A Little Bit of Hall Decking!

I'm not sure why I'm just finishing decorating when we had that early Thanksgiving! But I'm more or less done (you won't see the bedroom here) so let's deck the halls! (Cue the Music.)

Let's start with the entry! I have bad outlets and worse extension cords (and lights that don't seem to fit into the cords I have, and I've no idea what that's about!). So my little ladder is quite near the door. That's a tree behind the cat, though it mostly looks like a giant swag here!

But that's OK! It looks cheery! The gate with the wreath on it was a Southern Exposure project and not my favorite but it works at Christmas!

My work friend Mary Jane made me the Santa several years before she died. It's a real treasure!

And I promised I'd show you the wreath I did at Southern Exposure earlier this month. It shaped up.

So, c'mon in! The greeting angel will welcome you. (I've yet to decorate that wee tree behind her on the wall; it will have my mini-Radko ornaments and a few Shiny Brites.)

Head straight to the living room. I was glad Rick helped me with the big tree! It took awhile.

But it is my favorite. I call it my autobiographical tree. My story. Everything on there is something related to family past and present, good friends, our trips together and pre-Rick, the cats, a gift or something I bought just because I liked it!

I have a few trees in there. This is the woodland tree. It will stay up into January.

No Santa or Christmas-specific ones here --  just winter.

I think it's my favorite.

In the corner, a Santa and wonderful poinsettia that I haven't yet killed.

And yet another Santa! I do like Santa!

Look the other way and in the dining room you'll see the winter tree (another one). This stays up later, too.

These are the branches I was working on during our Crafternoon. They worked out well here.

The hutch was filled with my Santa buddies.

Lots of them! (The snow people will replace them after Christmas.)

                        

And atop the china cabinet, yet another scene. Oops! What's that Paris postcard doing there? Bad blogger photographer! Well, you get the idea!

A wider look.

Come on into the family room.

It's my favorite because it reminds me of all the knotty pine at the cottage, so it's my cottage room!

I was very big into my bottle brush trees and fairy forest this year.

So, they didn't just get on the window sill...

...they were all over the mantle, too.

There's something about them -- the texture, the color, the old-time feel.

I especially love the bottle brush wreath!

I have lights in the fireplace. In front of it, my little wooden shoes...

...and of course the Christmas cards!

And cards on the wall too, but these are the old ones!

There are a few wreaths in the family room. This one was a revamp of last year's Southern Exposure project (HERE).

And I found this one at a ridiculously low price on Black Friday and glitzed it up a little.

I love the lighted branches.

And in the corner, this little dry sink serves as my bar area.

Let's take a quick wander down the hall opposite the bathroom. I took down the "France" paintings and photos in honor of Christmas. Here you'll see a Christmas card painted by my dad; several Christmas cards from Debra and Carrol Spinney, who has played Big Bird and Oscar on "Sesame Street" since Day One and the nicest guy ever; a Mary Engelbreit that was a gift from a friend; a photo by my Cork Popper pal Cheryl and a couple of art fair finds, along with a grand old angel that was my parents. The spacing is odd -- but I didn't want to put up new nail holes!

And a peek into my office/art room. I made these snow folk several years ago.

And this little tree has mostly ornaments made by me or my creative friends!

And finally, a quick look at the kitchen. I love my little shelf with lots of teeny friends from long ago.

And the little marshmallow tree, complete with holly and a wonderful teapot.

And yes, there's more. Trees in the bedrooms and bathroom and little bits here and there. A creche or two or three. A little evergreen over some of the picture frames, Lizzie's cat tree and more.

But don't you think this post has gone on long enough? I do!

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