Christmas Notebook

I haven’t taken time to get pictures of all the decorating yet, but here are some that my eleven year-old grands took for me just before the open house started. More about the open house soon!

As you step in the door, just to the left is the living room. Here you’ll find the Family Pictures Tree. Looks like it’s leaning a bit…

The next tree sits on the old, box grand piano, next to the nativity my Mom gave me in 1983. This tree has names of Christ and beautiful nativity ornaments on it.

I have a Christmas Notebook group online, where I teach others how to be organized for Christmas. This tree, in the living room, has ornaments I’ve received over the years from members of that group. Many of us participate in an ornament exchange every year. Most are from the US, but there are some from Australia, England, and Canada among them.

The largest tree in the living room is the Family Tree, where we display the ornaments we have gathered as a family over the years.

The Snow Tree is in the dining room. It sits on a round, antique table. The ceilings are 12′ tall. Above the tree, as a tree topper, hangs a large snowflake, hovering just over the tree.

A smaller snow tree sits on top the antique cupboard.

The kitchen tree sits on top the refridgerator and is decorated with cookie and candy ornaments.

The chalkboard tree (always a favorite!) is in what we call the music room. Because that’s where the smaller piano lives… The theme for the chalkboard tree this year is “I’ll be home for Christmas.”

The nativity tree is decorated with nativity ornaments. It sits on a desk in the music room.

This vintage aluminum tree, decorated with vintage ornaments, sits on a round, antique table in the middle of the music room.

The Glass Tree is in the bay in the library (our family room). It is entirely decorated with glass ornaments. Mostly clear glass, spun and fused. It also has more than 250 chandelier prisms and glass bead chandelier chains as garlands.

The little “I Spy” tree is a favorite of the children who come to see us during the holidays. Follow the link to see some close-ups of the fun items on the tree.

The Bubble Light Tree is also in the library. It sits on a wooden chest in front of the porch window. German blown-glass ornaments decorate this tree.

The Mission Tree is in the hall of the addition. This tree holds ornaments I’ve made for my Etsy shop. All proceeds from my shop support Kenya Mercy Ministries. A Putz village is displayed on the counter next to the tree. For a donation to KMM, guests could choose an ornament or a Putz house as a thank you gift.

The little tree in the laundry room displays more vintage ornaments.

In the downstairs bath, a slender Garden Tree is decorated with garden ornaments…birds, insects, flowers, garden tools, etc.

Two cardinals help decorate the tree with green ribbon.

The Putz Tree is in the downstairs bedroom. It displays some of the Putz houses I’ve made. The tree rotates, so it is able to hold quite a few

The pompom aluminum tree in the bedroom is decorated with vintage, blue, ornaments and vintage, blue, mercury bead garlands.

The Blue and Silver Tree in the downstairs bedroom has blue, silver, and vintage style ornaments. The green, artificial tree has been spray-painted silver to soften the green.

I’ll stop here and will try to get a post about the Open House up soon!

~~Rhonda