December 1

24 Days till Christmas and what would I like to see
A house that is clean and tidy

I love decorating for the holidays and this year is no different. Right after Thanksgiving was officially over we cleaned up the house and dragged the decorations out of storage. It took a couple leisurely days but we decked the halls by December 1st.
I really miss having a mantle to decorate but having stairs is kind of nice too. This year in addition to the stockings hanging from the stairs I have attached some ribbons to hang down as well. As our Christmas cards roll in we are attaching them to the ribbons. Last year we put them all out on the table and then had to move them for a party. Since we are planning another party this year I figured I would save myself the trouble and keep the cards on the wall. We only have one so far but it is already looking nice.The Christmas tree. I know that some people hate fake trees but that is what I have always known so it is totally normal to me. I love that I can put it up right after Thanksgiving and leave it up till early January with no tending, no watering, no fire hazard, and minimal needles to clean up. Greg did the lights this year and did a great job. The gifts underneath are birthday presents for Greg from his family. They keep it from looking bare since we have mailed all our gifts to the Pacific Northwest.
The buffet is still a work in progress but this year I cut back on the nativity and kept it simple with just the first family (and I don't mean the Obama's!). I have to get a little garland and a sprig of berries to complete my look.
This was a fun addition this year. I have these birds out all the time but I moved them over to the TV stand next to the little tree and I attached a sprig of berries to the beak of the smaller bird. Too cute!