2008 Christmas Tour of Homes!

BooMama's Annual Christmas Tour of Homes has returned! Click in to see people's homes all over the country decorated for Christmas, as well as pick up some great recipes. I'm participating this year, so here we go!


I noticed AFTER I'd taken and uploaded these pictures that the garland on the left side of my railing had fallen down. It looks like a gym sock that's lost its elastic. As much as I'd like to re-take the picture, I'm not going to. LOOK AT ME, ALL LAID-BACK ABOUT IT. I'm turning over a new anti-anal-retentive leaf for the holidays.



This is the wreath on our front door. This year I retired my grapevine wreath to indoors, even though I loved the way it looked on the front door. We have a family of birds whose nest has reaped the rewards of being near our grapevine wreath for the past five years or so. The mama and daddy birds have been picking at my wreath for so long that it doesn't have much "pretty stuff" left on it so this year I'm "freshening up."



I'm sure in a matter of days the cute little raffia will be gone, off lining the nest, but here's hoping that the fruit and pinecones stay put. If those little birds manage to carry off the fruit and pinecones, then by all means, they deserve them.



Here's the mantle, and you'll note the grapevine wreath up there. The prissy stuff used to cover about half of the wreath, and the top and sides didn't used to look quite so hen-pecked.

Our stockings are pretty plain; I'm trying to wait to have them embroidered with our names until we're completely sure we're done having kids. Because, you know, it would be TRAGIC if I had five done in one style and then couldn't get a sixth one done to match EXACTLY in a few years. Not that we're having another. But not that we AREN'T, either. That's a whole nother post. Moving on ...


The only other nod to Christmas in our den is my set of grapevine cones with red-and-green stuff inside. What says "Christmas" better than grapevine cones next to the Wii and the big-screen TV? I can't think of anything.


Here's our tree, which I always try to put in one of the front windows so it can be seen from outside. Last year our white-light tree bit the dust ... we looked so Kuntry last year because the middle tier of lights was out and three of the six bottom boughs were broken and hanging askew. So after I took all the ornaments off the tree after Christmas, our poor tree went out to the curb.

I'd promised the boys that our replacement tree for this year would have multi-colored lights, and they didn't forget it. This year it was the very first thing they asked about when I told them Christmas was approaching. So here we are with our colored-lights tree!

My very favorite element of our tree every year is the collection of annual photo ornaments. I started with Nathaniel in 2002 and have continued to add one each year for each child. I have always bought mine at Pottery Barn, but I've seen them in several places. The best thing about this is that even if you've never done it before, you can start any time. Just buy the number of ornaments you need and have them engraved with the appropriate year.



Nathaniel, 2005.



Nicholas, 2005



Jake, 2008

I have given some thought to the fact that if I do this for 18 years for three boys, that's a LOT of ornaments. 18 x 3 ... hmmm, practically triple digits, by my calculations. I might need another tree.



This year our little Jedis have their own tree in their room. It has most of our Disney, Star Wars and other kid-style ornaments on it (including a TiVo ornament that they love!), and they are absolutely thrilled to have a tree of their very own.




The only other Holiday Spot in the house is in the guest room, where I have one of my favorite Santas on the dresser. He'll be there to welcome my parents and sister when they come into town for Christmas.


Merry Christmas, everyone!