Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Decorations





After several weeks days of complaining and worrying about whether it would all get done, the Chesapeake Bay Family house is as ready as it's ever gonna get finally ready for Christmas.




Yes, that's an inflatable snowman sitting on my front porch.
Also, yes, that is a rope light hanging around the window.
They're not just for outside.
Are they?


For my mother's birthday this Christmas Eve, we're planning a big family seafood dinner.


The dinner will be big, the family isn't really that big.  Also, it's not a family of seafood.  That sentence sure was poorly written. Let me try again.

For my mother's birthday on Christmas Eve, the entire Chesapeake Bay Family will sit down to a big seafood dinner.

There. That's a little better.




Yep.  That's a Santa Claus hanging on the wall back there.
And those are tacky cheap Dollar Store decorations hanging from the chandelier.









I have a whole shelf dedicated to Santa Clauses that I picked up at thrift stores over the years. Those wooden birds live on this shelf  year round, and they look forward to this one time of the year when they have some company.









Below is an example of my mother's incredible artwork.  She painted that Santa Claus on an old coffee can a long time ago. I love it.








One of my favorite thrift store finds is the nautical Santa Claus below.







Here's my artificial Christmas tree in all its  gory  glory. This thing and I have a love/hate relationship.  We go about sixteen rounds every year when I try to haul it up and down the basement steps.

It's brutal, but worth it. The Chesapeake Bay Children won't let me light a match to it like I want to retire it and get a smaller tree.







Speaking of my kids, they made the snowman below.  Chesapeake Bay Son fashioned that hat out of some marsh grass, and they took a tine from a plastic fork to make the nose.  This is another one of my favorite decorations.







Merry Christmas!

8 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

Wonderful! I love your dining room furniture, and no one would have said "Aha, tacky dollar store decorations hanging from the chandelier" if you hadn't pointed it out. (More for you to cross out.)
Love your tree, too, and your mother's coffee can Santa, and the kids' snowman, and your fabulous find, the seagoing Santa. Fabulous!
K

Country Girl said...

Is it just me, or does that coffee can santa sort of look like your dad? Ok, maybe it's me.
I think your place looks wonderful, homey, peaceful, merry, and bright. And I can't wait to see you!!

Maria_NJ said...

I second Kate's comment....

the tree look wonderful, the table scape beautiful, Have a very Merry Christmas...

thomas said...

Homemade or kid-made stuff is just awesome.

Merry Christmas

Anonymous said...

CBW--hope you had a great Momma celebration. Thanks for taking the time (you have so little to spare) to photograph everything and share with us. Your home is impressively festooned, and you have such an artistic eye that you can make inexpensive and home made items work seamlessly with all, because they reflect love. I admired that snowman, CBW kids, before I knew it was your creation! I love everything.
Girl, don't fret about exterior vs. interior use of the rope light--it will come in handy in the event that Javier Bardem comes strolling by your property..just unplug the rope and lasso him !
XO XO , LLC

Dghawk said...

Your home looks absolutely wonderful! Just the way a home SHOULD look on Christmas. I can hear the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy music from the Nutcracker playing in the background.

As for the "tacky" and homemade decorations, to me they are always the best.

I wish you and all your family the Merriest of Christmases and hope your Mother enjoyed her birthday.

Karen Deborah said...

I don't think anything looks gory or tacky, it looks great! Love all your favorite ornaments. Merry Christmas to everybody!

Daryl said...

Cant wait to see you .. I hope Santa brings you everything you wished for xoxox