The Christmas Decorating Big Finish

Okay, we're in the home stretch, we're coming around the bend and.... a photo-finish-- just in the nick of time!

This Christmas has felt like a bit of a race, anyway. And I still have a lot of my wrapping to do, so you'll forgive me today if this is a little brief.

My housemate, "Scoobie," jokes that anything that isn't moving gets decorated when it's Christmas at my place, and she might very well be right. Last evening, when I was supposed to be relaxing, I found myself hanging some garland above the livingroom doorway. A few ribbons, some velvet roses and voila!-- instant display.


Some extra garland ended up providing a backdrop for ol' Big Ben as well...


The cathedral below was a St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store find... It got some garland and a bow.


The shelves of bisque started looking a bit empty, so I added a few ornaments here or there for shine...

And the cherub has his sleigh filled with ornaments. Did you know that he pinch hits for Santa when he needs some extra help shipping?


In the kitchen, my behind-the-stove display got some ribbon, beaded fruit and purple garland. It only took a second and it seems so much more festive...


But in my spare room is where all the real work went today. Usually, I do this room in a pale "Shabby Chic" Christmas look. But this time I decided to use some of the jeweled fairies I had in my dining room last year, in here...


Fortunately, my dad, who will be staying in this room, is really tolerant when it comes to my decor. Otherwise, he might just suffer from fairy-overkill here. Garland, ribbons and fairy and butterfly ornaments from TJ Maxx do the trick.


Here's the little tree, done in ribbon, German vintage ornaments, more butterflies, and the occasionally-tucked fairy...


You can see it a bit closer here...

This display is at the foot of the bed, on a set of drawers along the wall. The white mirror was a Salvation Army Thrift Store purchase. I think it was originally from a medicine cabinet. Boy, is it heavy!


This fairy tucked into the corner on a shelf. The gold roses at her feet didn't show up as brightly as I'd expected. They're really encrusted in glitter.


This is the bedside table. Yup, more garland, ribbon, butterflies and a token fairy.


Then, because my collection of pottery looked a bit empty compared to everything else, I tucked a few bottle brush trees between them, to "spruce" things up!


Then I barged into Scoobie's room and begged her to let me take photos of her displays for you. She does a really beautiful job with her stuff. I can only imagine how amazing it will be when she finally gets her own house! But for now, you can see the top of her wardrobe closet...

And the top of her dresser...


And this is her little blue tree. Yes, being in a house filled with Christmas trees, and suddenly she got the bug to have a tree of her own. Maybe it was peer pressure! Anyway, it's got all her favorite colors in it. Blue, blue and more blue!


And today we wind things up, with a teeny festival of lights. The livingroom tree was looking so warm and inviting, I just had to take a pic.


And the pink livingroom tree, all shiny and brite made me smile...

Hope you got a smile out of it, too!

For more Christmas decorating, check out last Wednesday's post, "Hall Decking and Other Fa-La-La's" here.

And join me this Wednesday as I show you a couple of thrifted Christmas presents! I might also have some pics for you of my own bedroom decorated (we'll see how that goes, that's more of a time-permitting thing, as right now my room is a disaster area!).

Hope all of your holiday festivities, if you celebrate, are under control!