I don't typically go all out with Christmas decorations. I put up a tree and few little things here and there, but that's about it. I used to put a wreath on the door, but it reminds me of when our house was broken into several years ago, so I no longer put up the wreath.
Justin and I bought our Christmas tree from Wal-Mart in 2003 for less than $16.00. It's six feet tall and isn't pre-lit. Literally, one strand of lights costs more than the entire tree. We upgraded to LED lights last year. I also got some ornaments from my sister last year. For years we used inexpensive ornaments from Wal-Mart, but the ones we used last year and this year are nicer and little more polished.
For the most part, I don't include any ornaments other than the balls. There are a few ornaments that are exceptions.
This one is one Justin bought me in December 2003. We were in Atlanta and visited Neiman Marcus. We wanted an ornament to commemorate our first Christmas as a married couple.
This ornament has always been in a prominent place on the tree.
The next ornament was given to us by a former coworker of Justin's. There is a story behind this one, but I'll save it for another time.
The next one was another gift from Justin. I'm not sure where he bought it, but it's special to me because it's from him. The lettering is in green glitter, but it doesn't make a mess.
I also make sure to hang stockings each year. We got our stockings in 2003, the year we were married. Of course Pete and Annabelle have stockings, too. I used to work at a gift shop where we monogrammed items and all of these were monogrammed by yours truly. We don't have a mantle over our fireplace, so I usually stick the Command hooks to the brick around the fireplace. Last year, I decided to hang them beside the refrigerator. It's not traditional, but it's different.
The next tree was a sale item I got at Target several years ago the day after Christmas. It's different and I like it.
I bought the little gold tree below from a coworker who was selling items as a fundraiser for her daughter's school. It's simple and doesn't require any assembly. I like that.
The candle and hurricane on the dining room table are also from Target. The candle will probably be used throughout the year. It's a flameless candle that smells a little like vanilla. I wish it was scentless, but the fragrance is so light that I don't really notice it. It also has a timer so it turns on and off at night.
I got these two little guys and the tree in the background from Target. The foxes remind me of Pete and Annabelle. They're so cute.
The Merry Christmas sign thingy came from Target (do you see a pattern here?). I got it in the dollar section several years ago. I don't really know what you're supposed to do with it, but I hang it on the coat closet door knob. It works for me.
This little wreath used to hang in my cubicle at work. The cubicle wasn't large enough for a tree, so I hung this instead. It now adorns the door knob on a hallway closet at my home.
I really like this pillow. I have another one just like it on the love seat. They make me smile. The candle holder on the garden stool is another Christmas item I look forward to seeing each year. I think it's supposed to be outside, but I use it inside with a candle. The candle holder and the pillows are after Christmas Target finds. Shocked?
I couldn't leave the bathroom unadorned. This linen hand towel was an item from the gift shop. It was a sample we used in the store that I got to take home after Christmas was over. It's green and gold, so it's actually pretty neutral.
These hand towels were monogrammed by me. I found the plain towels in Wal-Mart one night and grabbed them. I added the tree and name at work the next day. Several customers saw me working on them and had to have some of their own. The store monogrammed probably twenty or thirty of these because of my two towels.
I bet you can't guess where this snowman came from. It's a cookie jar but it's really too small for cookies. I could use it as a dog treat holder. Maybe next year. This little guy came from the dollar section in Target. It cost a whopping $2.50.
I'm sitting here thinking about how much I don't want to take down the decorations. I like Christmas and hate to see it go each year. I do enjoy spring, though, so that's something special to look forward to.
