Christmas Decorating Take Two

 I am sharing bits and pieces of our Christmas decorating this week.
The tree will not be going up until the end of next week.
We always decorate it as a family with a special evening of hors d'oeuvres
so that means a slight delay this year with our daughter at university.

In the meanwhile, I have been creating little vignettes around our home.

Our house is fairly open so decorating one "room"

really has a big impact on the whole space.

For that reason, I tend to go "simple" and with a less is more approach.

Strangely enough I also recognized this year
that we don't have that much Christmas paraphernalia.
We have usually gone with touches of the outdoors indoors.

I have, however,  been slowly collecting vintage ornaments from flea markets.
So, our new ornament tree,
although slightly sparse in its first year
will hopefully grow for future Christmases. 

We do already have a collection of Christmas tree ornaments that have been collected every year
as part of an annual tradition by our children...

They have always selected an ornament during the Christmas holidays to be displayed on the tree in the following year.

That has been a fun tradition, even in those years when I realized that my sons love of Sponge Bob meant the ornamental plastic representation of that cartoon character
was going to be hanging on our tree every year for a very long time...
and
that those years when very big, heavy, shiny ornaments were the big attraction to our daughter,
we would be searching for ways to display and support those treasures in the boughs of the many differently shaped Christmas trees.

The creation of little vignettes around the house
is what makes me love decorating at this time of the year.

as well as the idea that every area is beckoning a touch of Christmas...

even the pantry.

I love having this "Santa Skirt"displayed during the month of December.

It is a heavy red velvet which really makes it feel rather luxurious in this small functional space,

I promise I will share the kitchen and the dining room in the next few days.

Still baking a bit every day as well,

but if you did not see these little delicacies, then check them out.... Yummy, just click and go.

Salty Chocolate Caramel Bars

 Sharing with French Country Cottage

Shabby Nest