Elf reference. Great Christmas movie? Or greatest Christmas movie?
The holidays are almost here (YAY!), and Andrew and I decided last minute we were going to make it work to go to Georgia and spend it with our families (double YAY!). I'm trying to make a point of saying "Georgia" instead of "back home". We ARE home, and I'm trying to mentally trick myself into understanding that.
By the time I get back to New Mexico, Christmas will have passed, obviously. So I wanted to make sure to post about the few decorations we put up this year. After deciding to invest in a Chritmas tree (and yes, it IS an investment!), we really wanted to go light on buying other decor. Plus, those Christmas gifts really start to add up, and with traveling those expenses will definitely increase. That being said, we kept it simple, but I think it still feels like Christmas in the Smith house :)
Saving this year meant no lights outside, which was kind of a bummer. And can I just say that I am severely disappointed with the lack of Christmas lights on base?! I was really expecting a lot, and I think maybe 3 houses within sight of ours are lit at all. Boo.
But I did think we needed a wreath, which I already blogged about putting together on the cheap. I got 50 feet of garland from Walmart for $7, and wrapped some around the banisters to make it seem more festive.
For the entrance way, I picked up this Santa from Michael's on Black Friday for practically nothing, and added it to a pretty twisting star candelabra donated from my mother's Christmas candle collection. You can also spy a little of that garland on top of the hutch, and I moved our usual table centerpiece up there as well. Ideally, I would have had a thick, possibly lit garland to put over the entrance arch, and I would have LOVED to hang a little ball of mistletoe there, but I refrained. It was hard...there was a lot of grunting and sighing involved...
I filled my green Marshall's dish (previously holding glittering faux pumpkins) with some cheap read Michael's ornaments. On the end table (that I forgot to take a picture of, though you can kind of see in the one with the welcome Santa) are three navy candles with silver bows, again donated from my mom. I think they might actually stay up all year...
I also went ahead and set up this little guy by the TV. I'm not sure where he came from...maybe on of Andrew's grandmother's gifts from a previous year?
This little snow family dish rag was about $2 at Walmart. I've realized I actually have a thing for snowmen-whenever there's the choice for some kind of Christmas pattern, I always go with snowmen.
The table centerpiece came again from my mom. I took some of the glittery candles she gave me and arranged them along with a bowl of Clementines (or Tanquerays, as my husband calls them...). I like the way the blue stands out against the orange.
See that piece up on the wall in the first picture? That's the awesome metal piece I got from Kirtland's that we finally got to New Mexico and hung up. More on that part of the house later...
And now, for some tree, present, and stocking photos!
I got that stocking hanger from Kirtland's for $20, and went ahead and got all four of us personalized stockings. It might seem like a silly splurge, but we see the pups as part of the family, and thought they should get some, too. I hung a little bit of my garland around it for something extra.
And check out all those presents! It's probably a good thing Andrew won't be driving with me, I have to fit every one of those into the car!
All in all, even if we didn't do much, I love what we did. I'm going to be seriously depressed when we come back and have to take everything down. Oh Christmas, why can't you come every season?
Also, I want to mention something very exciting that happened this past Sunday. I was finally baptized! It took me long enough to get around to doing it, but when the church we've been attending had an open call, I went for it. Such a great thing, especially as a reminder during Christmastime of what it's all about, and I'm blessed to have had my husband beside me (though I do wish the rest of our family could have been there!).
Merry Christmas!
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