I finally got the tree decorated tonight and the living room is looking rather festive now. It was actually fun putting out all the decorations, too, because each one has such special meaning for me.The Santa Claus Bear is an old Avon product, purchased way back in the mid '70s before I had any children. I was selling Avon and thought it was so cute and some day my children would like it. It plays music and the candle lights up, too. The merry-go-round is also an Avon product purchase around the same time for the same reason. I love putting these two decorations out now for my almost 4-year-old grandson - he has been absolutely enthralled with them, especially the merry-go-round that plays several different tunes. We usually have to finally tell him to stop playing with it because it starts to get on our nerves after a while! :D The angel is a wind-up music box and plays Silent Night. It was the last Christmas gift I ever gave to my grandmother in 1985 and when she passed away in '86, my Mom gave it back to me. Noah loves this angel, too. 
The huge snowball is a peppermint scented candle surrounded by little snowmen. The Mommy snowman with the snowkids holds a tealite inside and it glows through the pattern. Both of these are Party Lite products that I purchased many years ago when my girls were small.
Finally, the ornament that I call the "gift light" was given to me by my sister last Christmas. She found it at a craft fair and it is all handblown glass to look like a wrapped gift. You stuff a strand of mini-lights inside it and plug it in and it lights up to look exquisite. I kept it out all year round because it's such a conversation piece at any time of year. But now it's always lit up. I just love this newest ornament.
I decided to get tiny white lights for my tree a few years ago because I thought they went with my strands of white, pearlescent beads. This year I've put new (last year) glass balls in gold, bronze, and burgundy on the tree and they look lovely. I used to absolutely overload the tree with all sorts of things that they girls made when they were in school, but now they appreciate a more sophisticated tree, like I do. So I put a few "kiddy style" things at the bottom of the tree so I don't worry about Noah or other little visitors touching them but the "adult style" things are up a ways. 
Now that the tree is up, the decorations out, the new wreath on the front door and the old one on the side door, I'm starting to get into the spirit of things. I'm finished my shopping, but still need to wrap the gifts and I enjoy doing that, choosing just the right bag with tissue or wrapping paper and tag. I've been to our church Christmas banquet and seen one Christmas concert so far. There's another concert next Saturday and my former school's concert next week. I'm taking Noah to that one because he's coming to spend the night with me. This week I have to do a little baking, but not too much because I don't want to to be too tempted to indulge.
Are you finished your shopping yet? What Christmas celebrations have you attended so far? What's coming up for you? Do you have any special traditions? Come on and share.
9 comments:
Looking good Leslie. Maybe this weekend for us. No room for the tree and 16 luncheon guests!
You have some lovely ornaments tied to good memories.
Your ornaments are all lovely Leslie. Accompanied by fond memories. My christmas preparations are slowly coming together. I have two MBA final exams to face this weekend and then I'm home free. After that, it's full charge ahead with Christmas 2007.
LOL,
Enid
Wow!! Very, very nice!! You certainly capture the essence of Christmas!
The tree looks beautiful. Of course the various decorations all have a story and that makes them special. Seeing the Avon decorations reminds me that my mother used to sell Avon in the 1950s and 1960s.
She was not a natural salesperson and did it mostly because she liked Avon! It was also a good excuse, I think, to get away from the farm life for an afternoon and have coffee and company with her friends. Like most such things, she sold Avon to the people she bought Tupperware from!!
I really enjoyed seeing your photographs and reading about your decorating. Take care.
I love your decorations and your stories about them, Leslie. Adore the bear! I, too, have some ornaments / decorations I bought from Avon and I still think they are very pretty. Don't know what's coming up for me this year but will let you know!
Oh your ornaments are lovely...but what makes them so special is the memories they provide for you. When my girls were little the tree and ornaments were very child orientated...often ones they had made, every year in their stocking I would get them a new ornament and of course they would no doubt make one. So as the years passed I would pull out the ornaments..and there would be a happy tear...a happy warm memory....when I got divorced the ornaments stayed with the girls....so they would have those memories they tell me they still put all the old ornaments on the tree......
That Christmas gift is beautiful! You've made me want to go out and buy new things now!
We have two trees. It used to be that the tree in the lounge would be classily decorated while the tree in the hall would be covered with Christmas chocs and all the things the children made, plus lots of old decorations that I couldn't get rid of. The children used to do that one. Mow they've grown, we still have two trees but both are colour co-ordinated. And I think, this year, that chocolate would be too much of a temptation for George. The trees will be tempting enough as it is!
beautiful tree and decorations Leslie. i've done some decorations around my home, but i'm not putting up a tree this year, but it still looks nice in here. i love the memories behind your ornaments.
Now that is a display that would make a little grandchild clap their hand with joy!
Blessings to you my friend.
Lee-ann
Thoughts are with you, Leslie, this Christmas.
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