It's Looking Like Christmas Around Here

For the past few years we haven't done a whole lot of Christmas decorating.

It's been very minimal.  We even had a Christmas that all did was put up the tree.  It didn't even get decorated...except for putting Christmas cards on it...which actually looked pretty good.  I've just been tired of the same old thing year after year and life has been so busy. 

I was a lot less Scroogy this year and we got some new decorations...which helped a lot.

It's actually looking a lot like Christmas around here!

Here's our main Christmas tree in the living room.  We got a new tree with lights already on it.

I love that!  Putting lights on a tree is something I don't really like doing.  So this was great!

I also love that this tree is a little smaller around.  So, our decorations fill it up a lot nicer.

These are night time photos...

Here it is during the day...

The tree is seven feet tall.  But, to make it taller, hubby built a box for it.  We've put previous trees 

in a half wine barrel.  But, it gets dirty and yucky outside during the rest of the year.  So, it was time for something new.  I love that it raises it up and gives it a nicer look.  Now, it's about 8 1/2 feet tall.

Our daughter thought it would be fun to set the Bumble (from the Rudolph movie) in the box.
He looks like he's trying to help decorate the tree.

Bumble's close up shot...

Another night time photo...

 I bought a couple of miniature trees this year to start some themed trees around the house.

This one is in our music room/dining room.  It's filled with harps (since our daughter is a harpist)

and some other instruments.  It could use a few more decorations and 

maybe some sheet music strips for garland.  But, it's a start.

This one was purchased to be a food and drink themed tree.  I bought some cute ornaments at BevMo last year...a metal cocktail shaker, a glass of liqueur, and a glass with wine.  I'd like to collect some more drink ornaments and some food ornaments.  But, for now we're leaving off the fragile glass drink ornaments because of our kitty, Penelope.  The tree is on a cabinet behind the sofa in the family room where she can easily get to it.  So, for now, I've decorated it with knit themed ornaments...

little sweaters, hats, skiers, and some cute little baskets.  The tree doesn't look quite like the one I had ordered.  This one has a lot of twig like things on it and they're really long.  I might clip some a little shorter.  But, it was super cheap and I didn't feel like sending it back.  The lights help.

Here are the little skiers.  We found them at Target and I had to have them.

I couldn't believe they were only $3 each!

One for hubby...

One for my daughter...

And, one for me...

Here's our family room.  The fireplace is dressed up with country western boot stockings.

And, the shelf/cubby at the top of the built in (hubby built that this year!) is a village.

Here it is a little closer.  It's so pretty and magical at night but doesn't show up well in a photo.

So, here is a photo taken during the day...

I've been inspired by other bloggers who have been creating new decorations for Christmas.  It's helped me realize that new decorations might help re-fresh Christmas and take the same-o, same-o out of it.  I'm so happy that it worked!  Now, if we could have at least another week before Christmas  so I could tweak it all to make it nicer, enjoy it all a little longer, and finish up things we're not going to get to...like Christmas cards.  But, that's ok...this Christmas is more festive than it's been for years.