I've made no secret that I've had a hard time

embracing all the holiday hoopla this year...

The spiritual side of Christmas? Oh, absolutely - 

How I love that I have the breath of heaven to hold me together!

 But all the hoopla?

  I've wavered back and forth, often saying I

 just didn't think I'd get out any of our Christmas decor... 

One evening I even said I didn't think I'd put up a tree 

and my sweetie said that was okay...

But I'd borrowed Fritz [from my brother] for the holiday 

so I knew I had to do something...

[and once I got started it just all came together - nothing was purchased new]

We took the mirror from the mantle and put it over on the side table and 

I added only part of my giant nativity - 

Then I put another nativity on the welcome table with a little chalkboard art 

that I picked up at Hobby Lobby on sale -

I put the wooden tree we made last year out on the porch and 

hung my Mama's door decoration on the front door - 

 I've kept things simple - really, there's SO MUCH that was left in the attic -

And while Fritz was the starting point... 

This 'little' tree I found at the Salvation Army 
was really the beginning of my Christmas insanity - 

I stuffed it in my car and brought it home - 

Thinking I could go in any CrAzY direction with white as the background... 

But as it came together gold on white just seemed right - 

I only purchased the glittered reindeer from The Dollar Tree - 

I had the snowflakes, balls, and ribbon... 

oh, I purchased some golden tulle from HL to stuff inside to hide the lighting wires...
and a package of those twirly twigs...

I wanted to use an old metal washtub from my Mama's house to set it in...
but it's not big enough... still working on that...

And in the end I realized that this glittery, golden, sparkly tree full of bling 

represented my mama's personality completely.

Not something I set out to do at all...
But it's kind of neat, isn't it?
 DISCLAIMER: I know for some of you this seems like A LOT – But here’s what I didn’t do – I did not put the garland out around the porch… I did not put out my fence post snow man… or any other snowmen… I did not put the wreath on the lamp post… I did not put the garland [and fun stockings] down the stair railing… I did not put the snowman nativity in the bathroom… I did not put the boys’ traditional tree in the hallway… I did not put out the kitchen tree… and I did not put out the playroom tree [although this year that little tree full of orange and blue would truly be celebrated…]
Merry Christmas ~