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Teacups in the Garden

Historical Seamstress & Homeschooler

Cutting down our tree, Decorating, Baking for Christmas
Traditions - Christmas

Cutting down our tree, Decorating, Baking for Christmas

December 25, 2016

With the kids going to work and college, we have less time for Christmas festivities, so we squeeze in all the fun we can.

Thus, we went to the Christmas tree farm on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, this year, since the kids worked Friday and Saturday.

Walking around to choose the tree, my kids wanted to find the tallest one possible that would fit in our living room.

Everygreen Christmas Tree Farm in Nokesville, Virginia

When my kids found an abandoned bird’s nest in one of the trees, they insisted that was the tree for us, just like Mary Ellen Walton’s in The Homecoming.

We chose the tree with the abandoned bird nest, like Mary Ellen Walton's on The Homecoming

Since we watch The Homecoming every Christmas, and we had visited Walton’s Mountain earlier this summer, this was a big deal!

The Waltons is based on the life of Earl Hamner in central Virginia during the Great Depression, who wrote the book, The Homecoming, which was produced as a movie in 1971.

The movie was so successful, it became a popular weekly television show.

When my son measured the height of the tree, he said it was the perfect height, not too tall and not too short.

my son measuring the tallest Christmas tree he can find so that it will still fit in the living room

ORNAMENTS

A few of my favorite crystal-like ornaments for the tree, of which I love the effect when the light glistens through them.

bells - crystal-like ornaments on our Christmas tree
angel crystal-like ornament on our Christmas tree
crystal-like bell with holly and red berries ornament on our Christmas tree

This graceful angel has pearls.

angel with pearls ornament on our Christmas tree

DECOR

Lanterns decorated with holly, snow covered pine cones, and ribbon for Christmas

Wanting to find more decor pieces reflective of the Reason for the Season, I’ve been collecting stars, angels, and nativity scenes, like this one for the dining room.

Nativity scene and grapevine star for Christmas
French horn with greenery and red bow with nativity snow globe for Christmas
Red berries and red velvet ribbons adorn candles for Christmas

Along with all our favorite cookies, I made the fruit cake.

2016-12-24 Making fruitcake for Christmas

CHRISTMAS EVE

And then it was Christmas Eve…

Poinsettias and cardinals decorating the kitchen window for Christmas

Another nativity set for our chess table.

Nativity set for the chess table for Christmas

A new arrangement of Advent Candles.

Five candles lit for Advent on Christmas Eve

Another nativity set for the family room.

Manger scene on Christmas Eve

Meanwhile my kids have been campaigning for more Christmas trees throughout the house, for years, like our neighbors.

Since they promised to help (and they did), I found an extra tree for the family room that is prelit, that we top with a giant red bow.

My son easily set that one up in a few minutes.

One day we might make ornaments for it.

Family room Christmas tree

The Christmas bags under the family room tree, near the fire place where the stockings are hung, are full of the stocking stuffers! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Stockings hung with lit garland from fireplace for Christmas
Living room decorated for Christmas
Christmas boxes
Santa with Christmas boxes near the tree

I love this train set and village.

Village and train under Christmas tree
Village and train under Christmas tree
Village and train under Christmas tree

Forgot to take a picture of all the Christmas pillows, but they are gorgeous like this one…great Hobby Lobby finds that we’ve had for years.

Snowman pillow for Christmas

For the basement, the kids pulled out the old artificial tree we brought from Texas, upon which they strung candy-colored lights and hung some extra childhood ornament collections we had that tells the story of Christ’s birth.

Candy colored lights for Christmas tree in basement

CHRISTMAS DAY

For dinner we enjoyed our favorite Old English Christmas dinner, with roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

Hoping the Yorkshire Pudding remains poofed long enough for a picture, I’ve started baking them in individual ramekins.

2016 Old English Christmas Dinner: Roast Beef, gravy, Yorkshire Pudding, Gingered Cranberry Sauce, Green Beans, Salad

For more photos, check my Flickr set.

POT POURRI

  • Christmas Fun Singing, Decorating, Baking, and CookingMichael W Smith Christmas Concert Ticket McLean Bible Church
    Date
    December 23, 2012
  • Christmas Cheer Woven through our busy School DaysGingerbread Cookies with Lemon Curd
    Date
    December 24, 2013
  • A Fancy Party Dress amidst Christmas Preparations1957 Christmas Party Dress
    Date
    December 26, 2015

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A former homeschool mom who sees the world through the lens of 18th century Virginia…and discovers Lafayette everywhere she turns.

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