Hanging my Stockings

[papayahed]

For the first time in several years I'm not going home for Christmas so I've hauled out the decorations. Normally I just put up whatever I pull out of the boxes, this year I decided to do something different - I've decided to do the tree in blue and white. I found really pretty light blue/white/silver bulbs and decided to go with it now I just need some white garland and a tree skirt and it should be done.

I'm trying to decide if I want to do the rest of the apt up, I've put lights on two of the windows but should I do the rest, and what about the balcony should I put garland and lights on the balcony??

What is your decorating style? Are you tame and subdued or does your house get mistake for a landing strip?

Back home there was this one house that did it up like nobodies business they had a huge life size manager scene in the front yard and three huge angels on the roof.

[papayahed]

Whoo Hooo!! My automatic timers just went on.

[Shalot]

I've never done outdoor lights, and I'm probably not going to start anytime soon. I like the look of outdoor lights, but if I tried to hang the lights, I'd get tired of doing it midway and end up with one strand of lights hanging crookedly and stupidly across the house in a slant or something. A lot of our neighbors have outdoor nights and they look nice at night. Then you drive up to our place and it's just dark and not inviting at all. But maybe someday we'll have lights.

As far as the tree goes, we have it up. We've only been doing a tree for 3 years. This makes my 4th year of having a tree and I think we finally have a sufficient number of ornaments.

As far as decorations go, I have a few and all of them were gifts. I've got a small snowglobe collection, a statue of a nativity, and a few little statues of snomwen and a poinsettia fairy. Oh, I also bought myself some ceramic trees that are actually candle holders. But I've actually never put candles in them. (so I guess not all of my decorations were gifts --- I'd actually like another snowglobe. Maybe I'll get one for Christmas this year)

I have no stockings. Actually, decorating this year was kind of a chore. We weren't really in the mood for it.

[papayahed]

Come to think of it where are my lights I used to put on my bushes?????

[motherhubbard]

decorating is kind of a pain in my rear. We've had the house under construction and I've had little kids to try to keep out of things for so long that I haven't really enjoyed decorating for years. I usually don't put the tree up until just before Christmas and I take it down on New Years Day. Next year my house will be all done and my kids should be big enough that I don't have to worry too much about them trying to climb the tree so I'll probably try to do a little more. It's really not the decorating that I hate, it's the taking everything down.

[pussnboots]

I like the color scheme Papayahed. My husband and I haven't put up a tree in ages. When we were first married we bought an artificial tree and put it up. It was a pain in the BUTT!! My dog would always go after the tree skirt so after 3 years we decided not to put it up anymore. Besides it was so full it took up too much room in our livingroom. I am thinking of getting a very small one for this year.

[wessexgirl]

I've put my tree up, but that's all I do. I don't have any other decorations. My colour scheme is red and gold, but I would like to change it, so I may go mad next year and go for one similar to yours Papayahead. It sounds lovely. I would really love a huge, real tree, but not only is it a case of not enough space, but I hate picking up needles for months after, so I've stuck to my old artificial one. There are lots of houses nearby who decorate outside, and some are really nice, some are over the top. I think that some of the very lit up ones do it for charity, which is nice.

[*Classic*Charm*]

My family always has a real tree. And there's no colour scheme- really, once it's decorated you cant tell it's a tree because it's so covered in decorations. My mother could never bring herself to throw out anything my brothers and I made as a kid, so there are all these terrible cheap, school-made decorations and she loves it haha. Our house is always completely decked out at Christmas. Decorations and greenery everywhere, and I always make real greenery table centerpieces. It's nuts, but my mother always goes crazy because it's her favourite time of year- one of the only times my whole family is home together.

[Joreads]

We are not that into putting up decorations either. This year we have put up a tree but that is about it. The people that live next door to me are crazy about Christmas The Great Wall of China and their house can now be seen from space.

[motherhubbard]

Joreads, you and my mom must have the same neighbors.

[Niamh]

garlands and lights on the balcony would be gorgeous!

[Niamh]

Joreads, you and my mom must have the same neighbors.

:lol: And mine!

[papayahed]

I found it!! Here's the house I was refering to:

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8061/grossepointys2.jpg

[Niamh]

holy crap!!!! now thats extreme!

[Janine]

For the first time in several years I'm not going home for Christmas so I've hauled out the decorations. Normally I just put up whatever I pull out of the boxes, this year I decided to do something different - I've decided to do the tree in blue and white. I found really pretty light blue/white/silver bulbs and decided to go with it now I just need some white garland and a tree skirt and it should be done.

I'm trying to decide if I want to do the rest of the apt up, I've put lights on two of the windows but should I do the rest, and what about the balcony should I put garland and lights on the balcony??

What is your decorating style? Are you tame and subdued or does your house get mistake for a landing strip?

Back home there was this one house that did it up like nobodies business they had a huge life size manager scene in the front yard and three huge angels on the roof.


Good for you, Papayahed! Do it for yourself! If I were you and felt inclined to decorate more and you were enjoying it - why not go for it? Go all the way - do the balcony. It sounds very pretty; will look great outside. I love sticking to a color theme.

Years ago, the 'sky was the limit' for my own decorating; I loved doing it then for my son and family but now I hate to admit it, but I have lost that enthusiasm, I guess I am tired, so I tend to feel like motherhubbard on this one. I don't like the fact that I feel this way every Christmas, seems now to present this sort of struggle within myself to feel motivated and work up some excitment about doing it. Last year, was the first year we did just do a small artificial tree in our back window. Actually, we got some great compliments on it. It is so true, pussnboots; that the whole living room gets cramped with a full size tree. Ours is not too bad, because the room is part of a big edition; but still, we have to worry about switching around furniture, etc., and that usually turns into a big deal. I am the sole one to drag all decoration from the basement and everyone in the family just sits and looks at me. That sort of drives me crazy, but I try to do a little at time - like room by room. This is rather funny this year...I failed to put Christmas plates away (last year) and a few other things, so technically I have already begun decorating.

I think it would be nice, to post some post-Christmas photos, either on this thread or a new one so we all can see what each other came up with for their unique Christmas decorating - sort of a virtual Christmas tour. I went to a real tour in a quaint town once and it was wonderful. I have many photos from that experience. On here it would be similar, but we don't have to leave our warm houses or walk...we can lazily tour everyone's house. What do you all think of the idea?

I guess I will do what I usually do each year - I sort of go room by room and it is not too bad; a few years back I reorganised most of the Christmas decorations so that helped. I will just put up the window tree this year and next year when my grand-daughter is over a year old we will once again get a big tree, most likely.

[Annamariah]

Talk about overdoing Christmas lights...£30,000 of Christmas lights bring cheer to suburban home (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/3542983/30000-of-Christmas-lights-bring-cheer-to-suburban-home.html)

[1n50mn14]

We always have a real tree, but after moving around so much the past two years, our tree ornaments are pretty scant. We're not big Christmas-y people, so the rest of the house is bare of Christmas decoration. But without a tree, it's just not quite right...

[pussnboots]

I just bought the cutest little tree. It stands 24" tall and it's a Holographic green tree with miniature lights on it. The best was I thought it was on sale for $14.99 but when it was rung up it was only $5.99!! That's a bargain.

[Joreads]

Talk about overdoing Christmas lights...£30,000 of Christmas lights bring cheer to suburban home (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/3542983/30000-of-Christmas-lights-bring-cheer-to-suburban-home.html)

Good lord now I kind of feel like my house is turning up to Christmas a little under dressed:lol::lol: Oh well I live. Can you imagine taking them down and how the hell do they stop them from getting all tangled up:p

[papayahed]

Sooooooo When does everybody take down Cristmas Decorations??

[kilted exile]

I just bought the cutest little tree. It stands 24" tall and it's a Holographic green tree with miniature lights on it. The best was I thought it was on sale for $14.99 but when it was rung up it was only $5.99!! That's a bargain.

That doesnt surprise me. At work this year all of the Xmas decor & trees dogged the entire period - sales on XMas merch. must've been down around 35%, as a result everything was heavily reduced in price to get it to move at all. Luckilly it seems people were still buying actual presents, so things werent too bad. There were great deals available everywhere.


Sooooooo When does everybody take down Cristmas Decorations??

12th day after Xmas.

[papayahed]

Every year it happens. Every freakin' year. I take down the decoration, check, and check again to make sure I got everything. I put everything neatly away. Sure enough the next day I'm walking out the front door and there's the damn christmas wreath.

[pussnboots]

Every year it happens. Every freakin' year. I take down the decoration, check, and check again to make sure I got everything. I put everything neatly away. Sure enough the next day I'm walking out the front door and there's the damn christmas wreath.

HEHE!!! I still have my HO HO HO ribbon hanging on my door as well.

[motherhubbard]

Every year it happens. Every freakin' year. I take down the decoration, check, and check again to make sure I got everything. I put everything neatly away. Sure enough the next day I'm walking out the front door and there's the damn christmas wreath.

I think you said that same thing last year!