2018 Christmas decorations thread - deck the halls!

[mrs-b]

I remember a thread like this last year, and quite a lot of people expressed a disinterest in decorations, or in celebrating Christmas in general.

But there were a bunch of us die-hards who were totally into it - so for them (and me!)...share your decorations for this year!

Here's a few from my living / dining room, which I finished this evening; 4 full sized trees and a whole bunch of fairy lights.

 

[marcy]

Looks Fabulous, Mrs-b!

 

[KristinTech]

Holiday glam Barbies say, “HOLLA!” The silver one with my new CBI. Our daughter loved these years ago, and we always get them out for the entry table at Christmas!

 

[marcy]

Great looking holiday Barbies, Kristin. Especially holding a CBI.

 

[Phoenix]

I remember a thread like this last year, and quite a lot of people expressed a disinterest in decorations, or in celebrating Christmas in general.

But there were a bunch of us die-hards who were totally into it - so for them (and me!)...share your decorations for this year!

Here's a few from my living / dining room, which I finished this evening; 4 full sized trees and a whole bunch of fairy lights.

This is GORGEOUS!! Would you like to adopt me so I can come spend Christmas with you?!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Beautiful decorations! Mrs-b...

 

[Dandi]

WOW mrs-b!! How beautiful! I love love love people who embrace Christmas decorating as much as you. My kids hounded me to put up our tree a week or so ago, I certainly didn't discourage

 

[Dandi]

Here is our tree, I still have glittery reindeer and a few large stars to put around the place, just deciding where!


My 5 and 2 year olds helped with the tree...although my 2 year old girl's 'cluster' style of tree decorating gives me an eye twitch

 

[AV_]

.
Thank you for the view!

Exactly right for a house where diamonds get swaddled in holly in the middle of summer .)

Count me with the (almost) non-decotating, celebrating bunch...

 

[MarionC]

Beautiful, mrs. b!

 

[missy]

Beautiful decorations @mrs-b

I remember a thread like this last year, and quite a lot of people expressed a disinterest in decorations, or in celebrating Christmas in general.

But there were a bunch of us die-hards who were totally into it - so for them (and me!)...share your decorations for this year!

Here's a few from my living / dining room, which I finished this evening; 4 full sized trees and a whole bunch of fairy lights.

So warm and inviting and lovely. The perfect Christmas cheer.


And love your christmas decorations as well @KristinTech and @Dandi

 

[mrs-b]

@Dandi - I LOVE your tree! I love that color and decoration combo!

And I literally laughed out loud when I saw your daughter's decorations and your comments - killed me!

 

[mrs-b]

@KristinTech - I love your Barbies!! And - an HPD ring-decoration sure is 'starting at the top'!!

 

[mrs-b]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks! But I'm hoping some other people might join in as the days pass.

@Phoenix - I'm glad you like it! But as far as adoption goes - I think you're out by a couple of decades! You'd be more than welcome to come visit over Christmas, tho.

I always have a really disjointed Christmas, mostly by virtue of living in Boston, having my best US friend and my god-kids in LA, and my best girlfriend come over from Australia the day or two after Christmas. I go over to LA and have have a week or so there leading up to Christmas. My best friend is a guy and a scientist - which means he is categorically incapable of decorating anything. Ever. His children - my god-kids - decorate with me when I get there part way through December, then on the last night, or thereabouts, that I'm there, we go to the Caltech staff club - The Athenaeum - for their Christmas buffet. This is my idea of Christmas; the Ath decorates like nobody else - 12' Christmas trees right around the dining rooms and in the stone-flagged courtyard, an AMAZING buffet, and it's dress-up time, for both guys and girls. Every year I give my god-daughter her 'party outfit' for the year - which she wears to said dinner, and the whole thing is just super, super special. We open gifts when we get back to the house, and the next day I fly back to Boston (previously New York).











Then I do the final run-up with DH in my own home, and we have egg nog and mince pies on Christmas Eve. We each have a special Christmas Eve box with our names on them, and we stuff small things (mostly DVD's, woolly winter socks and candy) into them and open them in front of the fire. Our boxes are kinda like the ones in the link below, only they have Santa in his sleigh being pulled through the night sky by his reindeer, with diamantes scattered all over the face of the box like snow / stars.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/638577566/personalised-christmas-eve-wooden-box?ga_search_query=Christmas+Eve+box&ref=shop_items_search_1&pro=1

On Christmas day, if it's just the two of us and the dogs, we open our Christmas stockings in the morning and make a roast for lunch, which we have with traditional English figgy pudding and custard for dessert. Then we go to the movies - which is always SO much fun on Christmas day. We work going to church and a whole bunch of carols in there, and basically just enjoy the meaning of the day and being together.

This year, on the 27th, my god kids, my best girlfriend from Australia, and her husband (who also happens to be the brother of my best friend in LA and is like my little brother - and yes, I introduced them!) are arriving, and we're going to do a belated gift opening and buffet breakfast on the 29th. DH will be off work till the day after New Year, and my best friend will stay till mid January - tho her husband will have to leave the day after New Year also.

So it's all over the shop for me, but, in essence, goes for about 2 weeks with a range of activities - both group and couple. I love my Christmas. It's utterly perfect for me and I enjoy every minute.

 

[Tekate]

Won't be putting a tree up till we get back from our vacation 12/20, but I wll be decorating around the house a bit, not outside either really because we will be gone!

MrsB, you house made me happy just looking at all your beautiful decorations!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!

 

[mrs-b]

Won't be putting a tree up till we get back from our vacation 12/20, but I wll be decorating around the house a bit, not outside either really because we will be gone!

MrsB, you house made me happy just looking at all your beautiful decorations!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!

To you also, @Tekate! Big hugs!

 

[Tekate]

DANDI!!!! I love your kids decoration and your tree, it's beautiful and CHEERY! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Here is our tree, I still have glittery reindeer and a few large stars to put around the place, just deciding where!


My 5 and 2 year olds helped with the tree...although my 2 year old girl's 'cluster' style of tree decorating gives me an eye twitch

 

[LaylaR]

I want to decorate. But my house is possessed by demons right now, so I am unfortunately going to have to forgo it.


(I am fostering two young adult cats-- a bonded pair-- who are a couple of handfuls. I am not risking my ornaments by putting a tree up this year).

Anyone want a couple of adorable 1 year old kiddos. I will seriously pay you to take them at this point. With the wildfires I don't think they will get adopted out any time soon and 3 of my resident cats hate them.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I'm in the same boat as you @LaylaR except we have a new kitten probably 6 months old at this point and I just put the tree up yesterday with lights and a metal star on the top. He has already climbed into it and chewed on the branches and tried to chew the lights!! No ornaments this year, which is nice so much easier.

I can't imagine having two active kitties and I'm so sorry that their prospects of being adopted will be hindered by the wildfires and that your resident cats are not fans but I will keep my fingers crossed that someone will come forward to offer them both an awesome forever home.

 

[mrs-b]

I want to decorate. But my house is possessed by demons right now, so I am unfortunately going to have to forgo it.


(I am fostering two young adult cats-- a bonded pair-- who are a couple of handfuls. I am not risking my ornaments by putting a tree up this year).

Anyone want a couple of adorable 1 year old kiddos. I will seriously pay you to take them at this point. With the wildfires I don't think they will get adopted out any time soon and 3 of my resident cats hate them.

Layla -

How good of you to be fostering animals! And I feel your pain re active critters. My DH and I have 2 young dogs - currently 10 and 13 months respectively. Together, they weigh 120 lbs, and they chew E-VER-Y-THING. But we have the secret weapon when dealing with dogs...a living room with doors!! I'm telling you, this one, sacred space, has saved my sanity a thousand times - especially when it comes to Christmas. Needless to say, that's where all my decorations are!

I hope your kitties find a new home very soon.

 

[mrs-b]

Looks Fabulous, Mrs-b!

Thanks, @marcy! Please feel free to throw up a few photos yourself; I want to see them aaaallll!!

 

[Ally T]

I love these decorations! We don’t put anything up until two weeks before Christmas & make a whole day of it, decorating the house, lights outside & nibbling chocolate as we go.

@LaylaR Four years ago at Christmas we had two 3-month old kittens. Christmas & kittens?!?? Needless to say come New Year, we removed the precious decorations & things that the children had made, then loaded the entire tree & contents into the boot & took it to the tip. There was NO WAY we could have possibly untangled it all Thankfully they lose interest pretty quickly now, apart from the bells that we clip on to the bottom branches. They will lie underneath & still play with those, and it seems to have prevented them from climbing higher ever since.

 

[MamaBee]

Love all the decorations!
The silver, crystal and gold tree is in Pa as are the the other decorations. I rubbed myself out in the mirror..

The children’s tree is the last one in my second home in Maryland. The ornaments are all soft and child proof..My grandson can play with them if he wants to..I almost forgot to add my gnome on top of the tree! I LOVE gnomes..

 

[MamaBee]

I remember a thread like this last year, and quite a lot of people expressed a disinterest in decorations, or in celebrating Christmas in general.

But there were a bunch of us die-hards who were totally into it - so for them (and me!)...share your decorations for this year!

Here's a few from my living / dining room, which I finished this evening; 4 full sized trees and a whole bunch of fairy lights.

So gorgeous! It looks magical!

 

[Mcgregor]

Mrs-b, your home looks so warm and inviting and ready for the holidays! Your itinerary sounds exhausting but I bet it is a great deal of fun! The A is to die for!!!! Mamabean and Dandi, I love the bright colors! What a festive time of year!

 

[LaylaR]

Mrs. B,

Your silver and gold ornaments remind me of mine (but on a much larger gorgeous tree). Makes me want to put my tree up-- except the demons.




They are cute. It saves their lives on a daily basis. I'll have to live vicariously through you all.

 

[Bonfire]

Gorgeous @Mamabean!

 

[MamaBee]

Gorgeous @Mamabean!

Thank you! It’s fun!

 

[Tekate]

@Mamabean so beautiful!!!! love all your deorations...

 

[MamaBee]

@Mamabean so beautiful!!!! love all your deorations...

Thank you Tekate!