Bit by bit, piece by piece, we're getting it done around here. First came the tree. Lights and star one night and decorations the next. We seem to get our tree earlier than we did when I was a kid. I like having it up early. I come down first every morning and turn the lights on before letting the dogs out. It's the only light glowing in the living room. The tree is my favorite part every year.

I have boxes of family ornaments packed away in Tennessee. I wouldn't mind having those again, but these are all ours. Some made, some purchased, but all from the CFE. Current Family Era. I would like to have those old ornaments, but I'd need another tree. Not that that's a bad thing. I think I may be onto something. Are those ornaments in the attic, Dad?

I made this pom pom garland last year and I love it. It tangles easily, but I married an expert de-tangler, so that's no problem. It's all teals, purples, blues greens and whites. Good colors in our living room.

Last year, I was really sad at Christmas time, so I...ahem...spent a little money on decorations. Until that year, I'd never really decorated beyond the tree and a poinsettia or two. It just never occurred to me to take almost everything off the mantle and make it so different for the season, but I love it. I may have been sad last year, but it sure is pretty around here now.

Our living room was an entirely different color last Christmas, (more
of a sky blue) so I had to switch out the candles, but other than that
the decorations are the same.

Aside from the potted, fluffy flower things, most of the stuff on the
mantle is not new, actually. I love the winter-wonderland look of it.
Sparkly ice crystals.

I'm also really enjoying this trend of non-traditional colors at Christmas time. Teal! Pink! Ice Blue! That's what captured me so much last year. The colors were so much more captivating than traditional red and green.

So we have red and pink and silver in the dining room. Little presents scattered all over the table.

The family room feels more traditional, for us at least. A more traditional garland, and splashes of gold instead of pink and teal. Those reindeer are from Pottery Barn, years and years ago. Isn't that one of the best things? Getting out the stuff year after year? Old friends. And I like how the rooms flow from knock you out dressy to bits and pieces decorated.

Merry Christmas Little Gray House. Time to get to work making presents.