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A Little Tour...

Seems like every year I give a little photo tour on Ye Olde Blogge of our holiday decorations.  (Here's a look back at 2011, 2010, and 2008 - guess I skipped it in 2009!)

So here's the 2012 tour:

 

We picked out our tree on Small Business Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving- and yes, I still owe a Thanksgiving post!).  We'd driven back from Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania that day and Eliza was NOT happy about getting back her carseat after 6+ hours to go get a tree.  But she still looked cute in her reindeer outfit.  (Photo taken with my phone- hence it's BAD.)

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On Sunday we decorated the tree:

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Eliza watched:

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We also started putting out our other decorations.  LP's Playmobil Nativity went on the dining room window sill:

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And for the first time we used my Nana's "Glass Wax" stencils.  These are stencils we used when I was little- we would use sponges to apply "glass wax" to them on the windows.  They must be pretty old as the price tag on the packaging is for .59 cents.  This year we used some spray snow.  LP really loved telling me exactly where he wanted each image!

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The dining room window with our glittery pinecones and our wine cork garland (made out of corks from our wedding!).  There are "candle flame" lights in the garland as well.

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I went a little simpler on the buffet this year. I usually do a whole garland with lights thing along the back but it just felt too cluttered.  In fact, I simplified quite a bit of our decorating.

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The door from the mudroom to the kitchen got a wreath and a "Glass Wax" stencil. 

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And our vintage Santa and his sleigh ended up in the bathroom...

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I kept the staircase garland a little simpler as well with some greenery, some pinecones, and our snowflake lights:

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4 stockings!  Too bad Eliza's won't be finished in time so we're using a stand-in.  I've decided it's a tradition.  LP's wasn't done for his first Christmas either, and I just finished Paul's last year (after starting it six years ago!).

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Some of my old faves from my Dicken's Village collection went out, as well as a new fave, the Wine and Spirits shop, complete with a couple toasting each other.

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My mother had this pillow out for Christmas when we were kids and passed it along to us.  There's also a coordinating Mrs. Claus pillow.

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The whole tree!

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And some special ornaments.  My mother made this one for my Nana in 1979:

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And she made this one for me:

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This one is Paul's from the same year:

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And here's LP checking himself out in a glass ball:

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And in front of the tree!

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So we're ready!  Counting down the days, pretty much done with our shopping, and waiting for Santa!  Now it's time for the baking to begin! 

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