Christmas love- a tour

We got the rest of the Christmas decorations up this week. There was a slight delay when all 6 of the strands of lights were dead. Here's a small tour of my favorite spots.

I thought the nativity set would go on the mantel, but the mantel is so long that it looked tiny on there. I moved it to the book shelf where is has been in the past. I was sad to pack away the shells that normally sit on the mantel, but this looks cozy over the fireplace.


I had been waiting to clip some branches from a holly plant in our backyard. I spied it hidden behind some other shrubbery in the backyard about a month after we moved in. It was finally time. I don't know how long it will look nice, but there's more where this came from.

I picked up this wreath at a garage sale this summer for 75 cents. 


Bee helped cut some more holly for the top of the book shelf. My father in law made the tall pottery piece when he was in high school. I bought it for 25 cents at his sisters garage sale. The smaller pottery piece was made by hubby's brother and I found it in his things this summer. I don't know when he made it. I went to the same high school and I took art classes and didn't get to make pottery. Do you think they take pottery class in the Marines? The basket holds a beautiful table cloth that my great grandma made. I think it's called 'tatting?' It's never been on a table, but I always had it out on display.

Here's our tree. It's heavily decorated, especially at the bottom. Our large basket of Christmas books sits on the hearth. I got the angel tree topper the first year that hubby and I were married. I saw her in a Christmas shop and she was way too much. I got her the next February for my birthday from my mom. She had been watching for her to go on sale after Christmas and swiped her up when the price was right. She also got me the nativity set that I had been drooling over for my birthday.

I have some fun other Christmas projects coming up this week, mostly things made in the past few years.