[msmagnolia]

Hi everyone. I start my Christmas decorating in early November because it takes me so long to get everything done. I was wondering what kinds of things you do to decorate. I realize that some of you don't celebrate Christmas but maybe you celebrate another holiday this season. I'll start.

I collect Santas. I don't know how many I have but there must be around 300, not including tree ornaments. Here are some of the Santas on the built ins in our great room:

I also put up 4 trees because I've been collecting ornaments since I was a young girl. That's about 40 years of ornaments. I have an small alpine tree that is decorated with apples, birds, terra cotta and straw ornaments. In our dining room is a 9.5 ft. tree that is completely decorated in Santas. We have a regular tree on the sun porch that looks out over the water that are the good ornaments and ones I collect when we travel. The last tree is in our bedroom and it is all the ornaments that the kids made and got when they were little - like the ones from McDonalds, pinecones with glitter, etc. I can't bear to get rid of them. Here is the Santa tree:

I really hope I did this right and that the photos show up. I'd really like to hear about your own holiday decorations.
Susan

 

[msmagnolia]

I think I figured out the uploading. Thanks

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by Nichole@Nov 29 2004, 07:43 PM
 

Okay and here is how anal I am...I take all my decorations down Christmas night, so when I get up on the 26th, the house is neat and orderly.  LOL
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How come I could have guessed that?!

Just kidding...but it really doesn't surprise me...your disney stuff sounds WAY cool...my kids would think it "rocked"-(that is their new word)-

I don't do anything that cool. I like my tree...it is done in blue and silver with snowmen ornaments and all the kids' ornaments. I have various knick-knacks and whatnot that are decorations...I am hoping when and if we EVER move out of this tiny old house...that I can do more of a "theme" decor etc. I REALLY like snowmen!!! I also am on the lookout for a great Nativity scene. I can't believe I don't have one-but I am very picky about what I want. I found one at Cracker Barrel the other day that is made by Willow Tree-has anyone seen those? I love the Willow Tree figurines...I have a few. The Nativity was beautiful...but you had to purchase it in parts. The main Nativity was like 50.00-the Wisemen were 50.00 more and the shepherds and animals etc were like 40.00 or something. I guess I need to do a little bit each year...but I am not that patient...

 

[Caesar's Mommie]

My husband and I are celebrating our 3rd Chistmas together, so we havent had a whole lot of time for traditions yet (no kids). We do love to put up our tree, nativity scene and other deocrations and we put them up a week before Thanksgiving

. I have a little village and each year for Chirstmas he buys me 1-2 more houses, so I now have 9 buildings and I love to have the village and christmas tree all lit up, somethign about it is just so relaxing.

 

[dr.jaimie]

nichole your house sounds like my inlaws house. big disney people...in fact they are there right now...they were there for turkey day...they go there every year for thanks giving and another time in the summer. so i expect many disney items for xmas from them!

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[Mystify79]

I have to admit, I'm a bah humbuger when it comes to Christmas. Since I work at an open 24 hours a day answering service, I have had to work on Christmas for the last 3 years and will probably have to again this Christmas.. so it is just so hard to get in the spirit of Christmas because that's when I have to spend the most time at my soul-stealing job.

Last year we had Christmas dinner at Denny's because I didn't get off work til 10pm.. and we never decorate because I'm always in a bad mood and a total grump around this time of the year. I kinda want to do something this year to celebrate since it will our first Christmas as a married couple and Tuffy's first Christmas, but I'm going to have to do a lot to get in the mood... It would really rock if my stupid boss would give me the day off because I have high seniority, but she tends to favor the new people over me, so I think I'll get screwed again this year. Argh.

Yep, I'm a real downer! :new_Eyecrazy:

Nichole - My mom is the same way with Christmas decorations.. when I was still living at home we would stay up late on Christmas night taking down all the decorations! It was kinda nice to be able to kick back the next day and not have to worry about taking them down!

 

[msmagnolia]

If I started taking down my stuff on Christmas night, I'd be doing it until New Years Eve. It literally takes me a week to put it all up and a week to take it all down. I start on January 2.

What do y'all do about stockings for your pets? We have stockings, even for the fish (when we had them). Sadie needs a stocking and we are trying to find one that we like and then will have to find a stocking hanger. You can see Jolie's on the mantle - the beige stocking toward the middle. Can't wait to get Sadie's up there!

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[kodie]

Originally posted by Nichole@Nov 29 2004, 10:38 PM
Since I am having Toby's b-day party, I bought party favors for everyone's dog and I ended up putting everything in a doggie stocking so after the party they actually will have their own stocking!
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VERY CUTE IDEA!

 

[babycoconut]

Well, this is our first Christmas in a house so we plan on making some new traditions! I want to decorate the porch with lights and garland. I also want to wrap garland along the banister up the steps.
We got out the tree, but didn't decorate it yet. I got most of my Christmas decorations put around the house. It's so much more fun this year decorating the house rather than a small apartment!
The only real traditions we have are getting the tree out the weekend after Thanksgiving. Also every year we go to Florida and we buy ornaments there, you know, like glass seashells, manatees, santa in the lifeguard chair, santa riding on a manatee etc. (haha) So a lot of my tree is decorated in beach theme, which we love. That way every year we get out all of our ornaments and think about when we bought them and remember the warm summer at the beach.

Also, we have to hide the glass pickle ornament in the tree! Since our family's German we have a glass pickle to hang in the tree, and whoever finds it first gets an extra present. Well, at home with just me and Jay, he hides it, and i try to find it. He usually gets me something little (Like a stocking stuffer type thing) for when i find it.

At mom and dad's, my mom hides it, and the whole family tries to find it. Last year i was the lucky one and i got Olive Garden gift certificates.
So those are our little traditions.
We usually un-decorate about Jan. 2nd. I could never imagine taking down on xmas night. My mom would faint!

She looooves christmas and has a hard time taking them down after the new year!

I'l take pics when we're decorated up!

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

My mom and I have been collecting Department 56 The Original Snow Village pieces for years. Technically it is her village but I've been helping her pick pieces out for years. For my birthday last year I got my first offical piece. My mom has so many pieces we have to set them up on a banquet table. I'll have to have her take a picture of it.

 

[Caesar's Mommie]

Originally posted by babycoconut@Nov 30 2004, 09:14 AM
Well, this is our first Christmas in a house so we plan on making some new traditions! I want to decorate the porch with lights and garland. I also want to wrap garland along the banister up the steps.
We got out the tree, but didn't decorate it yet. I got most of my Christmas decorations put around the house. It's so much more fun this year decorating the house rather than a small apartment!

I'l take pics when we're decorated up!
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How exciting, first Christmas in an actual house!

We are still in an apt, and my husband always says how he would put lights differnet places whenever we do finally buy a house. We dont put any lights up here, we do have a little deck, but usually dont have the blinds open too much at night, it seems very drafty that wall anyway.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by msmagnolia@Nov 29 2004, 10:17 PM
If I started taking down my stuff on Christmas night, I'd be doing it until New Years Eve.  It literally takes me a week to put it all up and a week to take it all down.  I start on January 2. 

What do y'all do about stockings for your pets?  We have stockings, even for the fish (when we had them).  Sadie needs a stocking and we are trying to find one that we like and then will have to find a stocking hanger.  You can see Jolie's on the mantle - the beige stocking toward the middle.  Can't wait to get Sadie's up there!

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I haven't had stockings for the pets in the past...I usually buy them all something and just GIVE it to them while we are all opening presents. I did find those cheap stockings for the cats at Target...so now I am looking for some cute ones for the dogs...that way everyone can have one.

We have some traditions...silly ones...

1) My son finally caught on to one this past year-it was cute when he realized it-...I let the kids open ONE present on Christmas Eve...(of MY choosing)-just happpens that every one they open is a new set of PJ's!

Then they get to put them on and wear them that night so that they have cute new PJ's for Christmas morning pictures.

2) Because we don't have family around...Christmas is sad for me.

My husband has to work crazy hours because he is manager of a drug store...so we really can't travel to seee my family after Thanksgiving weekend. His parents are both deceased-his sister's family has kids/grandkids etc...that have their own schedules and traditions. We usually see them for one day/afternoon on a weekend before Christmas. Therefore, Christmas day is only the four of us. After presents, I usually make a big breakfast with bacon, sausage, biscuits, eggs, gravy etc. We have a short Christmas Day church service-we just wear casual-, then we come back home to clean up, rest, play, watch football the rest of the day.
That evening I make the kids' and hubbies' favorite meal...fried chicken, real mashed potatoes, velveeta shells and cheese, home cooked fresh green beans, and pillsbury frozen rolls. (not the traditional holiday meal

) Although I know there is really nothing I can do about the absence of family etc...it still makes me sorda sad and mopey that day.

Hubby always has to go to work the next day, which really stinks. I usually get a sitter and go after Christmas Sale shopping for paper, decorations, etc. Then I clean house the next day, and pack up the third day after. That way the house is all cleaned up and I have a day or so to rest and relax before the kids and I have to go back to work and school.

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Originally posted by Nichole+Nov 30 2004, 10:49 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-Lexi's Mom

@Nov 30 2004, 09:59 AM
My mom and I have been collecting Department 56 The Original Snow Village pieces for years.  Technically it is her village but I've been helping her pick pieces out for years.  For my birthday last year I got my first offical piece.  My mom has so many pieces we have to set them up on a banquet table.  I'll have to have her take a picture of it.
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My mom and I have Dept 56 pieces too! Mom has the Dickens Village. She quit collecting a few years ago when she got around 60 pieces. It is just too much. She has some of the original pieces from the early 80s. Here is a tip--if you wait until Mid March-August and go on e-bay, sometimes people are selling thos early pieces for a pretty reasonable fee. Any other month and they try to get you for the Christmas holiday.

I have the Dept 56 Disney village. They only made it for one year (1995 I think) and then Disney pulled the licensing because they said it wasn't "Disney enough." I used to put it up, but not so much anyomore--I agree, it really doesn't look a lot like Disney World. I guess a few years ago Disney and Dept 56 got together again and are making some more pieces which look so much more like a Disney inspiration. That is what my brother bought me last year for Christmas.
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My mom and I get a kick out of getting the Greenbook Department 56 Collectors Guide (I think that is the one). It comes out every March. It is fun to see how much each piece is worth (the price goes up after the pieces are retired). My aunt MIL has a piece that is worth almost $800

. She paid about $20 for in back in the late 70's/ early 80's.

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Originally posted by Nichole@Nov 30 2004, 11:17 AM
You know my mom has a piece like that.  I think it is the original bakery or church...I can't recall.  Thanks for the link--I didn't know that even existed.
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It is a lot of fun looking through the book and seeing how much some of the pieces are worth. Usually we buy the book and then my aunts (who also collect) borrow it to check out their pieces.

 

[babycoconut]

You guys sound like you have so much fun on Christmas! Even those of you who are sad about not having much family around, at least you have your own traditions, and you can look back on those days for years to come and be happy that you get to spend a nice Christmas with those that you do have.

Ohhh yeah, Christmas day at my mom & dad's is crazy!!!
We spend hours apon hours opening gifts! One person wears a santa hat and passes out the gifts, and we all go around in a circle and take turns. Then after you open it, you hold it up, get your picture taken, avaryone claps and yells "Good gift! Good gift!" hahaha. Seems strange and silly, but it's fun!

It's funny, because my aunts and uncles will call to say Merry Christmas and they ask what we're doing and we have to say "ohhhh still opening gifts at 4:00pm!" Then they usually all come visit that evening to see the gifts, then we go to their house the next evening and see their gifts, eat cookies, and just hang out, tell stories, reminice and laugh our heads off!
I love Christmas with my family! Oh, look here now, i'm getting all excited!

Yeah, the pickle thing is fun! You should just try it and see how it goes! Hmmm... now if your brothers knock over the tree, that maaaay be bad!