I've been reading about Christmas Home Tours all month

and have been meaning to share ours with you for a few weeks now --

so come on in and sit a spell -

Y'all may remember that I picked up this tree last year [at the Salvation Army] when I just couldn't get into the Christmas Spirit since it was my first Christmas without my Mama -

Well, I pulled it out again this year, because, really, her loss is still so fresh and new

[I think last year I was still a bit in shock from it all --]

It kind of just reminds me of her

and her sparkling personailty -

But this is it -

It will be for sale come the first of the year...

It's just very VERY bright,

even with it's missing lights through the middle --

As you come up to the from door, you'll see my snowmen welcoming crew -

Craig made this --fencepost-- snowman for me about 20 years ago, and I love him still..

This year he stands guard next to a vintage angel garland that I picked up at a thrift store last fall, but never got out to use... more on them later ...

A sweet friend who passed away this year made his colorful scarf...

As you come into our entry I have hung the garland from my mama's door

on our stair rail and an angel painting on the wall...

If you go down the hall to the bedrooms

you'll see our Charlie Brown Christmas tree,

complete with Charlie Brown nativity.

And in the bathroom, a snowman nativity -

[I DO love nativity sets --]

Walking through the entry to the kitchen,

you'll see a couple of new pieces for this year -

I picked up this little card holder at Big Lots -

Love the artsy-ness of it,

and I got the counted-cross-stitch at a thrift store for ONE DOLLAR.

Moving into the kitchen, I have a couple of pottery barn 'tree' plates over the stove -

Again, I picked them up at t thrift store for a dollar each -

and a green tinsel tree on the table top

with an advent calendar [and nativity] on the shelf above...

Those hats are some our boys wore at Easter long ago...

Here's a close-up --

Then it's on through the den and into the living room...

where the stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

The NOEL sign is from Target,

and the church sign is from Mary&Martha...

And more angels are hanging out, watching over us -

These were made in the fifties [they were still in their original boxes when I bought them!] Craig replaced the lights in one strand, but the other works well...