Merry Christmas Eve

Let me tell you that I wish I had photos to share of what my childhood Christmases looked like. Our Christmas season started with me whining about when we were going to put up the tree. I love decorating for Christmas and always have and given that our house growing up had been described as it looking like Christmas threw up in there, it's obvious that this is a trait I've inherited.

When it was finally time to put up the tree, it was a big ordeal. Our artificial tree was the kind with color-coded branches that you had to separate and fluff and stick in the appropriate holes. This was also way before the genius of pre-lit trees. If you were around to witness my dad stringing the lights on the tree (which were those big, retro, colorful lights) you'd think he had hated it. Well, maybe he did hate stringing up the lights, but he also hated if it hadn't been done correctly. (This is also why I decorate my tree without Jamie's help. No, that one's too close to one just like it!) Usually during this time, the rest of us were putting out the rest of the decorations that went on shelves, tables and whatever else we could deck with holiday cheer.

Once Dad had used every four-letter-word in his vocabulary (and possibly some he invented) and the lights were up and the tree perfectly fluffed, it was time to decorate the tree. This is where I learned how to "properly" hang the ornaments.

Fundamentals of Christmas Tree Decorating 101

Prof. Sandra L. Stancliff

The basics of Christmas tree decorating as taught from generation to generation. Learn the importance of the order of decorating, spacing and equal placement, as well as how to appropriately place each type and size ornament. Finish the course with a hands-on direction of proper tinsel-hanging. 

The glory of a finished tree is something I still awe over today. Decorating for Christmas still gives me that same feeling I had as a kid. Even though Christmas morning isn't the same for an adult (especially of the no-kids-yet variety), I still find that I anticipate it the same, and it all starts with the decorating.

I decorate much earlier than my family did growing up. I get the itch on November 1st, but do my best to hold out until after Thanksgiving. I've shared a bit of my decorating with you in a few past posts here, here and here, but wanted to try and get some better photos. Unfortunately, they might not really be better, but I will share them anyway.

Our tree lives (in the not-so kind of way) in the dining room because we don't have the space for it in the living room.

We have a lot of rails, so I decorate those, too. 

The living room houses a couple small trees and our stockings. It also is where you'll find Christmastown in the country of Pianotop. 

Christmastown has a brewery.

A couple houses that don't really match scale-wise.

A fire station and another house (which was a hand-me-down).

And the bakery comes from my gram's old Christmas village.

Jamie is in charge of Christmastown; he does a pretty good job.

My favorite part, though, is that you can see the Christmas tree in the dining room from the living room downstairs!

My mom made this for us a while back. It hangs on our wreath and has two more blank stockings for our future expansion.

And this is what Christmas Eve looks like in Orange County right now. Rain and leaves.

So that's not all of my decor, but the main stuffs. I have a fair amount more, but that'd probably get boring. Anyway, we will be spending this evening with some good friends then tomorrow will be spent with Jamie's brothers and their wives.

Merry Christmas, dudes!