Festive Friday

Hopefully today I can keep the chatter at a minimum and get to my Christmas pictures!  Last year after Christmas, Jay and I knew that we'd be purchasing our current home.  We hadn't closed on the house or moved in yet, but we knew it was going to be ours.

With that in mind, we shopped the day after Christmas to get some good deals on decorations.  The first thing I decided was that I was going to have 2 trees.  My regular one in the hearth room by the fireplace, then another in the landing at the top of the stairs.  I'd keep my antique ornaments up there just in case friends/guests with kids came to visit.  My worst nightmare is one of my antique ornaments (that use to belong to my great grandmother) would get broken by a grabby kid who thought they were toys.

Instead of a tree upstairs this year, I'm getting new bookshelves built in the landing and a claw foot tub in the bathroom.  Said claw foot tub is currently residing in my landing awaiting installation.  They will both be gorgeous and wonderful.  I'm trying to focus on that as I spend my first Christmas in the house much differently than expected.

Oh and that lighted garland I bought to string along the hand rail on the stairs?

Totally not there.  I figured it'd just get knocked down with all the up and down and carrying heavy things (like a massive wooden sink vanity) on the stairs. 

Once again it will be worth it.  I just have to keep repeating that to myself.  My only disappointment is that the tub was supposed to be ready this weekend for a post 20 mile run soak and its not going to be.  Oh well, Jay will just have to give me a good rub down instead.

There are some things we purchased that we are getting to use.  Like the stocking holders - since we finally have a mantle to put them on!

Jay gets to be the engine.

And I think it goes without saying that I get to be the caboose.

The set also came with 2 middle cars for the train.  Just in case that biological clock of mine ever decides to wake up.  For now they're stored safely under the stairs. 

Where they belong.

I've had this card holder for a while I love being able to display my cards without having them clutter up the counter.  I hate counter clutter.  With the intensity of a thousand suns.

Seriously.

So it makes it hard when most Christmas decorations are supposed go on a counter type surface.  It makes it more difficult finding a surface where some one's not going to lose a limb.

At the other house the nativity was stupidly placed on the bar near the sink.  A wise man may or may not have lost a nose because of the mistake.  Super Glue is a wonderful invention isn't it?

Our tree is kinda sad.  Over the years some of the lights have went out so its only lit in splotches.  Instead of using the pre-lit lights, we bought a strand of lights to cover it.  Only we didn't realize the lights were connected with a white rope instead of green.  Giant bargain hunting fail.  So we opted for some blue lights left over from a political/Christmas float Jay was on in the town parade a couple years back.

My husband is a good photographer.  He always impresses me with his shots, which is why I only take pictures for blogging purpose and he takes the pictures for everything else.

Now why couldn't that have been our Christmas card picture??  Oh yeah that's right.  Cause I hadn't decorated yet.  And even doing the picture when we did we still haven't received them yet.  I suppose I can always just write "Happy New Year" on the back.

Oh and one other decoration that I didn't buy on sale after Christmas.  Probably the most gorgeous one.  One that you can't buy anywhere.

Merry Christmas everyone!!