Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Decorations Galore!

This is not only our first married Christmas, but also our first Christmas together, since we've been with our own families the last two years. We were really excited to decorate our new house together, and especially excited to get a tree. We had plans to use Steven's Charlie Brown-like tree (mine broke in half last year in the middle of Advent) and then find a nice, big artificial tree on major clearance the day after Christmas. At the last minute, we saw that the youth group was selling trees to raise money for a mission trip, and it just hit both of us that it would be fun to have a real tree. Neither of us have ever had a real tree!

Our icicle lights, which fell completely off a few days later. 

So my parents came this past weekend to visit, and they helped me pick out a tree at the church while Steven was working. The bulletin said the trees were 6, 7, and 8 feet for $30, $40, and $50. We decided to go for the smallest. Well, when we got to the lot, the prices were all over the place and there wasn't much rhyme or reason for how they marked them. There were a few trees standing, and a bunch wrapped up with twine. Since we were fairly underprepared, we picked a $30 tree and told them not to clip the twine so we could just take it home that way. Of course we got it home and the thing was HUGE. It took my dad and me probably 45 minutes to get the tree to even stand up straight in the stand, and my mom must have vacuumed 3 times because leaves and needles were shedding everywhere. But we finally got it up, and then Steven was off Sunday so we decorated!

Happy to have our tree all decorated!

I ordered a custom painted ornament for my sister and then had to have one for myself!

Our bodacious tree lit up at night. Love it!

Oh, I forgot to mention that the tree tried to topple over while we decorated it? And that my dad put a giant anchor in the wall to keep it standing?

I love our mantle! My 10,000 Villages nativity is on the left, Christmas cactus my mom gave me is in the middle, Advent calendar towards the right, and my Nutcracker collection is on the very right. 

I've never had a decorated table before, but my mom gave me the placements, runner, and table cloth last weekend and I love it! We've also got a bowl of ornaments and our Advent wreath. 

Also given to me by my mom! These were Christmas decorations when I was little that she isn't going to use anymore so she let me have them. The reindeer was made for them by a sister (of the nun persuasion) who shared a birthday with me! The bear sings when you press his paw and his nose lights up. I love the reminders of childhood Christmases that these bring to our house!

And now for specific ornaments! We have a TON so I'll just give you a sampling.


 The first Christmas we were together, we did an ornament exchange. We were both supposed to get an ornament that represented something special to us. Well, one of our first few dates (the 3rd to be exact) ended at The Cupcake Shoppe and was a special memory for both of us. Apparently so, since a year later we both ended up picking out cupcake ornaments for the other person! We got the biggest laugh when we opened them!



So, we decided the next year to make each other ornaments. I made Steven the one on the left (just us and Butters, with a love note on the back) and he made me the one on the right (a depiction of said 3rd date at The Cupcake Shoppe). I thought it was hilarious that we both did us as peg people in our ornaments! Also, these two ornaments might have contributed to the need to anchor the tree to the wall...

And last but not least, our current favorite ornaments. I have to say current because it tends to change yearly!

 Mine is the "Just Married" ornament my sister got for us (she also got us a "Just Engaged" ornament the year before!)

 Steven's is his light up Star... Trek (?) spaceship thingy. Clearly I get an F in sci-fi trivia.


We definitely love us some Christmas around here. Now.... back to Advent! 



6 comments:

  1. A little jealous of the Enterprise (the Star Trek spaceship thingy) on your tree. I am very tempted to buy one from Hallmark this year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooooh, yeah I failed that class too, much to my husband's and boy's dismay.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful! I love your tree anchor! We did the same thing last year. Congrats on your first Christmas together.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1) Your decorate table is so fancy!! Love it!
    2) I want a house ornament! Where did you get those? That's so neat!
    3) We do have practically the same Just Married ornament. :)

    Thanks for linking up!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great idea to anchor the tree to the wall! Our's is having a terrible time with leaning. Love the decorations. So cute:)

    ReplyDelete