A little Christmas tour

I thought you might like a little tour of my Christmas decorations this year.  I make NO claims to artistic ability or even effort this year.  I asked Ben to haul in the Christmas decoration boxes, and I unpacked and plunked 'em down wherever it struck me as a nice place.  I like to see other's decorations, so I thought I'd share mine and make you feel good about how much better yours looks!

If I were very artsy, I would drape some jute or twine like a clothesline and use clothespins to hang our Christmas cards from, but... I'm not.

On the counter between our dining room and kitchen.

On the kitchen table... I made this!  Actually, in our last ladies' fellowship at church we learned how to make flower arrangements.  The only thing I had to do was follow the instructions and insert the flowers into the oasis as it was explained step-by-step.  A re-creation is unlikely.

The piano decked out for Christmas with my hand-painted snowbabies and my college days fit-for-a-dorm-room Christmas tree.

My grandmother painted these snowbabies for me.  Her eyesight is very poor now, and she has given up painting, so these are a real treasure to me.

The dorm tree up close.  I love the mini decorations!

Oops!  I'll have to scare away Daddy and Grace, who are busy watching the train crash...

Excuse me? Do you mind if I get in here for a photo op?

Our FREE Christmas tree!  It was given to us by someone in our church.  It is pre-lit!  We would love to have a real one, but our condo rules prohibit them as a fire hazard.  I have a huge assortment of ornaments, thanks to my mother's foresight.  Each year since we were born, my mother has purchased a matching/similar ornament for each member of our family, and marked it with our name and the year.  I become very nostalgic when I pull out the ornaments every year.  Many wonderful memories.  Mom always made a huge deal of trimming the tree when we were at home, and we would have a blast eating once-a-year snacks and finger foods while decorating the tree.

Ben and Grace's evening entertainment.  This little train was Ben's bargain find at Giant Eagle last year for $10.  It is so LOUD, and it only makes it around the track one or two times before we have a de-railment, much to their delight!

A derailment-- I wish you could hear Ben's running commentary and Grace's squeals of excitement and delight.

My resale shop finds!  They are a matching set, but I found them at two different resale shops in two different states in two different years!  There is actually a mother snowwoman too, but she was too beat up, so I didn't get her.

Hung from the mantel closet doors with care...

My grandma also cross-stitched and made this as well.  She made one for each of 9 grandkids (I'm pretty sure the youngest 3 didn't get in on this, as her eyesight didn't allow it.)  I LOVE my stocking.  I remember as a little girl studying each of the designs on it and comparing them to my brothers' stockings, and always preferring mine.   :)

Well, that's all, folks!  Thanks for enduring!