Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year. I really do spend all year doing things to get ready. Picking the theme for my table than finding things to support my theme, looking for gifts, making ornaments, stitching stockings and tablecloths, etc.
The first thing I do every year the day after Thanksgiving is decorate the trees. We have three trees. One big family tree in the living room, a Barbie tree outside our bedroom, and a Disney tree in the sun room.
I watch alot of HGTV - in fact, I'm addicted to those design shows. This year, as I watched the "Christmas Decorating" shows I was struck with a theme that running through them all - YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE SHOULD HAVE A THEME. Having lots of random stuff on your tree looks like clutter!! Wow, stop there. I firmly disagree. When I decorate my tree it is a time that transports me to another world - the past. Each ornament, which there are probably close to 300, has some meaning and each ornament is one of a kind with the exception of a few that are in sets of four. I remember who gave me the ornament and pray for that person, I remember the people that painstakingly made ornaments and pray for them. There are ornaments that Sandie made when she was little - you know macaroni and pipe cleaners!! - I pray for her. It takes me forever to decorate the tree but when I'm finished I've visited more points in time than during the whole previous year. When I look at the decorated tree it is packed with wonderful memories. When people visit, they love to look for the ornaments they gave us or look for one that they really like. Does it look cluttered?? Absolutely not - it looks festive and beautiful.
So, what do we do with this themed thing. OK, I admit, I had to at least address the idea so I have two small trees. One with all my Christmas Barbie ornaments and one with all Disney ornaments. There, I have satisfied those designers and I have satisfied my creative, nostalgic side.
