Thursday, November 29, 2018

Over-the-top Decorations

We had the decorating all done by Wednesday! The photos will look pretty much like the previous years, since just about everything has its place. Only the tree ornaments get changed around, just a little bit. 

There is a story to almost everything.  It would be too long of a post to tell them, so I'll just mention a few that I might not have told before. 

The Santa collection is up in the family room.



 The mantel Santas were all hand made by a teacher friend. 

Santas from a farm town in New York, Germany, and Whidbey Island. 
 My great grandmother's kitchen clock has an appropriately themed Santa. 
 A Santa sits on the top of the tree, which is laden with about 45 years of collecting. 
 Krampus is a more recent addition. 
 There are birds and Santas and pigs and horses, and felt ornaments I made long ago when Jill was a toddler. 
 Fruits and vegetables are a more recent collection too.


 One of the cone wreaths Tom made a while back.
 The Travel Tree, which we inaugurated last year. 
 There are tiny flags for every state and country we have traveled in. 





The kitchen beams are decked with felt gingerbread men and fabric ornaments I made when we first moved into this house, 40 years ago.
This pair of glass ornaments, a gazebo and a greenhouse, were gifts from one of our teacher friends. 




The dining room is very Scandinavian. 



 The garland on the beam displays vintage ornaments. 


There's a lot of stuff, but for one month out of the year, we love it!
Since the decorating job was done faster than I expected, Thursday I started on my baking. I made fruit cake, and not only did the house look festive, it also smelled like Christmas. 

These cakes are by now wrapped in brandy soaked cheese cloth,  in plastic bags, and stored away for a few weeks. I started the first batch of cookies too. They have to freeze before slicing and baking. 

Life is good at the Reeder homestead. 

10 comments:

  1. Your dining room should be featured in a home decorating magazine! What a wonderful time of the year in your home!

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  2. I’m always happy when the Santa collection goes on display. Your dining room has always fascinated me. It’s beautiful.

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  3. Ah, the season is here when the Santas are on display. I love them every year. :-)

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  4. Life sounds good at the Reeder homestead! Your home is simply beautiful, every room. Decorating is a lot of work, but so worth it. Your fruit cakes look delicious. My sister and I plan to bake a fruit cake together one day next week. Hope I can remember to take pictures.

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  5. what a cheerful holiday atmosphere...you have caryn beat with your collection of santas...and other things-lots of fun memories to enjoy...Merry Christmas to all.

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  6. My goodness, what a wonderful display of memories. Everything looks so festive (even the fruitcake). Enjoy!

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  7. Your decorations are so meaningful and special! It's always a joy to see your house decorated to the gills and remember the stories you've told about them in years past.

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  8. If it make you happy, fill it to the brim and enjoy each and every moment!

    Be blessed!

    Cielo

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  9. It would be impossible not to fall into the spirit of Christmas around your house!

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