According to the calendar, winter is here! The Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, and the shopping and decorating are well under way for many. How about you? Have you started?
I'm s l o w l y getting there. Had to have a little chat with myself about my Christmas decorations.....not buying anything new this year. It's so tempting. There's always something new and shiny that catches my eye! I'm easily distracted like that. So, I reluctantly agreed with me. Nothing. new. this. year.
But then.....I saw
it. It may not have been shiny, but it caught my eye.
It's not very big. And didn't cost very much. So I broke my own agreement.
Can you tell what it is?
All fluffy and white....just like our ND winters....
No. That's our dog Mollie. That's not
it.
This is
it! An adorable little feathery white tree! Table top size.....can you see it in a white iron urn? With some white lights, and maybe some silvery or frosty ornaments? Which I won't have to buy because I already have some!
Ok, I caved. But for $2.49, I HAD to buy it. It's just what I needed to get myself going....just in time for winter!
Tell me, do you buy something new each year? Do you stick with a theme for Christmas decor? Are you traditional? Rustic? Junky? Do tell~
Do you "spy" the junky elements?
The Bachman House in Minneapolis is all decked out for the holidays! Someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember which one) posted many pictures from the house, but this one caught my eye. I have a LARGE wall above my basement stairway and decided to try and do something similar to this JOY in that space...okay, let's just say "copy it"!
Funny thing was, as I was literally hanging over the stairway, balancing by the tips of my toe nails against the railing and wall trying to hang it (and center it all), my 17 year old son gasped and INSISTED on helping me! (Have I mentioned before the child is a peach?!) I did say "no" initially, but then contemplating my situation and realizing his over 6' height would be an advantage, I quickly took him up on his offer! I really like the way it turned out!
Not that these are "inspirational", but here are more photo's of my holiday decor, just thought up by my little old self. Hanging above the beast of a tv upstairs:
I used fishing line and straight pins to stick them in the ceiling. The two narrow wood windows came from an old hotel.
The monster tv sits on an old wash stand but underneath is a vintage suitcase filled with lights and greens.
The birdcage sits in the dining room, filled with a beautiful poinsettia plant. 
I scrubbed up this old rusty chair from my garden, sprayed her with poly and filled her seat with a red poinsettia. Love her.
Surprisingly, there is no "junk" on the tree, but it is sitting in a piece. I love this rusty old basket!
And last but not least, I had to throw in a picture of my "JOY" hanging helper - son #2 on the left and our even taller college boy on the right. We surprised them early with their Christmas present: GB Packer tickets to last Sunday's game!
May you find the inspiration you need
I started with this buckle-looking item in my stash of small junk goods.
I did consider spraying the buckle white, but hated to wreck it if it didn't turn out just right!
I love this white ribbon I bought years ago...still had some left on the roll.
Here's the finished product! My alternative to a wreath, all wintery looking and hanging pretty by my back entry door.
Welcome Winter!
