Holidays!

This week I broke out the Christmas decorations and started on dressing the house up on the inside.  Tomorrow I will go out with my family for our annual cut our own Christmas tree day!  We have been doing this as long as I can remember, there used to a be a farm in Middleburg I believe that we would go to that served hot apple cider and I looked forward to that every year.  For the Handy family Christmas tree shopping was never a one stop deal, no we are picky and if it took 5 farms then we would go to five farms.  As a kid I think my parents were happy to find something to spend an entire Saturday doing with us where we wouldn’t get bored.  As we got older and started to have friends and jobs and schedules it became harder and sometimes one of us kids would have to miss it.  Sometimes we would only have time for one place and we would luck out to find the perfect tree there.  There used to be a rule that we would all stand around the tree and hold hands to measure if the tree would be big enough.  I’m pretty sure as we got older and our arms got longer we started bringing home trees that were way too big!!!  When David and I started dating I talked him into going with us and getting a tree for his townhouse.  I don’t think he had a clue what he was getting into!  That first Christmas tree was a relationship test for us because to my horror I found out that while I came from a White Pine family he came from a Fir family.  Say what!!!!  But fir trees are prickly, what do you mean you hate white pine!!  Oh yes it could have ended right there.  Luckily we were able to compromise and found that the Fraser fir was perfect fit.  He liked the look of the tree and I was happy that if I brushed up against it I didn’t feel like I had been attacked by pricklies.  That first tree was fun to take down since we were gone for a week after Christmas, it was the deadest tree I’ve ever seen.  I swear to you that there was not a needle left on that tree by the time we got it out of the house, but there was a giant pile where the tree once stood!  The only problem we have found over the years with Fraser firs is that they require colder temps to grow so we usually have to head to the mountains unless we get a pre-cut tree.  Pre-cut just isn’t the same, I need to look at lots of trees to find the perfect one.  I posted last week pics of David cutting down and carrying our perfect Fraser fir from last year.  Even though he is deployed this year I will stick with tradition and find a Fraser fir to decorate for our house.  I will definitely miss him putting the lights on the tree because he does an amazing job and the tree looks like it is glowing from the inside out!  I will have to see if I’m up to the task this year.  I’m very excited though because after Christmas tree shopping with my family they are coming over to help me put it up and decorate it.  I’ll put on the traditional pot of spaghetti that graces all Handy family large gatherings, lol!  We can decorate my tree and play some Wii bowling and even though I will be missing David like crazy I’m so glad my family is nearby so I’m not decorating my tree alone!

Over the last couple years I have expanded my Christmas decorations and this year I had a few ideas in mind when I stopped off at Micheal’s with my 15% off all purchases coupon!!  Love coupons!!!  I knew I wanted to add to my glass jar collections with some fancy apothecary jars and I lucked out to find two left!  I wasn’t really sure what I was going to put in them but I figured I would wander around and see what caught my eye so I started grabbing random stuff that made me go “Oh pretty!!!”.  This technique does not always work out, sometimes you get home and think was I even paying attention when I was shopping.  I had some basic ideas and I was good about stopping and thinking before I stuck it in my basket.  In the end I think it worked out pretty well!  I had picked up two white feather trees from Hobby Lobby before Thanksgiving so I knew I wanted to keep with the theme of silver and white with pops of green and red.  When I found the green feather tree I was in heaven!!  So check out my holiday decor below minus the Christmas tree because I don’t have it yet!  I’ll post next week pics of getting the tree and the finished product!

Christmas Stockings, white feather tree and a cranberry wreath!

The top photograph is my coffee table with my christmas wreaths hanging in the windows in the background. The bottom photo is my dining room table with my pretty candlesticks! I picked up two wreath ornaments and used them to dress up my candlesticks.

Festive red and green M&M's along with white carnations and ornament filled apothecary jars!