decking the halls....

I love when my house is decorated for Christmas. I guess that's why we always do it the day after Thanksgiving! And this year, with Thanksgiving so early, I have even more time to enjoy it! Today I got home from shopping (just the quilt stores for me on Black Friday! I'm not crazy. Ok, maybe I am.) and my sweet hubby had the tree up and decorated! He's a keeper. Ally even posed for me...

 One of my favorite Christmas decorations is this adorable gingerbread family that my friend Tracey made for me years ago. They hang in my dining room, underneath our family photo wall. I have little tiny 3m hooks tucked under the bottom shelf that I just leave up from year to year because nobody can see them! How did we ever decorate before those hooks? And no, they aren't paying me to say that. I'm just a fan.

 When Mom & Dad came to visit this year, she brought me this adorable Santa quilt she had made for us! It's hanging in the hallway where we'll see it all the time.... but it's hard to get a good straight on shot there! Thanks Mom, I love it!

Over the years I have gradually been trading in some of my "cutesy" decorations for more formal ones. This year it was the mantel's turn to get spruced up. Ally & I went to Hobby Lobby and bought lots of sparkly things, garland, candles, ornaments, bells even "funky gold twigs" for my vase. If you look really close you'll see that I even have gold stars dangling from clear thread. Ally declared our theme "gaudy not cheesy" and I do think we pulled it off!

 We had a few red ornaments left over and decided to show them off in a pretty crystal bowl.

If you need me, I'll be curled up on the couch listening to Christmas music and enjoying all of the sparkle!