Started on Christmas decorations. Finally!

Today our youngest, 'R" decided he wanted to help me put up the Christmas tree. The tree is definitely looking the worse for wear with one branch base broken and quite a few bits broken off it now. It's well past it's use by. Given that we bought it 2nd hand many, many, years ago it's done well to have lasted so long. It's the tree type that has conifer type branches with individual bits and they aren't the type of tree you see that often any more so it will be hard to find something the same but it really will need to be replaced for next year regardless. While I am tempted to rush out and replace it now I guess it's nice to have it join us for our first Christmas in the new house.

Anyway on to the decorating: Once we had finished "R" declared that it looked better with less so off came 1/2 the decorations and it's now down to red/blue/gold as a theme.

So no lead crystal decorations that I purchased when still working back when I was 7 months pregnant with the eldest and which have been on the tree every Christmas since. I haven't figured out what to do with them "instead" yet but perhaps I'll find a place for them somewhere. No embarrassing pics of the boys as very littlies that hung in Christmas wreath photo frames, no crafty decorations this year.


After we'd finished I tried draping the silver tinsel that we had and it just didn't look right so it's come off for the moment. Perhaps if I buy some gold tinsel it might look better. The tree lights will need to be tested as well. haven't put them on yet. So the tree is a work in progress.

This is what I started on last weekend. Pulling out all my Christmassy ornaments and putting them together in the lounge room. The Santa used to be a light as well and when the boys were young we'd place it on a coffee table in the lounge room with a snack for Santa and the reindeers next to it. The battery light hasn't worked in it for years but it still makes a lovely ornament.
Today I've added the stockings below. One for each boy. The Christmas Tree one belongs to "C" and the reindeer one to "R" I asked them if they really wanted them up but they told me they didn't want to miss out on finding surprises in there on Christmas morning.


I wasn't sure what to do with these stars. I used to dangle them from the curtains in the lounge room in our old house and then I realised I could do something with the electric fire so this is where they will sit for the moment until I come up with something else. Perhaps a stack of christmas crackers. I'm not sure. Had to switch on the light mechanism to make it appear more realistic.
We picked up our new organza sheers for the lounge room yesterday. they have turned out too short for the window. I did give the correct measurements to the curtain girl and explained how far from the floor i wanted the curtains to finish, asking her advice as to what drop to make them to achieve this but some how they've ended up at least 3-4 cms too short. Luckily the rod is quite high above the window and DH will be able to drop it down about the amount they are short. So not too big a drama to solve because as they are at the moment they look terrible. We love the colour and look though.

I've draped a chain of Christmas bells across them . It looks very festive although it hasn't shown up in the photo terribly well.