The tree is up and decorated.. it's a process.  But it's done.  Now we can enjoy the sparkly colors for 19 days until the big day.  The angel on top in the red velvet dress is a family heirloom.  :-)  The family was shopping before Christmas when the children were young, I spied this porcelain angel but they were sold out except the one on display.  Imagine my surprise on Christmas when I opened a package and Dayle had snuck back and insisted he be able to buy the display model.  :-)


The mantel is set up with my lighted wreath and two little trees and my Jim Shore Santa and 3 reindeer.  The 2 brass ship's lanterns stay there all year.  :-)  There is a stocking for all 7 of us in the family who live here.  


I did agree to cut back on decorations, but still was able to get my Dept. 56 North Pole village on the piano.  With some help from my tall and agile son to get everything plugged in.  I actually got a new skating pond as the original one stopped working.  The skaters whirl and twirl on the ice.


A new addition to the scene is this lighted gazebo with Santa and Mrs. Claus inside.  This is a gift from my daughter from last year.


This is Santa's Workshop.  



I'll share just a few of my ornaments.. this one is a gift from Dayle from a few years ago, he thought it looked like us.  :-)



I have a collection of these cherub angels made in Italy, this one is playing a tambourine.


A wire basket full of yarn balls and a pair of knitting needles.


Dayle has gifted me with several of these amazing handblown glass ornaments.. this is a favorite of mine.


Each year I hang these little wreathes on the china cabinet.  :-)  I crocheted the lace edgings for each shelf in the right length to fit.  


My old sleeping Santa looks right at home next to my new vintage ceramic tree.  We've had this Santa since the children were babies in Louisiana.  I'd lent an Aztec calendar of ours to a woman who made casts and then made plaster casts to sell.. and she'd actually destroyed our original piece, so she offered to give me one of her hand cast and painted Santas which I happily accepted.  He's been a treasure of mine ever since.  :-)


These are the pieces on our TV cabinet.. the new lights with the sparkly vintage style Santa and reindeer.


Dayle and Caleb bought one of those laser light things to light up the front of our house and they installed it last night.. it's actually been rather a failed experiment.  With the slanted roof the lights don't work.. and the lights came into the upstairs bedrooms and kept Hayden awake.. we may try to move it somewhere that it will work better.


The above photo is the light set on little dots, the one below it's set on stars.  Have you tried one of these?  I'd think it would be best on a 2 story flat fronted house.  


So.. how is everything coming along in your world?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)