Christmas is here!

I thought I might share what Christmas looks like at our house this year. I apologise in advance for the poor quality of the photos, My camera is acting weird (It couldn't be the photographers fault!) Here is our new mantle, and although I think the pine boughs look a bit strange with the palm tree painting, and the mountain rock fireplace, I guess that is kinda us, a little bit beach, a little bit mountain!

You might notice the two creche's, (or is creche already plural?) on the hearth, Liza loves to play with those. I use the word creche lightly here, as the Babe in the manger is a carrot in one of them!

I love these old fashioned glass bulbs, I call them mercury glass, but i don't think they really are. they reflect the light so beautifully, so I put a few out, and about, to sparkle things up. That's our 2009 gingerbread house on the left. the girls and I had fun making that yesterday, everything in the kitchen is now slightly sticky:)

Here are some more "mercury" balls. I use this garden hand cart thingie all year, and fill it with all different things to fit the season.

I actually have a creche collection. This is my favorite one. I think I showed it to you last year. I just love that Mary is holding baby Jesus in this one. He usually looks so cold and alone in my others. I know that the bible says that she laid him in a manger, but I can't help but think that he didn't stay there for very long! I also like that Joseph has his hand on the sheep. You know he was a kind man like that!

Here are those JOY letter pillows I made last year...same bed, same comforter, same pillows, different house. Michael makes the bed every morning (I know you are so jealous aren't you?) and it is funny to me that sometimes it spells YOJ, or OYJ. I am too smart to complain, I just smile!

Here is that Joyeux Noel banner again from last year.

A white tree with purple and pink ornaments for the girls room. They gathered all their white, purple, and pink stuffed animals for the base. Sorry bad photo...

Christmas bells in a baby cradle on the coffee table, next to a beautiful pine arrangement with candles that we recieved in the mail friday, a surprise from my Michigander relatives. Thanks Scott and Shelley!

The 12 days of Christmas hand painted ornaments, that haven and I did together last year.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches!

We brought home a big one this year, because we have high ceilings, and boy does it look, and smell amazing! Decorating the tree together is always fun. Now we have some peoples of all heights in our family, so the whole tree gets prettified!

Thanks for sharing in our Christmas this year.

If you would like to see how others have decorated, head over to

THE NESTER.