so it's time to start gettin' christmas-y here at the ol' homestead, so I thought the blog should reflect it as well. Get on my case if it still looks like this in February....
We've decided to go with a train theme for the tree this year, because honey and the girlies are wild about trains, so I'm trying to come up with a way to make/find garland that looks like train tracks, but am hitting a creativity wall...any suggestions? While I'm on the subject...what are some fun traditions y'all have at Christmas, decorating-wise, or even other-wise?
9 months ago
5 comments:
Well, we always put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving. (except for last year as our family was in South Africa). Because dh is a Worship Pastor from Thanksgiving Eve service until New Year's Day is crazy-busy for him and all of us,really. So, we put up the tree and decorations so we can enjoy it as long as we can.
We also have started a tradition where I use my turkey to make Turkey and Sausage Gumbo for the church staff and their families. We are doing this tomorrow night my house smells so good. This is just to kick off the Christmas season before it gets busy for us all with parties, performances, Advent services, children's productions, etc. And to get together as a staff and just hang out and have fun.
My son and I made up cookie mixes tonight to bake on Saturday. Well,I will bake them as he and daughter will be with hubby at children's performance rehearsal at church. we are sending goodies boxes to all our family members this year (sshh!:)) My husband always makes the most amazing frosted sugar cookies, too.
We take cookies around to our neighbors, too. This year we have a few more families to get to know in our neighborhood, too.
Thankfully, all the shopping is done. Dh and I are 'treating' each other to school tuition this year...how romantic, eh? But being together for one week, even though it is in a classroom for 12 hours a day, will be awesome and truly a gift.
Decorating-wise, when we lived in Seattle we always had 14-18 foot trees. We had vaulted ceilings and a church member with a tree farm = good deal on the tree. One year, I decorated it with white lights, cream colored ornaments, and pearl and gold garland wih dried huge hydrangeas, courtesy of my mil who dried them for me. They are my favorite flower, can't grow them in Denver though :(
This year our tree is a hodge-podge of the cream and gold decorations/garland, along with special ornaments given to me by students throughout the years, or to dh and myself from family or friends, and then loads of decorations made by the kids with room for more of their handmade creations from preschool of which I am sure they will bring home in droves:)
We usually have Chinese take-out for Christmas Eve as dh is usually at church from 5pm until 2am, with an hour off somewhere to scarf down food. This tradition began our first year of marriage when we were both on staff and had responsibilities to attend to Christmas Eve and has just stuck for us.
We usually are not with family for holidays unless they come see us since hubby has to be at church for the Big 3 holidays, but that is okay. We have begun lots of traiditions ourselves. And we enjoy having people over to our home, especially at Christmas.
i think the train theme sounds precious...i can't really imagine track shaped garland ..maybe you could cut the shape of a train engine and some box cars and caboose and stick short pieces of boxwood, holly or evergreen into it until it is covered...you could add detail with cranberries, popcorn or gumdrops held on with glue or toothpicks...then hang them on the wall like wreaths (or from the stairs or wherever you were gonna put the garland)...best wishes, keep us updated
Shannon,
My dh loves trains....part of our garage in Seattle was devoted to his trains. Anyway, we were thinking why not purchase mini-train track and bind it together with wire? Or I was thinking, what about black licorice (sp?)somehow kept together, possibly by frosting, or making it entirely non-edible, super glue or something of the like. I am SO NOT (repeat NOT) crafty, but just a thought:)
or what about black pipe cleaners fashioned to be track????
I have no idea, really, just thought about you today:)
Ooh, I love the idea for turkey gumbo, Jada. I've been wondering what to do with all the turkey in my fridge... ;o) I've been thinking the train tracks wired together would be good, maybe if I glittered them?
Rae, I love the idea for the big garland...I was actually thinking of one for the tree (maybe it's not called garland, the things you wrap round & round the tree?), but I love the idea of a big one, too...
Thanks for sharing, girls! So fun.
Hey, we need pics of the tree:):)
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