'Twas the Week Before Christmas

Just a few more days to go, and it will be Christmas Day.  The day we've all been making lists for ... and decorating for ... and cooking for ... and shopping for ... and little ones not-so-patiently waiting for.  Our houses are all warm and cozy, and even more welcoming with the soft glow of Christmas candles and colored lights casting flickering shadows on the walls.   I've finished my decorating and shopping and will be moving on to my list-making mode this week, as I gather recipes for our favorite Christmas candies, snacks, and goodies, along with all the traditional dishes we make for our Christmas Dinner, which we have at noon on Christmas Day.   This past weekend I took a few pictures of some of my decorating efforts.  They're mostly of our breakfast area which adjoins the kitchen, our main gathering place during the holidays.      I love having the tree in the breakfast area so I can enjoy it while I work in the kitchen. The old Welsh dresser is the focal point of the room, and I love decorating it for the different seasons. I think Christmas is my favorite season, because I can display some of our children's beloved keepsakes and decorations from Christmases Past.  Every time I look at them, they make me smile ...   Like the little angel chimes my husband and I bought for one of our first Christmases ... And the Santa's Workshop we bought when our children were babies ... A new addition to the dresser this year is this tiny, but oh, so beautiful poinsettia that was calling my name when I was in Kroger's one day last week.  There was no way I could leave it there ... The little chandelier elf came back this year, and is carefully clutching a candy cane he must have helped himself to during the night (I thought I heard scampering!)  ... Just look at that sweet little face ... he looks so pleased with himself. Our granddaughter Avery Grace's Santa Claus collection is growing ... And one of the Santas is watching over the festivities from the dining room, since there was no more room in the breakfast area ... The "candy jar centerpiece" on the breakfast table is, of course, our grandchildren's favorite decoration. You can just see the "visions of sugarplums dancing through their heads" ... and the elf's! This cardinal watches over his nest hidden amongst the branches of the mantel garland in the living room. Don't you just love Christmas candles! I've saved my favorite Christmas keepsake for last.  It is the nativity set I bought several years ago and, although it is rather plain compared to some of the more elaborate and expensive sets, I wouldn't trade it for anything.    I hope to capture more pictures this week, and hope you are enjoying your preparations for Christmas, whatever they may be.  I'm sure mine will involve making lots of lists and "checking them twice."

Visions of Sugar Plums

Today I'm sharing a whimsical Christmas centerpiece that is sure to light up little ones' eyes. It's an arrangement of old glass jars I have collected through the years, filled with candy canes, gumdrops, Hershey Kisses, hard candies, and Jelly Beans. It sits on our breakfast table, and is one of our granddaughter Avery's favorite decorations ... not to mention a temptation for several grown-ups I know and love.

Christmas Keepsakes

One of my favorite decorating projects, not only for Christmas, but for every season, is the Welsh dresser, which is the focal point in our breakfast area. It doesn't seem that long ago when I was decorating it for Spring ...

Then came Summer ...

And Fall ...

And now, here it is all dressed up for Christmas with some of my favorite Christmas keepsakes ...

Apple candles and Avery's little Lefton Christmas plate ...

Christmas Owl hiding amongst the holly vines ...

We bought this little Santa's workshop when our children were little, and, even though it's gotten a little battered through the years and has been glued several times, it is still one of our most treasured Christmas decorations.

Another very old and much loved decoration is this set of brass Angel Chimes ...

Lighting them has become one of our granddaughter Avery's favorite Christmas traditions ...

Christmas Candy Centerpiece on the breakfast table (another one of Avery's favorite decorations) ...

And Joey, Avery's "Elf on a Shelf," enjoying the decorations from his perch high on the chandelier ...

The two little squirrels you see on the dresser are Ralph and Cindy, named in honor of our son Benjamin's imaginary-friend-robots when he was little ...

Best wishes to you for a week filled with your favorite Christmas Keepsakes, sweet memories of Christmases Past, and lots of wonderful memories-in-the-making.

Christmas Lagniappe ...

After I posted this, I went out to blow some leaves off our patio (in 20-degree weather), and was delighted to see this rose blooming on my arbor ...

To think that that little rose could "weather" the cold and bloom one more time, was a "How Great Thou Art" moment, and I wanted to share it with you ...

Christmas Candy Centerpiece

After several days and many trips to and from the attic, I've finally finished my Christmas decorating (except for our tree, which we will decorate this weekend). I've shared a few vignettes along the way, including:

The Mantel ...

Our Nativity Set ...

And the Dining Room Chandelier.

Today I am featuring a whimsical centerpiece that is sure to light up little ones' eyes. This is one of our granddaughter Avery's favorites.

It's an arrangement of old glass jars I have collected through the years, filled with candy canes, gumdrops, Hershey Kisses, and peppermints.

It sits on our breakfast table, and is one of our granddaughter Avery's favorite decorations ... not to mention a temptation for several grown-ups I know and love.