All Lit Up!

Since we returned from MN, we've been busy getting ready for Christmas around here.  Thought I'd share a bit of our holiday home with you!

Our stockings, all hand-sewn by my mom, are hung by the chimney with care.

 I love our Willow Tree nativity set, which I received over the course of a couple of wedding showers from my mom.  I get a good feeling in my heart when I retrieve this set from the boxes each year.

 To the top of the fridge, I added this cute tree-with-candle that I received from a Secret Santa a couple years back, and this sparkly gold Noel sign that I bought for pennies last year after Christmas at Wally-World.

 On our entry table, I have a ceramic Santa and holly leaf with cinnamon sticks.  Both items were painted by Steve's Grandma Brittain.

 For years this little tree was set up in our kitchen or some other part of the house, but this year, it's Sara's playroom tree.  She chose Batman ornaments, and also picked out some purple snowflakes at Target a couple weeks ago.

 While we were in MN last weekend, my mom gave us this reusable advent calendar.  Each day has its own ornament, which is a small book that tells part of the Christmas story.  I look forward to when Sara is old enough to understand and appreciate the Christmas story.

Sara helped decorate the tree this year. 

 If you've ever decorated a Christmas tree with a toddler, you know that they don't totally get the whole hook-it-on-a-branch concept. We continue to find ornaments gently resting upon branches.

 Sara took her job very seriously, though, and placed multiple ornaments on the tree over the course of the evening.  She was quick to either approve or reject a number of ornaments.

 For the first time EVER, we have a tree skirt!  This excites me so much.  I bought it after Christmas last year on clearance at Target.  It is green with big green, sparkly sequence on it. Love it!  Makes our tree feel so official.

 Steve has been bitten by the Griswold bug, and he went heavy-duty on the lights. We always use colored lights, just like we did as kids. To me, they are classic, fun, and festive.

This year, instead of just lining the roof as we usually do, Steve outlined the front door arch and the front windows.  He also added lights to all the bushes.  It's a lot of lights on a little house, but if you know me at all, you know I couldn't be happier about it. Steve is now on the hunt for some sort of yard display.  Hmmmmm.

   Since all those lights have to plug-in to a timer somewhere, this work of art is dangling next to our front door.  It occurred to me to also post a "Watch out for the cord" sign, but I figure anyone who can't see all those cords shouldn't be coming to our door anyway.

Hope your decorating is going well.  I know it's a lot of work and a lot of hype, but I don't care ... it's totally worth it!