doing some bird tables or vignettes after the holidays, ok? I'd love to see more of your pieces. Magpie, thanks! Last night I used the placemats again. DH looks down on them and says, "These are really interesting, Honey, but I wonder what's going to get stuck down in them." After dinner, I shook them out and (too much)grated Parmesan cheese fell out! Hmmmmm! Hi Punk! Our coffee table is from India and pretty old. I've seen some repros like it with glass tops, but I like ours the way it is. Our living room is very eclectic . . . LOL! Yachter: too funny! Yes, we need to sneak into Kathleen's house and steal some of her flatware. She'd never miss them ;^D Thanks again, Ladies, for all your kind words. I'll get my Thanksgiving dinner table finished soon. Lynn

Luvs, your table is so pretty. Great job adding your cp to match the placemats and napkin holders from OA. Wonderful job using those pretty gold candles on the bowls. I would of never guessed they fit so well. The clear plates was such a great idea on this table. Cute JOY blocks you added. I really like the snow flake napkins you used on here too. Mixed fruit, french toast, oj, and coffee sounds like my kind of meal. I fix breakfast for dinner every once in awhile because it is one of my favorite meals. Punk

Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us for a virtual tour. I so enjoy the tours in our area and can only imagine what work it is to have everything as beautiful as you did. Everything was so pretty with such attention to all the little details. Your colors of red and green in the upholstery are great. I would never have thought of using those colors but they work great with the wall colors you chose. You have surely earned some relaxation.