Our halls are decked, the tree is trimmed, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.
Picking out a Christmas tree is one of my favorite holiday pastimes. Each year my dad, sister, and I would all head out together in search for the perfect tree. Once we’d find one that we could all agree upon, we’d load it in the back of my uncle’s old , red truck and head home to do some decorating. Once home, greeted by my teary-eyed mother, touched by our tradition, we’d get straight to work. My dad would get the ladder and begin to hang the tree. Yes, you read that right. He would hang it. You’d never know that it was hanging though if I hadn’t of told you. Just trust me, it works. My dad would hang the tree, and then I would spend hours obsessing over each ornament until each one was just right. Meanwhile, my mom would be off transforming the rest of the house into something magical.
As much as i’ve always loved our real trees, it just didn’t seem very logical for us to put one up in our apartment. For one, real trees pose a fire threat. I don’t want to be responsible for burning down our building, which has been standing since the 1930s. And for two, as much as a I love the idea (and the smell) of a real tree, they truly are a mess. So, we turned to the ole artificial tree, which has a few problems of its own. Have I ever mentioned that our apartment severely lacks storage space? There’s hardly enough space for our things as it is, so what would we do with the tree after the season passes? I’m not positive, but I just don’t think that Jacob would let me keep it up all year long.
Not having a tree just wasn’t an option for me, so we opted for a little 4 footer that can easily be stored under our bed. Though small in size, it still warms my heart in a big way. Beyond the tree, i’ve been busy adding a few other touches to make our home a little more festive and warm this holiday season.
My first Christmas wreath.
Little did I know when I received this as a gift last year, just how much it would mean to me this year. This lovely little plaque was given to me by someone very special, someone who sadly lost their battle to cancer this summer. So glad to have it as a sweet little reminder of this person.
The stockings are hung by the chimney TV with care.
Homemade cinnamon ornaments and tree skirt.
We opted for a holiday brew in lieu of our traditional hot cocoa.
Self portrait?
A cheerful banner to brighten up a gloomy day.
Two mini Poinsettias waiting in the windowsill. Still deciding where to place these little guys.
A fisherman nutcracker. Jacob just insisted!
And a handful of these scattered about to make our home smell like winter cheer.
The Daily Doss 