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Right now my house looks like a Christmas bomb went off in it, but it will come together and when it does, I'll post pictures. Meanwhile, I am sure some people already have their act together better than I do, so go ahead and start posting your photos!
If you like, tell us a little about your personal style, or your favorite ornaments, special foods or feasts, or your family traditions. When do you start decorating? When do you put the tree up if you use one? Do your religious beliefs, or lack thereof, influence your decorating for the season (no debates please - there are a LOT of winter holidays in this wide world and let's respect the beliefs of others)? When do you start decorating and when do you take everything down...or heaven forbid, are you one of those people who leave their lights up all year?
Do you decorate the whole house, or just the main living areas? How many trees do you put up, if any? Do you do outside lights?
I have what I would call an Old World decorating style - Germanic for the most part. That's because I spent several years living there and WOW they know how to do Christmas there! I put things up the weekend after Thanksgiving and not a minute before (I love fall and Thanksgiving). It takes me all weekend. We celebrate Advent and Christmas, and I leave everything up till the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). When I was a kid, we put the tree up on my dad's birthday (December 11) because his mother started that tradition, but I really don't like waiting that late. He's still a little miffed that I didn't continue that tradition - that's what being an only child will do to a person ("the holiday season is all about me!" LOL)
Here are a couple from last year, but of course I can't leave well enough alone - I never do the same thing twice! Just to get the ball rolling...
Those are GORGEOUS photos, Kathryn!! May I ask where you got that tree print in the 2nd photo? I love it.
I am still trying to figure out what to do with my fireplace mantel this year ... it's only my 2nd year in a house with a fireplace and last year I couldn't decide what to do so I did, well, nothing. I had a pellet insert installed just over a month ago so now I can actually watch a fire too. If I could just replicate your mantel, I swear I would!
I love that your mantel isn't completely symmetrical, as I am not really into symmetry (even though my living room is a pretty formal, symmetrical room). I love how you have 2 candles on the right -- I just found 3 candlesticks in a box I hadn't opened yet, but one was broken, and I thought, "Oh no now I can't use them" -- had always thought I would need to put out all 3. But your candles look wonderful, as do the reindeer on the other side.
Those are GORGEOUS photos, Kathryn!! May I ask where you got that tree print in the 2nd photo? I love it.
I am still trying to figure out what to do with my fireplace mantel this year ... it's only my 2nd year in a house with a fireplace and last year I couldn't decide what to do so I did, well, nothing. I had a pellet insert installed just over a month ago so now I can actually watch a fire too. If I could just replicate your mantel, I swear I would!
I love that your mantel isn't completely symmetrical, as I am not really into symmetry (even though my living room is a pretty formal, symmetrical room). I love how you have 2 candles on the right -- I just found 3 candlesticks in a box I hadn't opened yet, but one was broken, and I thought, "Oh no now I can't use them" -- had always thought I would need to put out all 3. But your candles look wonderful, as do the reindeer on the other side.
You have inspired me!
Oh, wow, thank you! And I think you can get that canvas painting - we got it at Pier One several years ago but they might still have it. They do have similar ones. This one is really big - it's about four feet across. The minute I saw it I had to have it!
You know what - a little lack of symmetry in your very symmetrical living room would probably really pop that mantle of yours.
These photos are from last year but I pulled them up because I do think I want to do exactly the same thing to the mantle again this year. I like changing things up, but that mantle last year turned out well (about my fourth attempt - I just kept taking everything down in frustration, because as you see, my ceiling isn't symmetrical so it just wasn't working out for me at first!).
I didn't get my big tree down this year - I went and bought a skinny tree. I hate being all crowded and cluttered up. Every year I swear I'm not going to do that and every year I pile a bunch of stuff around and then get sick and tired of it. I SWEAR I am going more minimalist this year!!!! Now let's see if I can do it...
Cato looks a lot like my bratty kitty Berkeley ... they are both drop-dead gorgeous, aren't they?
BTW that was my living room last December ... my "decorating" was just to put up a few pictures on the mantel. I am going to try harder this year!!
I'm wondering why others haven't chimed in ... maybe no one's put up their decorations yet?
Oh, your Berkeley is beautiful! Is he a youngish cat? My Cato was his coloring when he was younger but he's about 8 years old now and over the past two years he's gotten pretty dark. My daughter has a young Siamese and he's the coloring of your Berkeley. I love their personalities and I think they are the most gorgeous cats on this earth!
I have no idea why others aren't chiming in - I mean this is the home decorating forum and I would think that plenty of people are "home decorating" during the holiday season. Maybe that's what a lot of people are doing this weekend. It will probably pick up in a few days.
Berkeley is a Humane Society kitty so I'm not sure what his "pedigree" is although he clearly has SOME Siamese! He has a twin named Annie (short for Ann Arbor ) but they don't look much alike. I got them when they were kittens and they'll be 6 years old in February ... time flies!
My kitties will have to be part of my living room decorating as they mostly hang out there since the pellet insert was installed -- it's the warmest room in the house! Here's Eini squishing a pillow on one of the sofas ...
You did inspire me to get some more curtains up ... well, you and the cold cold cold weather we've been having up here! I'll also be working on my mantel and/or getting more pictures up so I'll try to post more photos soon. Hopefully others will chime in too -- I love seeing what other people are doing!
Berkeley is a Humane Society kitty so I'm not sure what his "pedigree" is although he clearly has SOME Siamese! He has a twin named Annie (short for Ann Arbor ) but they don't look much alike. I got them when they were kittens and they'll be 6 years old in February ... time flies!
My kitties will have to be part of my living room decorating as they mostly hang out there since the pellet insert was installed -- it's the warmest room in the house! Here's Eini squishing a pillow on one of the sofas ...
You did inspire me to get some more curtains up ... well, you and the cold cold cold weather we've been having up here! I'll also be working on my mantel and/or getting more pictures up so I'll try to post more photos soon. Hopefully others will chime in too -- I love seeing what other people are doing!
Sweet baby kitties. My "Siamese" is a rescue cat too so there's no telling what he's got in him. But he's got a very Siamese personality, that's for sure, and is very vocal! How 'bout yours?
What's funny about the comment about curtains is that I have no curtains in my living and dining room and only the most minimal curtains elsewhere! LOL
I think it is slow in coming because it is early for me for example. I usually start on Thanksgiving and do my stairs and gradually work up to the tree around the 17th or so. We are in a new home this year and are stair less, but I have those "lovely" bookcases so I am trying to design around them this time. We also volunteered to host a Christmas caroling party in the community and then found out the date (so much for planning) is the 14th, so our tree will be up very early this year. Pictures to follow I promise, so long as no one tells me how much they love the bookcases!!!
Thank you for starting this thread! Love your pics, and look forward to more! Since I live alone, I don't decorate. But will love to enjoy everyone's photos!
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I had a pellet insert installed just over a month ago so now I can actually watch a fire too. 
If I could just replicate your mantel, I swear I would! 
