MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

Near the end of November we cleaned up the yard and I wove a wreath from vine and flexible bush trimmings.

Waiting for ribbon and finishing touches still to be found

I love the dogwood's red branches and the curly twists of the climbing Virginia Creepers. I twined some fake mini holly greens along the circle, and tucked in some plastic-ish  mistletoe pieces for visual variety.

We decided a theme last year - a woodland of pine cone browns, birds, snowflakes, ice and glowing greens. We hit the sales after Christmas 2010 for lots of greens and browns for nickels and dimes.

All year when we saw nice cones we would bag them and haul them home until we had a bushel box of several kinds and many sizes from tiny on up. Then we found a bag (or two) at the second hand shop and one that is huge - really huge!!!

Papa showing the scale of his huge pine cone ...
The swags are always his handiwork. This year green lights up there.

We started to get ready for Christmas the very first of the month. Outdoor lights went up on a warm day at the end of October but were not plugged in until that first day of December.

Out of storage came the boxes and bags and bows and baubles.

The house was a disaster area for weeks as we enjoyed the creative process and 'messed' around.

a roll of brown mesh on top a box of lights

Even the garage was 'filled' up - with  empty and half empty boxes as the tree and wreaths and lights were put up and extras picked over.

Thanks to Nena for bringing my antique green balls - all the way from Boise!

We went for a full size green tree - we've only done half trees for a while but this year decided to stand the bottom piece. There is no rule that says you have to use all the tree pieces - right? If you leave the bottom part in the box the 7' tree is only 4.5 feet tall (except we put it on a small table top) and you only have to decorate half as much ...

Finding our clear lights proved futile - so add 4 sets of 100 to our expenditures - at least mini lights at $1.87 total less than $10 - very inexpensive.

At last we got the tree standing, rotating, and finally the lights searched for, purchased, twisted into the branches and plugged in.

We decided we NEEDED brown mesh at $9.99 a roll and brown balls, also that price.

These were our significant expenditures for Christmas decor 2011.

Floral wire, and pliers to cut and twist it, were also needed but I had those things on hand.

David drilled a tiny hole into the end of each cone and inserted an eye screw.

Then we had to decide which ornaments and lights to use and how to arrange it all.

 I discovered that 5 or 6 in a group is better and easier to manage than 8 or 9 and they go onto the tree much more readily - just thread the wire through each hanger twice and leave an inch or so between (more for larger items, less for smaller).

The mesh was pinched into 'pouffes' (using a wire 'evergreen' twist taken from the end of a garland) and spiraled around and around the tree.

More mistletoe was placed at each pinch and a glow-in-the-dark star placed in the garland over the angel's head.

'Ornamotions' were added to the light strings where larger spaces allowed for their movement. See video below.

The angel got her lace washed (she came out of storage with something smeared here there and everywhere), new green bows, and tiny pine cone trimmings.

Bows were bunched and cones were consolidated into piled groupings of baubles and berries to be alternated with antique green balls (and other unique or fragile ornaments) along the glittering mesh filler, or hung on the wreath and scattered on top the piano - along with nuts and pears ... had to include the green and the gold pears!

With so many pears around we had to add a partridge to our pear tree also. There just happened to be a lovely one at the second hand shop the day we were there.

This small fragile gold and cream glass ornament belonged to David's mother

And birds - lighted birds were threaded among the branches and birds of glass and every conceivable medium were perched among all the decorations. We counted 97 altogether but only counted once so that may be considered an estimate.

Thanks Ginger for the new tiny nativity
and we still love our plaque - we keep it there year round.

Papa hung our crocheted snowflakes along the dark wall behind the piano on either side of the completed wreath.

We love our intarsia nativity and it was a perfect focal this year

Our usual nativity graced the book shelf for us to arrange every day. Guests also shared in the pondering that brings, as they were invited to arrange it when they came over. 

Other nativities and angels and bells and a few glittery green poinsettias filled nooks and crannies on every shelf and hook. We changed out a few pictures on the walls also. 

Our white satin stockings seemed out of place so I made a couple of new brown stockings with a sheer pine cone print quilted onto the front and soft fleece fur tops you can't resist petting. 

Hendrix and Avalin both advised us, by Skype, that the letters on them should be D and L (not P and M). They were quite concerned that we might not be able to tell which was which unless they were properly labeled!

I promptly made gold glitter letters for them. 

Our woodland Christmas showcases the abundant blessings we enjoy. "Sing praise to Him, remember him, as you picture Christmas this year."