Wow - I feel so welcomed. What a lovely group. :) Thank you all so much. I am really looking forward to decorating. I just never bothered before my son was born and now that he is 18 months I am really looking forward to it. My mother always gave us a card and a little present that was at our place at the table when we would get up in the morning for all holidays (even the small ones) I have such lovely memories of that and I would like my son to have the same, although of course stepped up a notch to at least some decorations for as many holidays as I can swing. I am thinking something in the kitchen, the downstairs powder room, and the DR. We walk though the DR to get to the kitchen so I think it will work out well. Lynne - thank you for the welcome. Purplemoon - (love that name!) thank you so much for posting the inspiration albums. I can see I will be lost in time looking at all the great pics. thank you for the welcome jaybird. :) luckygal - thank you and it totally makes sense to decide what I should take out from my "regular decor" before deciding what to put in for the holidays. I think I would take out the blue and white items in the DR and that would help make it feel different for Christmas. I of course will post pics once I figure things out. jeannespines - it was lynninnm that mentioned this forum on Home decoration. Boop is fine, but i will answer to anything. :)I think lights in the garland would be nice, and then you dont have to worry about cords too much. I think it was luckygal that mentioned using fake greenery so you don't have to worry about any damage. I think that makes sense. I do have a bunch of other crystal rose bowls on display too. I have a few from my great grandmother and then added some over the years. luvstocraft - I hadnt thought of using anything else so I can't wait to see the pics in the albums. Like a whole new treasure trove of decorating magazines. So much fun. :) bleigh - that is a fabulous idea. I hadn't thought of using the smaller balls to fill in and they are on sale. I really like the idea of lime green. I wonder if that will work with what I have planned (see below, I actually was planning to move that rug to another room, it is a sickness my family has to move rugs around the house!) I really like the idea of the fruit too. they have those "sugared fruits" I think that are traditional. Phonegirl - thanks - and I love the idea of the bow. NanaKaren - thank you for the welcome. I have been looking at bulbs on christmascentral and I just don't know what colors to get. I have been planning to totally change this room in the next couple of weeks. (see post linked) and I am planning on painting the room orange and putting up black and white etchings. I am not sure what colors to put in a room like that and I am having trouble picturing it. I was thinking maybe blue and gold, but I do really like the idea of silver and gold still. I just hope they show up against the orange walls. I will keep looking and I am off to view the inspiration pics! Here is a link that might be useful: home dec post about DR changes to come

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delayed response--been very busy with work. I do agree with needing to raise the tree up. I have a large box that should work and will see if I can procure some faux snow. I think I also have some old bricks lying around. HMMMMMM. I actually like red and white lights, as well as blue and white--but my neighbor has blue and white, so I think I'll stick with red and white for a candy cane look. I agree that the lights on the japanese maples aren't my favorite, and that they detract from my christmas tree indoors. I guess I could put them on the bushes to the left of the porch? (There are some large overgrown evergreen bushes to the left, though I'm not sure they show up well in the pictures...) I AM having fun--love decorating my new home for the holidays! Such a fun time! I still have work to do indoors--we're having a party in a week and I have a lot to do before then.

Thank you all for your ideas, and especially homemaker for the visual! I can see it now, i just couldnt figure out how to do it. I dragged DH to garden centers this morning ~have wreath (BIG) for the hay door on the barn & the front door. Got to go back for swag greens. Do you use just pines or other greens? I will dig out my single candles, I know I have them pack somewhere. Again thanks to all! If any of you have a photo to share of your home decorated I would love to see how you did it. Please share ~Happy Holidays

I would not try to decorate your furniture itself for Christmas. So I would not do Xmas throw pillows, no. Stick with the tree, the front door, and flat top surfaces, etc. for decorations. But I would "winterize" my home for Christmas based on what makes sense where you live. Example, if you live in a cold climate, then put down a faux fur throw on your brown couch. Get a container for scented pine cones by the fireplace (if you have one) or a holder for fire logs, etc. Then I would rethink red and silver. That can look too cheap and tacky. Stick with richer, more sophisticated color combinations like gold and silver, or gold and chocolate brown, or chocolate brown and olive green and gold, etc. That way you are incorporating your furniture/home colors into Xmas instead of trying to put a red pillow on a brown couch which will not look good. Christmas colors are a lot more than red and green, do not limit yourself to those. And warm gold will compliment your furniture colors better than cold silver will.