Better Late Than Never

It's December 26th; are you tired?  I am a bit, but not as much as I thought I'd be.  Our Christmas day weather was perfect -- cold but not bitter and not raining.  Hooray for sunshine.  :)    I so hope that all of you had a good Christmas, filled with the people and things you love.  We had a lovely Christmas with our families, and it's been wonderful to rest a bit today.  I also took the opportunity to take some more pictures around the house.  I honestly have not had a spare minute to post any pictures before, so I'm sharing now.  If you're sick of seeing Christmas decorations, you'll want to skip this post.  ;)  

   Fresh greenery came from our Christmas tree clippings, my mom's friend's magnolia tree, and our Nandina berries.  The flower pots have pansies, which I planted back in the late fall.   

   My mom and I made this wreath together two Christmases ago.  Mom made the bow, and she did a great job!   

   

   I want to show you a closer shot of my new galvanized bucket.  I love it!  Found it the day before Christmas Eve at Plow & Hearth for 50% off (originally $30, I got it for $15).   

   Can you see the stag's head with antlers at the top of the bucket?  One on each side to use as handles.  I think this would also look good on our hearth with pine cones, logs, etc. in the winter.   

   A new Christmas flag for me after using the same one for over 20 years.    

   Most of you know that I don't change things up a lot from one Christmas to the next.  Our Christmas things are too special to me; they have real sentimental value to us.     

   Things in the foyer are mostly the same as every year except that I've added a new wreath on the mirror.  I love this; it was purchased at a favorite local gift store a few Christmases ago.  Also, the battery-operated taper candles in the sconces are new (from my mom), and I added a stem of faux magnolia leaves to the umbrella stand.  

    I did something different here in the living room this year.  The reindeer, the silver ball ornaments, and the mercury glass trees were things I already had, but I never seemed to have a place to display them.  This year, I had the idea to put them in this corner cupboard where they could be seen and enjoyed.   

  

   

    

   

  

     This tray was an anniversary gift to us a few years ago, and I've always just displayed it inside my glass cabinets.  I decided to put it out on our coffee table for the holidays this year.  The two ornaments are vintage -- they belonged to my paternal grandmother.  My mom gave me a box of them several years ago, and I treasure them.  Hal gave me the snowman candle snuffer one Christmas.  The silver bell with snowflake handle is a dated Christmas bell.  The jingle bell came with our son's "Polar Express" book many years ago.  I tied a bow on it and added it to the display.   

  

   My mom made these carolers when I was growing up and they were always a favorite of mine.   

   This year I added colorful candles on either end of the piano, as well.  The little book of Christmas music is also a vintage piece, given to me and one to my sister.   

  

  

  

  

   On this table is a Goebel nativity set, brought to us from Austria by my mother-in-law; an advent wreath; a punched-paper angel my mom bought at a craft show for me early in our marriage; ceramic Moravian star candlesticks, made by my mom; and my King James Bible from my teen years.   

  

  

   You've seen this nativity set, made by my mom, many times.  The Lenox "Holiday" candlesticks, and porcelain bells are new this year.   

  

  

   I can't believe I was lucky enough to inherit these dishes from Hal's great-aunt, who recently moved to an assisted living facility.  I never thought to have Christmas dishes this nice -- Thank you, Aunt Dorothy!   

     

   I'll share some Christmas tree pictures next.  I hope you're all still enjoying the Christmas holidays.   How did you celebrate this year?  Thank you so much for your visit and have a wonderful week!