Last year's wreath is lovely, and will be wonderfully welcoming on the front door. You know, its funny because normally I'm a "more is better" person...but seeing your toned down version for this year really, really appealed to me. With the change in drapes, and more green showing, it seems so elegant. Something I'll never achieve, LOL. I am guessing you make those great Christmas bows yourself! Another thing I'd like to learn to do. Seems I have two left hands and neither one works when a ribbon is in them. I've tried and tried, and get so frustrated. I've watched videos, looked at how-to pictures, bought a dang 'bow maker'...and I'm still totally inept. Those big bows just add so much to holiday decor and I love them! I gave up and bought a couple last year, LOL. I'm so glad you are sharing your decor with us. I'm sure enjoying seeing it. hugs, Karen

The first year we were married, I put up a live tree. The Sunday after Xmas, which happened to be the 26th, my husband went to church and I decided the tree was too dry and a hazard so I took it down while I had the house to myself. When my husband returned from church, he told me his parents and sister were on the way over to see our tree. I didn't know it was their tradition to visit each other to see the trees. Whoops. There's the tree on the porch waiting to be dragged to the curb and here are the boxes the ornaments are in. Pretty, no? Most years I don't put up a tree. I put up a tree the first one or two years we were married but didn't enjoy it so I stopped for many years. When my niece and nephew starting visiting us for the month of December, we did a tree again for 4-5 years. They will not be visiting this year so no tree is planned. When I do a tree, and it's live, I wait until a week or so before Xmas. If I use our fake one, I put it up the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving. I don't have a set tear down day, it depends on tree dryness, my schedule, if I'm tired of the look and need a clean slate.

A little late, but this is our last tree from our favorite tree farm before the cornfields take it over completely. The tree skirt is, quite literally, a skirt! My quilted maxi-wrap skirt from that fashion in the 1970s (think Emily on the old Bob Newhart show). I simplified the mantle in keeping with this year's color scheme of green and gold and natural. The handsome deer are from a bottom shelf at Walgreens! The bells on the right are from the renaissance fair last summer. The little trees have battery-operated lights, carrying the light over from the tree. (Oops the cords are visible today, someone must have been fiddling with them) The Tom Thomson above it all is there all year, but the snow field is especially fitting this time of year! Where are the stockings, you wonder? They hang on the kids' bedroom doors so Santa can fill them and slip them onto the beds, keeps them busy for a few more minutes on Christmas morning!

We learned in law school to always get the ring on Christmas or on your birthday. If it is given on those dates, it is considered a gift and you get to keep it. If it is given any other time, it is a conditional gift and you only get to keep it if you fulfill the condition (wedding goes through). In divorce, woman keeps the ring b/c she fulfilled the condition.