Welcome to Christmas at my house! Come on in and see how my house gets decorated for the Christmas holidays. All of the photos you are about to see are from Christmases past. They are from different years so that's why you'll see the table set slightly differently from photo to photo and the tree in different places. I don't have any decorations up yet this year due to a lack of Christmas spirit on my part (2 severely ill family members have me feeling down) and a puppy with more energy than he can contain. I'll be putting up my tree this weekend and that's about all the decorating I plan to do this year. But let me show you how its usually done...My favorite thing about Christmas Eve entertaining is the candlelight. I put candles on just about every flat surface in the house and light them all. I just love the warm glow they bring!
(above) This is view of my living room from the foyer. It's hard to see the illuminated wall hanging but it's a tapestry of angels. The dining room is off to the right beyond the Christmas tree. This is the same place I will put my tree this year. I move my tree from room to room, year to year.
(above) Here's a picture of my dining room table, getting set for Wigilia. I put hay, sent to me from relatives in Poland, on my table underneath the white tablecloth which is a must. Do you see the ceramic Santa in the bay window? I made that. I'll show you a close up in a minute.
(above) This is the table all set during the day time. The white table runner was a gift from my cousins in Poland.
(above) And this is the table lit up in the evening.
(below) From the same point I was standing to take the previous picture, if you turned to look back at the living room this is what you'd see...
My tree is always decorated the same... all the ornaments I've collected over the years along with all white lights and strands of white pearl beads. I know it's hard to see the dark breakfront across the room. Here's a closeup.
(below) And here's a closeup of a small decorator table that I usually put in the bay window area...
The tablecloth and all the items on the table except for the candle and the fresh flowers were sent to me from my relatives in Poland.(below) And here's a closeup of my Santa who also stands in the bay window...
I made him (painted the molded clay) back in the 1980s when I was taking ceramics classes.
(below) Here's my kitchen with the food on the stove and my dear husband working his magic. He's an Eagle Scout and right at home in the kitchen or over a camp fire :-)
Oh I wish you could smell all the good smells that go along with this picture!
(below) From the kitchen you can look down into the family room where we always have a roaring fire in he fireplace... courtesy of the Eagle Scout!
We always start out in the family room with appetizers before we move into the dining room for dinner. You'll notice the nativity set on the fireplace mantle. Here's a close up of it.
It's not elaborate, bought back in the early days of our marriage when money was very tight. It's had a place in our home at Christmas ever since.
(below) Here's a closeup of the Polish angel that graces the top of our Christmas tree.
And here is my stocking hung by the chimney with care...
And if you take a peek out my living room window you can see some of our outdoor lights...
That's all for the tour. I hope you enjoyed it. From my home to yours... I wish you the very merriest Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
