Decorated for Christmas: Stairway and Hallway

Last year the nutcracker ornaments were on the two trees in the dining room. This year they are found in the stairway and hallway! At the bottom of the stairs 2 nutcrackers flank the stairs…..

As you walk up the steps, you will see nutcrackers of all shapes and sizes, along with different drums….

I wired a nutcracker to each bow…….

At the top of the steps is my gingerbread wall tree. I had a handful of gingerbread ornaments that I didn’t know what to do with….. until I saw the small wall tree at Michaels!

Looking down the hall are more nutcrackers…..

with a nutcracker wreath……

and at the end of the hall…. a small nutcracker tree!

Who says ornaments are just for trees? Not me!

Technorati Tags: Christmas decorating

12/21- A Southern Daydreamer Week in Review

My first week of blogging and I have enjoyed it. Thank you for welcoming me to blog land! Christmas is coming (quickly) so most of my posts were Christmas-related.

This weeks posts: (clicking on post title will open link in a new window)

• Are you a Daydreamer?
• Don't you love Surprises in the Mail!
• Dining Room Table Centerpiece
• Tablescape Tuesday
• Dining Room Decorated for Christmas
• Decorated for Christmas: the kitchen
• Decorated for Christmas: the Living Room
• Decorated for Christmas: the Master Bedroom
• Is there a Santa Claus? (part 1)
• NORAD Tracks Santa
• Decorated for Christmas: Dachshund style

There were a few questions among the comments. I am not sure how everyone else handles questions, but I thought I would answer them here: (I hope I didn't miss any)

Comment Questions Answered:  

• “This glorious decorating is all in your master bedroom?” from Bo of Blinks N’ Winks From Brown-Eyes- Yes! I love Christmas! I like to curl up in bed with the lights on in the room. For many years I only decorated “public” areas of the house……but the decorations have spread into every room!
• “How many trees do you put up?” from Kathleen of Kathleen Ellis- My kids help (put their trees up in their rooms). Total trees this year: 10 trees 6 feet or taller, 5 trees less then 6 feet tall, and 2 small wall trees (and I couldn’t do it all without my daughter’s help!)
• "Are those little frames you're using to put the photos in?" from Sheila of Note Songs - Yes, most are frame ornaments that I picked up everywhere. Some are simply small frames that I added wire to the back to hang from the tree. I add more photos each year.
• "Do I like horses?" from Susan of Grammy's House- I like horses but am not around them very often
• "It (house updating) isn't easy is it? from Sheila of Note Songs -   No it isn't!  But if it were ALL done at once, what would I have to daydream about? I enjoy the planning!
• "Where did I find the snowflakes?" from Kathleen of Kathleen Ellis - Would you believe, I got the snowflakes at The Dollar Store? They were with the Christmas decorations. When I picked them up my daughter looked at me like "Which tree are THOSE going on?" and I answered "placemats". Not everything needs to be used for what it was intended for!
• "Didn't you just change your blog header? from Sheila of Note Songs - Yes I did! This is my first week of having my very own blog so I am learning as I go. So far so good, but I welcome any suggestions and recommendations from those of you who have been at this a while!

I enjoyed reading all the comments left by everyone. It is very humbling to get compliments from the bloggers whom I have admired for a long time and who are the inspiration behind me finally starting my very own blog!

Thank you to all  the visitors of  A Southern Daydreamer who left wonderful comments this week: Ahrisha, Alaura, Alicia B, Ann, Becky, Belle-ah, Blossom, Bo, Bonita, Carol, Cathy, ceekay, Cheryl Gail, Cielo, Darlene, Deb, ellen b, Envoy-ette, Glenda, Gollum, Jean, Joyful Dreamer, Kathi, Kathleen, Kathleen Ellis, Kim, Knitting Nice, kymber, Lana G , Laurie, Liz, Lynne, Ma'dame French, Mary Ellen, Melissa, Miss Janice, Once in a Blue Moon, Pat, pcb, philben5, Really Rainey, Rebecca, redsoxmom, Rose, Sally, Schotzy, Sheila, Storm, Susan, Susan, sjbraun, Tam, tar devil, Theresa, thouartloosed, Vicki, White Iris Designs, Xinex , and Zoey.

I appreciate all of the wonderful things you had to say! I hope you all will stop by again soon!

A big "Thank you" to my new followers at A Southern Daydreamer: (clicking on site name will open link in a new window)

• A New Day Dawning (kymber)
• Bargain Hunting with Laurie (Laurie)
• Between Naps on the Porch (Susan)
• Beverly "Sand" Hills (philben5)
• Blinks 'N Winks From Brown-Eyes (Bo)
• Confessions of a 40-Something Mama Queen (tar devil)
• Fantasy Fields (Vicki)
• Happy Yarns (Knitting Nice)
• Interior Rooms (Blossom)
• Life at Ann's Place (Ann)
• Lynne's Gifts from the Heart (Lynne)
• Mary's Meanderings (Mary Ellen)
• Melissa's Heart and Home (Melissa)
• Our Creative Life (Darlene)
• Southern Somedays (Belle-ah)
• The Gypsy's Corner (Tam)
• The Project Table  (Really Rainey)
• White Iris Designs 

Decorated for Christmas: Dachshund style

A quick peek into the half bath which has become the dachshund room..... for Christmas....

Santa and his sleigh are covered in dachshunds in this beautiful collectible from Danbury Mint.

Why dachshunds? We have three mini-doxies that are members of the family.... so of course, they get their own tree! I found this cute little alpine tree at Hobby Lobby and knew that it would fit perfectly in the corner in this little bathroom! (My husband thought the size of the bathroom would prevent it from having a tree.... he should know better after all these years)

There are pictures of all our current and previous dachshunds on the tree, along with other dog-related ornaments. Here are Lady (top photo), Daisy (lower left), and Princess (lower right)

Lady and Princess are no longer with us but we still miss them. Daisy’s picture isn’t very clear,but she is sitting up (looks more like a bear). Isn't that little ornament of the dachshund in the flower pot adorable?

And here are two of our girls, Heidi (top) and Mitzi (lower left). Doesn't Mitzi look stunning in her pink sweater? She loved that sweater..... until her sister (Heidi) chewed it up one day.

I love the little dachshund ornaments on the tree. Here are a few of my favorites.

Looking at the picture now…. I think the tree needed something…. perhaps I will get a box of milk bone dog biscuits and tie them on with ribbons for next year!  Or maybe I can find a cute ribbon with bones on it and use the ribbon as garland……. what do you think?

Does your pet have a tree or stocking?

Technorati Tags: Christmas decorating

NORAD tracks Santa

Have you (and your kids) checked out the NORAD site for tracking Santa on Christmas Eve?

Here is the link: NORAD Tracks Santa

Here is the video from last year: (hope I linked this right)

NORAD tracks Santa 2007

Until Christmas Eve, you can receive updates from the North Pole and to discover new surprises in the Kids' Countdown. (click to visit)

Technorati Tags: Christmas

Is there a Santa Claus? (part 1)

Note: Stay tuned for “Is there a Santa Claus? (part 2)” on Monday- I am going to hand the camera to my daughter this weekend and ask her to wander through the house taking random shots of the Santa’s in the house!  Care to share some Santa photos? If so, add a comment to this post and I will make a list of participants to include with my post on Monday.

I have always loved this article, so I decided to share it with you all:

From the Editorial Page, New York Sun, 1897: Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

From The People's Almanac, pp. 1358-9:

Francis P. Church's editorial, "Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" was an immediate sensation, and became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, almost a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.

Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O'Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter:

"Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn't any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject.

"It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, 'If you see it in the The Sun, it's so,' and that settled the matter.

" 'Well, I'm just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,' I said to father.

"He said, 'Go ahead, Virginia. I'm sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.' "

And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents' favorite newspaper.

Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and had worked on the The New York Sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man, had for his personal motto, "Endeavour to clear your mind of cant." When controversial subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were usually given to Church.

Now, he had in his hands a little girl's letter on a most controversial matter, and he was burdened with the responsibility of answering it.

"Is there a Santa Claus?" the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history.

Church married shortly after the editorial appeared. He died in April, 1906, leaving no children.

Virginia O'Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at age 21. The following year she received her Master's from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial. Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.

Sources:

• Newspaper clipping from Newseum.org,
• The People's Almanac, pp. 1358-9
• Photo credit- Department of Defense

Technorati Tags: Christmas

Decorated for Christmas: the Master Bedroom

At the end of the day when I head to bed, I am greeted with a wreath on the bedroom door......

and inside, another Christmas tree! (How many of you have figured out I have a least one tree, of some sort, in every room?)

A closer look at some of the ornaments on the tree

I love the mask with feathers. Most of the ornaments on this tree are gold,copper, and bronze. On top of the tree is one of my many angel tree toppers.

There is a garland and wreath over the bed.

 

Two nutcrackers flank the television

And on top of the entertainment center....three reindeer keep an eye on things....

Christmas decorations everywhere....and there is more!

Thanks for stopping by....and don't forget to come back again for a visit!

Technorati Tags: Christmas decorating

Decorated for Christmas: the Living Room

Come on into the living room and check out the decorations.

The tree on the left is a live tree (that is quickly drying out). If you look closely behind it, you can see how high one could reach without getting out the ladder or setting up a scaffold. Don't worry it is "on the list" to be done after the holidays!

The china cabinet has village pieces that were gifts from my Mom years ago. I like  having them up top where they won't get broken.

 

Inside the china cabinet are some of my Santa's and snow globes

To the left of the china cabinet is my Santa tree. A tree full of Santa's.... how fun is that!!

Lots of Santa's....

Behind the Santa tree next to the front door are some of my nutcrackers (and Santa's under the table)

Back into the living room and to the fireplace

and more nutcrackers! Would you believe I have even more nutcrackers? Last year my dining room was full of nutcrackers on the sideboard, table and 2 trees. This year they have moved to .......  the garland on the stairway and hallway! Come back soon and I will have photos of the nutcrackers....

Technorati Tags: Christmas decorating