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I’m festive damn it!

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Since 2014, I haven’t done much holiday decorating. My mother adored our house when it was decked out in red, green and gold, but the year she died my heart just wasn’t in it. The following year we started traveling for Christmas… a different destination each time… and there didn’t seem to be any reason to decorate an empty house.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be hitting the road in 2022 and after hearing how much the neighbors missed our displays, I caved and decided to put out a few things to get into the spirit. Wreaths on the windows and doors, white candles and snowflake lights, a lighted deer and tree on the front lawn.

Outdoor finished, I only planned on dressing up the tables. Dining room with Charlie Brown Christmas tree….

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And kitchen with mini tree and snowmen salt and pepper shakers.

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I thought I was done, but I bought a poinsettia.

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And then I thought why not put that garland with the pinecone lights on the kitchen shelf? And while you’re at it add a few reindeer.

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And if I dragged that garland out, I might as well decorate the mantle too.

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And if I did the mantle, I should probably do the hearth.

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So much for just a little decorating.

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A snowman Christmas card box, a few randomly scattered reindeer, tea towels in the guest bathroom, a red jingle bell heart wreath on the kitchen door and I was finished. Yes. Definitely.

Well, except for my line of rampaging, pitchfork wielding snowmen.

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But that was it, really… I was done. Until the husband walked in, looked around and said now we need a tree.

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was ready.

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But once the tree was in the house … I began to worry.

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Please note the little devil is literally licking his lips. That can’t be good.

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Shiny colored balls? Please mom, hang them now!

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Alternating white, red and green lights. Alternating garlands of gold leaves and weeds. Red, green and gold ornaments, a star on the top and it was done.

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I can’t swear to it … but I think Lord Dudley was waiting for us to go to bed.

Day tree –

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Night tree-

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Decorating the tree this way takes a lot of time and effort. But I’m always pleased with the results…

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The problem is…

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So is Lord Dudley.

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And now I’m wondering if I can stay awake every night until the New Year when it’s time to take it down.

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69 thoughts on “I’m festive damn it!”

  5. Well it seemed that your small effort turned into a nice, all out decorating session for your house. It’s look beautiful, I love how you have everything placed just right. For the life of me I can’t seem to get my shit together for the holiday’s. I barely put up my tree this past weekend, mind you it was just the tree……….and the lights. I haven’t bothered to find the four boxes of decorations yet. And living with a 33 year old boomerang son in the house, doesn’t help. Men aren’t great at keeping what’s decorated, decorated for long. I did manage to put up a wreath on my front door….but that’s it. I love how your home looks, its very comfy and inviting. Also, is it just me or is His Lordship looking a bit….pudgy? lol

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    2. As you might guess, his Lordship eats well .. and often.
      It feels good to have some holiday cheer around the house. Funny part is, this is a mere faction of what I used to do but I’m exhausted. Those trips up and down the cellar stairs carrying heavy tubs are getting harder at my advanced age.
      😉

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  6. Gorgeous! Now you just need to decorate the Barn Bar! 😀

    Our cats used to eat the icicles. We stopped hanging them. Then they acted like “cattle rustlers” with the steam train . . . sending the cars and locomotive flying. We gave the train away. Etc.

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  7. Beautiful….but at our age, too much like work for me and my better half. However, on Christmas eve, I may put a fluffy red pillow in the fireplace so Santa doesn’t bruise his butt when he comes down the chimney. Hopefully, that will make up for last year when I left a fire burning (purely an oversight, of course).

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  12. Such a great job you 2 did! Merry Christmas. I used to deck the halls but with most of our family gone or far away I just stopped as well but also gave it all away 😦 We travel too one year we spent the whole week in DC we had the place to ourselves.

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      3. One of our first cats loved to sleep under it so much, that we used to buy him a little live one every year so he had something when we took the tree down. What we do for these guys…

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  15. We got our tree today, and it is now awaiting its decorations. Nice to come back to the computer to see these shots. I love all the decorations and the tree so much, but two things stood out for me…the Charlie Brown tree (because Peanuts is gonna be part of me forever), and that line of rampaging, pitchfork wielding snowmen. I love them. As for His Lordship, perhaps tie the tree to a nearby fixture in the event he takes a run at it. Looks like he’s just stalking it at this time, but you never know. Cats.

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    1. The Charlie Brown tree has been our staple for the last few years because it was the only thing I put out. With all the other things it’s drowned out now, but I still love it.
      The snowmen? Priceless.
      So far Dudley has only attacked the tree skirt. I’m hoping it ends there.

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  21. It makes me happy that you started decorating again; that would make your Mom happy. (and your neighbors) You did a great job, and your tree is SPECTACULAR! Everything looks nice and festive.
    I’m sure you’ll tell us what Lord Dudley thinks about the tree. (laughing at him licking his lips!)

    I’ve not put up our tree yet, but I know it’s not gonna be fun because, Peanut!

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  23. The tree is just exquisite! I love the leaf-like ‘tinsel’ – I have never seen that before (but I haven’t looked at what’s available for years). This year I put some more decorations out too – nothing like the lengths you’ve gone to, but more than just a little tree. The decorations really do create the magic of Christmas. Very good work – you’re a Christmas artist.

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  26. The cat/tree combo is quite literally the reason we are going to Death Valley for Christmas. No tree = no decorations to destroy. I have done just a wee bit of decorating but even though the husband and I are doing stockings this year (when we travel at Christmas we don’t usually exchange gifts) I’m too afraid to hang them for fear the cats will destroy them!

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    1. We gave up gift giving when we started traveling as well. I was going to continue that trend but a suspiciously large box appeared under the tree the other day so I may have to start shopping.
      Cat vs tree never ends well for the tree but thankfully ours is still standing.

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