I love saying Deck the Halls. My MIL's maiden name was Hall. The entire family has a great sense of humor, and we all make the tackiest jokes about it.
I just can't seem to get in the mood to decorate this year. It's a tragedy akin to disease. I love this season, and all the glitter and sparkle that goes with it. I love decorating the house and transforming it into a veritable winter wonderland.
I'm dreading the entire process. Do you know how many boxes of Christmas things I have? I don't either. I know it's a lot. More than I care to count. And they're HUGE Rubbermaid totes, not little cardboard boxes. All filled with holiday bliss. Do you know how many days it takes me to unpack, fluff and distribute that stuff? Me either. Too many. I am having a hard time mustering the energy.
We lived in a single wide trailer for too many years before we finally were able to build. I decorated the entire cracker box in one evening. It was so, so much fun to have the kids wake up the next morning to North Pole visited Pennsylvania. But this absolutely fabulous two-story home that we live in now takes way too much time to transform.
The first year we moved in I decorated every single room. Truly. I changed shower curtains and I hung shiny balls from every single shower curtain hook (in two bathrooms). I add red scarves to the living room's white panels and hang ornaments from the ends of the rods. It took me over a week to create the Christmas fantasy of my dreams. But that was our first year in the house. Last year was our second year and I cut back to 90% of what I'd done the year before. But it's just so much fun to do; who can stop once they get going?
I'm just having a hard time on the getting going part. But it seems that talking about it is helping so I'll go on. I do know that we have 35 Christmas stockings. My kids counted them. I obviously have an obsession with them. I hang them from the banisters, up the stairwell, on every single bedroom, closet and bathroom door, and then just for kicks I hang some here and there around the house. I have an obsession with fabric also (duh) and cut it into strips and tie fabric ribbons on anything that will let me. Except the dogs. They don't let me but I do it anyway. Bedposts, dining room chairs, curtain rod ends, lamps - they all get fabric ribbons.
And then there's the outdoors. I get those wonderfully already-tied red velvet bows and tie them on everything. The patio furniture that winters outside, the 5 Shepherds hooks that I've taken the hanging baskets off of, the doors, the front porch railing, the shed, stable and kennel, both sides of the mailbox. Oh, the fun! Last year I even put a basket of artificial poinsettias out on the patio table and made a little mock living room setting with a wreath on the swing and candles on the end tables. My husband has given over to the fact that Christmas is my time to shine and locks himself away from my insanity for fear he'll be sporting a ribbon or wreath himself.
Lights are the line in the sand, though. Sam puts up with my decorating insanity as long as I don't run up the electric bill with lights. Some years I get lights on the garland on the porch and some years I don't. He conveniently didn't put an outlet on the front of the house until recently so this year will be a "lights" year.
But I can only put them around the porch. Otherwise I'd probably be like the Griswalds. The stable and kennel would be decked, too, I'm sure.
I love almost every decorating style and can't limit myself to just one. Traditional red and green are classic, but I absolutely am in love with the very modern hot pink and green. I think this year I'll do different themes in different rooms. The dining room can be modern, the living room classic, the breakfast nook can house my collections and our bedroom can be white and silver. Ah, the decorating possibilities. I may have to get another stocking or two to go with the new pink and green style.
Okay, I think I've psyched myself up for this. It may be a good time to head to the attic to get the crates down. Woo-hoo, look out!
10 comments:
I bet your house looks amazing. I keep saying I'm going to do more decorating as soon as Punkin gets a little older and stops putting every freaking thing she encounters in her mouth!
Our December is going to be so busy I don't even know when we're going to get our tree this year!
Wow, pictures. We want pictures when your done.
What a transformation from the start of your post to the end! Yes, I agree, you seem to have a 'thing' for Christmas decorating! ;) And another yes (along with Melissa), you need to post pics of your home when you're done.
btw....do you go the real tree route or do you have a fake one? just wondering.
I knew I liked you. Christmas crazies unite and decorate the world!
I've never crossed over into the land of decorating every room. Right now I focus on lights outside and a bunch of trees, but I will venture there someday. I love the idea of making the transition in the middle of the night so that the kids perceive it as elves working magic!
Deanne - I do a real tree. We lived in Alaska for a few years and a real tree is $10/ft there. Do the math. And as they were cut in Canada and shipped in, they were nearly dead when they arrived. It so wasn't worth it. I refuse to have artificial any longer. It's real all the way!
Bb's Mom - you misunderstood me. I decorate at night because I'm such a bad mom that I don't want "help." Four sets of hands digging and throwing is a bit stressful for me.
Karen, you are so fun to read! I love to read your stories and hear your wit! I can't wait to see pictures of all this when you get it all up. It sounds wonderful. I usually decorate quite a bit - but not this year - I'm done - and it's all through the house, but nothing much outside (at least yet) - have fun and don't work too hard. Kellan
Karen, you must never admit the real reason you don't like help. It's because you want to be magical and don't forget it!
(You're spot on with the idea, though. Alexis and I nearly came to blows over the Winnie the Pooh tree last night. The words, "MY TREE--GO AWAY" actually came out of my mouth. I'm such a great Mom!)
Yes, you are right. It is truly because I want to be magical. Now where are those elves when I need them? haha
I've finished a huge custom order from the store that's been hanging on me like a dead weight. I think that's what's been holding me back. I'm ready to tackle this undecorated house now. And it appears that I have no choice but to post photos when I'm done.
wow you really do go all out w/the decorating! I can see why it takes so long :)
You sound like I feel right now - definitely not motivated! We usually have it done the weekend after Thanksgiving and I haven't done anything yet. I just don't feel like dragging out all the rubbermaid bins from the shed and doing everything myself - especially the tree.
I decided to wait until my mom and sister come for Christmas and decorate with them, but then it just doesn't feel like Christmas around here. So I think I'll decorate some stuff, but leave the tree until they get here - then it'll still be up when Joe gets home, we'll celebrate again, and he can help me put it away :)
Yay for the big custom order! That's a valid excuse for taking a bit longer to decorate than you otherwise might have.
I tagged you for a meme. :-)
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