Christmas 2014

A few times a year I skim over "The Nester" and am always inspired and moved by her. She talked about decorating with simplicity and freshness and with real elements - popcorn garlands and handmade childrens items on a real tree instead of gobs of seasonal storage that just add to layers of stuff. She talks about being a memory maker, not a stuff manager. It lays at the back of my heart and mind now - is seasonal decorating about building family time and memories together or is it about hauling out boxes of stuff and spending time unpacking and then repacking the stuff.

The chalkboard wall was a family project - everyone adding in their snowflake. It didn't take long - each snowflake maybe 30 seconds to draw. This was a fun activity that we will do again. I do like having a chalkboard wall. It builds a feeling of informality and connection and art into the home. I really want my house to be a lived in thing, not a museum of display, but only things that are useful and unimportant and meaningful. Unimportant and meaningful can be a hard blend - I want my home to be held with open hands, so that gathering and people always are important and the items are not. However, I want the items in my home to have stories and be serving a good purpose. The chalkboard wall has been this - welcoming family to draw all over the walls, while still providing style and function.

We had a little forest of christmas trees across the table - and the boys egg carton reindeer crafts in the window. We tried to do many projects this year - including a scrapbook of memories.

here is another kid craft - in the window Ama helped the boys make paper christmas trees which went on a candle holder. And I made a metallic NOEL deer head print for the wall.

Our nativity scene is something that I will always box up and take back out. I love putting out the figures and even packing them away again.

There is the picture on the wall of Christmas art that Tristan made as a child, and my newest favorite thing - a topiary reindeer. I just love him. And he'll be hauled up and down from the attic for years to come too. But there will be a balance I hope. Not too much STUFF - only a few well loved things that are always a joy to put away and take out.

We had some other decore, but this was the jist of it. Merry Christmas.