Christmas Decorations

For some reason, I've felt very grim and Scrooge-like the past couple of weeks (which has resulted in my posting less than usual; no one wants to hear me whinge, including me).

I'm trying to get over my unusual funk by throwing myself (bodily and with NFL intensity) into the holiday spirit.

We got our tree decorated in record time (the weekend after Christmas, which is very impressive for us).
This is our first year without a real tree, but surprisingly (again, probably due to my dreary-funk-induced state of mind), I don't care. I'm so sick of coming back from holiday vacations to find nothing left on the tree but ornaments, with a forest of dead needles on the carpet below. I got this tree (a Martha Stewart, no less!) for a very good price on Black Friday from K-mart, and in my opinion it's very realistic.

I haven't missed the traditional smell of winter pine in the house for two reasons; first, I have a cold that has my nose more clogged than a porcupine in a rain barrel, and secondly, I've been whipping up lots of these . . . .
They're small centerpieces that I've made using foam oasis, borrowed (*cough cough* illegally plundered) pines boughs from local businesses, and fake flowers from the dollar tree. I've been told they make the house smell very nice, although I can't tell for myself, since I have major nose blockage issues right now.
I've been very happy with the way they've turned out, and it made a nice gift for friends.

This next part of the post I just copied and pasted from an earlier post, because I figured why re-write the same thing, and also, I'm tired and I want to go to bed where I can whine without anyone having to hear me.

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Do you have any special ornaments? Every year, I like to buy one very special ornament that symbolizes something eventful in that year. This ornament is from Banna-Boo's baby outfit I crocheted for her, and is from her very first Christmas. Her feet were so teeny-tiny! These little shoes are only about 3 inches long! (Okay, I'll stop gushing now. . . .)

This ornament I made the first year Andy and I were married. We didn't have much money (although, come to think of it, we probably had more than we have now, thanks to three little money-drainers, lol!). I just took a regular ol' chicken egg, drained the innards, and painted the outside. One reason I love it so much, is because it reminds me how fragile a marriage is, and how careful we must be to keep it intact. (Okay, I promise I'll try to stop gushing . . . !)


My dear Auntie Erna cross-stitched this for me last Christmas. I don't usually collect Santa Claus figurines (I don't have anything against the dude, I just don't care for him as a decorative item), but this little do-dad is one of my most cherished Christmas decorations. The colors are so vibrant, and they remind me of Sinterklaas, as the Dutch view him, instead of the fat, rather insipid American Santa Claus. I like that sort of St. Nicolaus much better!

I just love the look of blown-glass ornaments, and a friend gifted us with this the year Peter was born.

Another blown-glass ornament that my dad bought us the year we purchased our first house. It even looks rather like our house, although perhaps a bit more grand . . . and clean . . .

I'll try to remember to take a picture of the two newest additions to our tree and post it soon.

Here's hoping this Scrooge soon has a change of heart!