![\"\"](\"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/IMG_7690.jpg\" "\\"IMG_7690\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nI got my Christmas cards out early, most of my shopping is done, all that is left is baking and a few parties – which will include me making frosted sugar cookies, neighbor gifts and some appetizers.<\/p>\n
We were so lucky this year to get a fresh cut tree from Nevada City. Aim’s Dad hooked us up and my brother and Aim delivered it. Nothing beats the smell of a fresh tree – I’ve had smaller artificial trees over the years, but this year – I wanted\u00a0 a real tree. I also opted for smaller real trees as table top decorations and my Mom and Dad kept my late Aunt’s tradition going by giving us kids a fresh wreath. Higgy is showing off his boot… my little handicapable trooper… (My friend Britt called him that and I love it!)<\/p>\n Dan got to work on the lights and I really wasn’t sure what direction I would go with decorations. Over the years I’ve collected quite the assortment of themed ornaments and tree decor that range in every size and color. I decided to go with more natural items – yarn balls, felt dogs, burlap bows, rustic bells, cloth candy canes and I threw in some glitz with sparkly snowflakes, ball ornaments, rhinestone tassels and monogrammed ornaments.<\/p>\n Put a bird on it… OMG, if you haven’t seen this video<\/a> – you need to!<\/p>\n Wrapping and decorating are my favorite part of Christmas. I think it’s my mission to makes things look pretty and inviting… some day I will own my own business.<\/p>\n I just love the Santa and ornament themed wrap. I found the perfect snowflake gift tags and striped ribbon to match. The wrap was a HomeGoods special – $1.99 a roll – super thick with the cutting grid on the back… the tags were on sale at Target and I used 1\/2 off coupons for the ribbon at Michaels. I blew through all of my wrap last year and had to restock everything – boxes, tissue, wrap, tags, etc. Dan and I still carry on the tradition that my Dad started when I was a kid. Special wrapping paper for my Mom… so Dan wraps my presents in a different paper than family and friend gifts and I do the same for him. It’s fun to see what we choose each year.<\/p>\n Belsnickle Santas are my thing this year. I love the vintage look and they fit in perfectly with my normal every day home decor. Here I have one next to my great aunt’s cookbooks and some Hammond’s old fashioned candy canes I found at Beverages and More. I decorated with Hammond’s candy canes last year too.<\/p>\n More Belsnickle Santas and our stockings jazzed up a bit.<\/p>\n I got out my handy glue gun and added red ribbon to our stockings… I used a lot more red in my decor this year and they needed the added pop of color.<\/p>\n I kept the vintage suitcase out from Halloween and added my new Santas to them. I got two of them at a local antique and home decorating store and I ordered the other ones online from Piper Classics<\/a>. I also got a bunch of bell ornaments and the cloth candy canes from them this year.<\/p>\n You have to buy early, things sell out pretty fast.<\/p>\n Keeping with the more natural\/rustic theme – I had Dan get my wood and iron reindeer down from attic storage. I haven’t used them in a few years, so a little wood polish and more red ribbon and they looked awesome on top of the entertainment center.<\/p>\n I flanked the opposite side with a matching reindeer and some gorgeous red and creme velvet boxes I picked up at HomeGoods. I used more red ribbon to attach the rusted metal star to the top box.<\/p>\n A detail shot of some of the hidden treasures. I brought the roller skate and ice skating ornaments back from last year and added some pine cones, bells and berries.<\/p>\n The wine bar got a simple treatment this year with garland and numbered glass mason jars full of wooden candy canes.<\/p>\n The items that started the look for this year’s decorations were new stockings I found at HomeGoods.<\/p>\n I have shiny glitz stockings, red and white polka dot, fur trimmed, blue, bronze, wine colored… I sort of have an obsession with stockings and no fireplace to hang them. The knitted old fashioned stripes looked fabulous against the black dresser.<\/p>\n My next house WILL have a fireplace.<\/p>\n I picked up some very cool Target – Smith and Hawken felted stars with creme stitching for the entry way niche.<\/p>\n Felted candy ornaments and wooden snowflakes completed the look.<\/p>\n I was excited to put some Christmas touches into my new wood shelves.<\/p>\n I filled them with old family black and white Christmas photos and other ornaments.<\/p>\n More burlap bows… I had 3 spools from Ballard Designs and a huge spindle of wire. Between the wreaths and the Christmas tree, I was a bow making machine. My Mom and I used to have our own holiday craft business and I learned how to tie a good bow because of that.<\/p>\n I picked up two red pots this year for $5.99 each and planted some live trees that I got from a local nursery. I will plant them in the backyard after Christmas. My dining room table scape is one of my favorite areas of the house this season.<\/p>\n My snow people made an appearance in my office this year. They sit on top of a little dresser I found at a garage sale and they share space next to a hat stand with my late grandmother’s favorite black velvet hat.<\/p>\n I framed some childhood Christmas photos of Dan and I and put them on the craft table in my office.<\/p>\n I also kept with the snowman theme in the guest bathroom.<\/p>\n All in all I adore everything about the look and feel I created this year. I think I used “less” decorations – but it feels like just enough. I was able to incorporate the old with the new and I’m happy with the outcome. There is nothing more comforting than being in a room lit by the glow of a Christmas tree.<\/p>\n Happy Holidays from my home to yours. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by this December. It seems like I just started decorating the house and then all of a sudden it’s the week before Christmas. How did that happen? I got my Christmas cards out early, most of my shopping is done, all that is left is baking and … <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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