Christmas Decorations 2010

It's that time again - time to share all of my Christmas decorations.  Things have been so busy this year that I wasn't able to get everything put out until yesterday!  So, here they are!  Warning:  Lots of photos ahead!

Let's start with the Christmas tree:

It takes me two days to put up my Christmas tree - it never fails.  One day to assemble it and put all of the lights on.  I'm really picky about the lights, and I wrap them around the branches of the tree from the stem clear to the tip.  It really makes the tree sparkle (and really takes a long time!).  It takes another day to put all of those ornaments on it.

Now for a close up of some of my favorite ornaments.  All of the ornaments on the tree are vintage.  Nothing modern here!  It takes another full evening to put the ornaments on the tree, as each one is individually wrapped in tissue paper to protect them.  It takes forever to get them all out (and even longer to put them all away)!

Some of the photos are crisp and clear, and some of them are blurry.  For some reason the auto focus on my camera works great on some of the pictures, but won't focus other pictures at all.  (I'm hoping to have a new camera soon!)

Has anybody else bought one of Mick's record bowls?  It looks great full of vintage Christmas ornaments!

Here's the top of my old 1946 Majestic console radio (remember, the one that I restored?).  It looks great with my new ceramic Christmas tree on it!  It also holds my little collection of vintage plastic nativities and a couple of red flocked reindeer.

Here's a better picture of the ceramic Christmas tree.  I picked this up about a month ago at a garage sale a family was having to settle an estate.  I was ecstatic when I found this!  It has a whole bunch of extra plastic pegs shaped like birds and butterflies that I could have used, but I prefer the little light shaped pegs.  It's a three piece tree, and I really like the snow on the tips of the branches.  It was a "Start the car!" moment when I got this for a mere $5!

The red flocked reindeer in the back is a vintage piece, but the little guy in the front is new.  I picked him up over the weekend at JCPenney.  I couldn't believe it when I saw him.  He is really a tree ornament, but he's happier here with his papa.  (Oh, and he was on 50% off sale, so I got him for $4).

My little collection of vintage plastic nativities.

It's Santa!  He looks pretty happy standing in front of the Majestic!

I have a soft spot in my heart for those awful old satin ornaments that were so popular when I was a kid.  As long as you don't snag them on anything they look great.  I like they way the light reflects off of them in these vintage dishes.

My coffee table is full!

My little collection of snowmen grew this year with the addition of the two handmade ones in the back of the photo, a Santa and a snowman.

Also new to my collection this year is the "Twas the Night Before Christmas" album on the coffee table.  I bought it mostly for the cover.  10 cents at the flea market on the square.

This is the second year for this flocked wreath / candle holder centerpiece here at the Shack.  This year I laid the little elves on it, as they had nowhere else to go.

This little nativity set is missing a few pieces, most importantly, Mary.  I hope to eventually find a replacement so that the family can be together again.  Sounds like it's time to hit up Etsy!  They were all in a $2 box that I got at an auction a little over a year ago, but no matter how many times I went through that box, the missing Mary and shepherd were nowhere to be found.  The little bell on the left rear was a craft my mom made years ago.  It's made out of a little clay flower pot turned upside down.  I saved it from my great-aunt's decorations when she sold her house and moved into assisted living.

Here's a view of the same table, but I have swapped out the vintage orange glass lamps that belonged to my grandma and put in these beautiful pieces made by Colonial Premier.

Lastly, even the door gets a little decoration with this door hanger, complete with little silver bells.

Thanks for sticking around through the whole tour.  The living room is the only room that is getting decorated this year.  I only used around half of my vintage ornament collection this year.  Hopefully next year I can use more of it - although if I keep collecting them, I'll never be able to use them all!

Have a great Tuesday!