The Art of Beautiful Living

Christmas Decorations at the Homestead 2019

I’m dating this post because I have big plans for the future.  This is what we were able to accomplish this year.  Next year is still being discussed.  I have hopes for garland and trees in the old part of the house.  I need to do some research on what 1850 Christmas decorations in Scotland and Texas would have looked like.  I want the house to twinkle.  But this year, we just hadn’t really had time to plan it and we weren’t up to it.

Seriously, the exterior isn’t completed.  The yard is a wreck.  There is very little traffic on the country road in front of our house.  Lights outside seemed like more work that they were worth this year especially since we were scrambling the week before family arrived with installing shelves in the kitchen, putting up the mantle, building a mudroom coat closet, and designing and installing a rolling pin display in the kitchen.  Lights?  Who has time for lights?  I was thrilled that the monstrosity of a tree had been assembled and decorated the day after Thanksgiving while our kids were still here.

Finishing Touches

Jordan and Anna arrived from Virginia on December 16th and I was glad that there was decorating still left to do.  They are both joys.  This was their first time to visit the Homestead since it was finished and we moved in.  I don’t know exactly how to manage it, but I want them (I want all of our children) to feel like this is home.  You know, like our ancestral home place.  It is going to take years of making memories here to do that.

Being a part of pulling it all together, helps, too, because it gives a sense of both belonging and ownership.  You know, the “this is what we do…” and “I did this last year and the year before that” sort of stuff.  I guess what I am trying to say is this:  traditions make things feel familiar.  Having my Nana’s ceramic Christmas tree on display feels familiar.  Hanging up the same ornaments year after year, feels familiar even when they are being hung on a new tree in a new house.

Anna and I share a Christmas light opinion.  We both buy into the more is better school of thought.  I pulled out a tub of lights and we got busy.

We decided we needed more.

The wreath was just icing on the cake…especially since it came with its own lights!

A Gift from MeMe and PaPa

Jerry’s mom and dad gifted us with a wonderful family gift.  It is a galvanized tub that has “Burch Family’s First Christmas at White Rock, 2019” engraved on it.  MeMe filled it full of games, movies, candies and other treats for us to enjoy during the holidays.  The problem (no…the opportunity) was that once it was emptied of all its goodies, what did I do with the empty tub?

It was beautiful and needed to be on display.  It looked kinda strange just sitting their empty though.  A sudden inspiration hit and I got to work.

I realized that I was lazy and that I hadn’t thrown out the Thanksgiving floral display Jerry had purchased.  It still looked fresh, but it was out of season now.  Time for an update.

I removed all the fall foliage and set the tray and floral foam into the tub.  I began to position the greenery around the edges.

The foliage was purchased from Walmart for $5 a bundle.  I had two bundles, but I didn’t have enough to make a huge display and so I opted to use candles as the central focal point of the arrangement.  There were several glass candle holders available for me to use and so I pulled out the tallest ones I had and placed them in the tub as well.

Finally, because I didn’t think we would have a fire in the fireplace, I decided that this arrangement would fill that area and add a small flicker of light to the empty fireplace.  It was just the right touch, I think.

 

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