DECK THE HALLS!

This was our week to decorate our house for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Because my fibromyalgia makes things like this very difficult for me, it always takes me several days, working a little at a time, to get our Christmas tree and everything else I do for the holidays finished, and this year was no exception.

My husband, John, always brings our Christmas tree and all our boxes filled with decorations inside from our garage, since they are too heavy for me. And he strings our outdoor lights, as well. But the inside of our house is my own domain, and every year, one of the things I like to do is a different Christmas tree.

This is possible because over the years, I've collected all kinds of variously themed ornaments and trimmings, which can be mixed and matched. This year, in honor of our newly restored mantel, we have a Victorian toy tree, which looks just like something you'd see on an old Victorian Christmas card.

We always set our Christmas tree up in our living room, so that it can be seen from the street, through our front windows. It adds to the festiveness of our outdoor lights, I think, and looks quite lovely at night, when all the candle lights on our Christmas tree are glowing and reflecting off all the garland and tinsel.

John and my son, Shane, pronounced our Christmas tree "beautiful," so I guess it's a hit this year. *g* They also liked the garland I made for our newly restored mantel. I'm making a matching one with which to adorn the china cabinet in our dining room, as well---so I guess it's back to cutting ribbon and fashioning bows now for me!