Second Post of the Day
Since Kyle had brought many of our decorations downstairs for me, I am way ahead of schedule on decorating my home. And I am grateful for that - there is a lot to do!
The mantle is done with the exception of hanging our stockings. All of them (aside from a few pet ones) are handmade, and several were knitted by my mother. Needless to say, I don't want them hanging for a long period of time, so they won't be put up until just before family begins arriving.
The dining room chandelier decoration is a tradition of 25 years or so. I saw a photo in a magazine of a chandelier like that and copied it. My kids tell me it is a hallmark of the holiday for them. I also made the tablecloths and my mother made all the Santa mugs that you can see on the second table. The pinecone and greenery-filled bowl was a gift from Craig's mom.
We have two pianos - the "good" piano in the dining room and the player piano in the living room. This is because all our kids took piano lessons and we needed two pianos in order to get their daily practicing in. (We had a third piano at one point in time as the kids became serious about their music.)
This piano is decorated with the Nativity that I grew up with, and the candy cane holder was made for me by Hawkeye Sarah years ago. The ornament holder on the right will hold my favorite childhood ornament.
It is about 70 years old and very fragile. There were two originally, but the other was accidentally broken, so I am very protective of the remaining one. I will probably take it down when family begins arrriving, just in case, and hang something else in its place.
The antique player piano is my favorite of the two pianos, and also a favorite of the Pony Pals and Cowpokes. Many hours will be spent playing it, usually with two kids pumping it together and the rolls they want to play stacking up on top.
My mother made me a beautiful Nativity when we first got married, and Teacher Daughter Lisa and I have a tradition of putting it out together on top of the player piano. She's been very ill and so for the moment, it remains in its tub there on the bottom right.
We got a new tree yesterday - a nine footer that my neighbor was giving away. Her father recently passed and left her several artificial trees that she could not use.
We brought home the nine footer and had to rearrange some furniture to accommodate it.
Beach Son Kyle helped us and moved our antique buffet into the corner where we usually put our Christmas tree. I really like it there and we will probably keep it in that spot from now on.
My mother painted that painting of Santa in 1942 when she was 14 and my Grandpa Honeywell framed it for her. I was lucky enough to inherit it. The German Nativity was a gift from Craig, the miniature candle was my Grandma Honeywell's, and the Russian Matryoshka Dolls are scenes from The Nutcracker Ballet and a reminder of the two years Music City Son Cole lived in Siberia and Russia.
Cole in Surgut, Siberia where it was -49 Celsius/-56.2 Fahrenheit when this photo was taken. Frostbitten cheek, frozen eyelashes... this photo still gives me the chills.
Porch decor is done, too. I love my pillow of a big red barn that reads, "All roads lead home for Christmas."
Craig usually puts outdoor lights up, but it takes him eight hours or so and lots of crawling up and down a ladder. I've told him I'm okay without the outdoor lights, but he'd really like to do it since all our children are coming home for Christmas. Stay 'tooned on that one!
Christmas Horse of the Day
Eve and Claus, the Thoroughbred Mare and Nursing Foal in red and green holiday blankets. Another web special, they were released in 2015. (I have not found a number on how many sets were made.) This sweet mare and foal are very under-appreciated in my opinion. I like them and think this is a great color for them.
Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 4
Three stacks of bags of feed!
More tomorrow - stay 'tooned!
