Because I'm much better at decorating for Christmas than I am for Halloween

Over at the Mormon Mommy Blogs, they're doing a "Holiday Home Tour" - everyone posts pictures of their house to create envy ideas. Well, sign me up for needless guilt and stress!

This is The Tree. It probably looks like everyone else's. Except I'm thinking that it's in desperate need of some gold scarvy-thingies, flung artistically here and there. Maybe next year. If they're on sale.

Surprisingly, Da Boyz have left the presents alone. Somehow the threat of disembowelment has worked well.

This is our front room. It's not all that Christmas-y. But I've been meaning to post it to show off my awesome ceiling that had me limping for a week. Plus the woodworking we had done. (Your home teacher should be a carpenter, too.)

That big blue ugly thing over the piano will be a beautiful mosaic of the temple someday. You know, when I have "time." Later.

Easiest, cheapest Christmas decor: wrap your existing pictures.

Although I think I'm going to change the wrapping paper to green. The silver isn't working for me.

This is my project this year; it will hang over the piano (replacing the big blue ugly future mosaic) once Michael's receives shipment of the "r's" and "t's." Why are they ALWAYS OUT OF SOMETHING? (I don't know why this picture is posting sideways, despite my having flipped it three times. I didn't invent blogger.com. Unfortunately.)


I like my kiddies.

This is the advent calendar that my awesome sister-in-law made us for our first Christmas. An identical one hangs in my in-law's house, and it wouldn't be Christmas without it. That big yellow puffball to the right is a camel, okaaaaaaaaaaay?

This kind of garland-y centerpiece stuff is all over my house. Garland. Gold berries. Gold spray stuff. Green apples. White doves. You have to buy those doves in packs of eight, and I put them to good use.

Sheepies are important to us. My Man's family have been sheep farmers for eons. Except for him. He's in finance. Sorry.


I'm proud of this. It took a long time to wire together. Probably longer than it would have taken you. (Look! Green grass behind the door! And a ball.)


Who needs a fireplace? We have a gorgeous buffet table that we got for free in Brazil. It is my favorite thing ever. (And dude, I know there's only four stockings for the five people in our family. I've been meaning to buy Mr. Squishy one ....)


The garland is hung with all of our sentimental-type ornaments. (I wanted a pretty tree, but didn't have the heart to throw away our many trinkets. This is a compromise.)

This ornament was brought to the Americas from England by my great-grandmother.

The snowman is from my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Seuss. Much to our chagrin, she wasn't married to the Dr. If she was, she wouldn't be teaching a bunch of snotty five-year-olds.

But my favorite ever ever is this one:

My mom's ward gave them out a while back. It was MomLady's idea OF COURSE. Though she had Brother Nethercott paint it, because Brother Nethercott is a flippin' genius.

And of course, our Christmas village. Me likey ye olde church.

Belonging to the true church, of course.

I like the ice skater.
And the Wal-mart makes me laugh.