It's Beginning to Look

A lot like CHRISTMAS! And I'm already ultra excited. Maybe it's because I'm getting the best Christmas present ever this year. Maybe it's because it's my first Christmas in our much loved house. Maybe it's because I'm skipping my family's Thanksgiving extravaganza. But I'm normally a "Respect the Turkey" person, and this year, I just couldn't wait. I had most of my decorations up almost two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Today, we put up the tree. We're going home to Memphis this week, and we wanted the house to be all Christmasy when we get home next weekend.

So without further ado, here it is. A very Clueless Christmas!



Yes, we desperately need a bigger tree. Our beloved Charlie Brown tree was purchased for $20 (pre-lit!) at Walgreens on black Friday, when we were broke college students. We're hoping to score a deal on a bigger one (with colored lights, please) at the after Christmas sales this year.





These are some of our favorite ornaments. Yoda is very camera shy. We're of the "amalgam of random things you like" school of thought when it comes to Christmas tree decor. We have a huge box of unbreakable ornaments, so the cats have plenty to bat at, and then a few from our vacations (the Mickey head made of bells is from our post college grad trip where Brett proposed!) and that we just love. The piggy is my favorite.



















We have a few displays of ornaments and candles set up around the house, on our dresser, our record player, and the living room shelves. I love the glittery trees and the "Joy" sign!







My pride and joy, the stockings that took me hours to complete. I used felt and two different calicos, and cut out hundreds of circles of fabric. Then I tacked them with embroidery floss to stocking shapes I cut from felt. I lined those panels and then hand sewed them and added the ribbons and our first initials.

Yes, we have stocking for our cats. I'm a cat lady.

I have enough circles and felt to make a matching tree skirt, but that is a project that will have to wait until 2010. My fingers can't take much more sewing!

I used leftover garland from our front door wreath to dress up the mantle. Then I added our clearance candlesticks and switched out the candles for some unscented red ones. I got plain stocking holders and topped them with mercury glass votive holders for the two larger (human) stockings. It's chic, festive, and doesn't block the television, so we can still watch 24 hours of A Christmas Story!

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?