Saturday, December 23, 2017

At Last The Christmas Decorations Are Up!

Chronica Domus
Photo: Chronica Domus


I really don't know where December has gone but the month has sped away faster than a Hatton Garden jewel thief.   This year we are staying home for Christmas and hosting overseas house guests who arrive this afternoon.  I am very much looking forward to both enjoying their good company and celebrating Christmas for the first time in four years in my own home.

When one expects house guests at this time of the year there is much to do in anticipation of their visit.  On top of all that, there is a laundry list of tasks to be completed before Christmas day arrives including lots of specialty food shopping for Christmas day dinner, and a few last minute presents. One of the more pleasurable undertakings of the season is tarting up the house.   As we like to keep things simple around here, we avidly adhere to Miss Pole's Yuletide Decorating Philosophy so last weekend we made time to track down our evergreen tree and bring it home.  Patience our teenage daughter was insistent that we select a "fuller" tree.  What she really meant was she would like a species other than my preferred Silver Tip which is gappy by nature and provides ample room between branches to hang my collection of antique and vintage ornaments.  We settled on the Noble Fir you see below.

Chronica Domus
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Norton immediately approved of Patience's choice of tree
(let's hope the ornaments are of less interest to him)
Photo: Chronica Domus


After a battle installing the fairy lights (the upper-most strand decided to die in situ!), a trip to the store was in order to procure a further supply.  This is the sort of tomfoolery that perfectly demonstrates why I have a love-hate relationship with fairy lights.  I would much rather opt to illuminate our tree with miniature candles.  As you can imagine, my husband is horrified by my pyrotechnic flight of fancy so the fairy lights remain.  Ah well, one can always fantasize about such things.

Chronica Domus
This year's exuberant color palette is a combination of silver, green, pale pink,
raspberry, and orange
Photo: Chronica Domus


Before finding the strength of will to get back to the tree decorating, I decided that adorning the mantelshelf would be a far less taxing experience.  I used the pine cones that Patience and I collected and decorated with frosty glass glitter years earlier when she was still in elementary school, together with clippings from the tree.

Chronica Domus
Crushed glass glitter provides a seasonal frosty appearance to pine cones that perch 
upon an English Regency slop bowl and cups
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Of course there's always room atop the looking glasses and picture frames for a little
seasonal greenery and a pine cone or two
Photo: Chronica Domus


I thought it would be fun to continue the pine cone theme in the dining room.  Below is the ivory colored goose feather tree decked out in ... you've guessed it, pine cones!

Chronica Domus
Vintage silver glass pine cones adorn the goose feather tree which is anchored in an
old tole container topped off with yet more (green) vintage glass pine cone ornaments
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Here's a close-up of the tole container anchoring the feather tree with help from a pile of
vintage glass pine cones in shades of green and gold
Photo: Chronica Domus


Moving to the kitchen next, I simply could not stop myself.  More pine cones and clippings from the Noble Fir tree found a resting spot upon the hanging wall shelf.

Chronica Domus
Have I gone too far?  What, I wonder, would Miss Pole make of all this pine cone frippery?
Photo: Chronica Domus


Returning to the evergreen tree in the drawing room, Patience was eager to help me hang the hundreds of vintage glass ornaments in place.  We used thin gauge wire instead of ornament hangers to secure each ornament to its bough by wrapping it around the needles.  The extra effort, we hope, will insure the delicate ornaments stay put.  At least that's the idea.

Chronica Domus
Photo: Chronica Domus


I think the newly acquired old ornaments from the recent sale I attended look splendid upon this year's tree 
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Thank goodness the fairy lights are still working now that the ornaments have been hung!
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Although it was sunny and bright this morning when I photographed the tree, it was sufficiently chilly that we plan on lighting a fire later today
Photo: Chronica Domus


Chronica Domus
Patience was thrilled with her choice of evergreen tree, and the cheery colors
of the ornaments, and looks forward to plenty of presents being piled beneath it
Photo: Chronica Domus


I had just a few more pine cones and bits of greenery to fiddle with so here they are, atop the chest of drawers and the looking glass in the drawing room.

Chronica Domus
Photo: Chronica Domus


Now that the house is dressed for Christmas, I look forward to a few hours of tranquility before driving to the airport to retrieve our house guests. Then, at last, the season's merry making can commence!  

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!


18 comments:

  1. Dear CD,
    May your family's Christmas be very merry. We know it will be bright what with those beautiful shiny vintage glass ornaments twinkling on your trees. I love the shot of Norton checking out the tree. Isn't that classic feline curiosity?
    BTW, your restored console table that you acquired this year looks splendid in your dining room.
    Ho, ho, ho and all good cheer....
    KL Gaylin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Dearest KL Gaylin,

      You'll be pleased to learn that Norton has been on his best behaviour around the tree. I've caught him batting at a few of the lower hung ornaments but as they are wired around the branches, no harm was done.

      Pleased you approve of the newly installed chest in the dining room. It does look rather marvalous bedecked in its Christmas finery I think.

      I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and it was a real pleasure to have met you earlier in the summer. What a treat that was, and one we hope to repeat again.

      CD

      Delete
  2. This is absolutely lovely! What is your method for safely storing all those fragile glass ornaments? Best wishes for a merry Christmas to you and yours.
    slf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello slf, and thank you. Storage of the fragile ornaments is always such a challenge but I've finally found some hard plastic boxes that are stackable and use acid free tissue paper to wrap each of the larger, shaped ornaments. The smaller, plainer balls are gathered in small cardboard barrel-shaped boxes that once held Fortnums truffles would you belive. Those don't require individual wrapping, thank goodness, otherwise I'd simply be quite mad at this stage in my life.

      Delete
  3. Your tree is lovely. Your vintage ornaments look beautiful.

    I do like trees that have space between the branches, as yours does, allowing space for ornaments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Diogenes,

      Thank you and I'm pleased you enjoyed the tree. I've come around to liking the Noble Fir over the past week, or at least the one my daughter encouraged us to bring home. The ornaments don't look as lost as I thought they would.

      Delete
  4. Dear CD

    Your decorations are delightful - what a lovely welcoming gesture for your guests.
    I hope there'll be a follow-up post detailing the celebrations!
    Wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases.

    Spud.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Dear Spud, and thank you yes, we and our house guests are having a marvelous time of it so far. I shall certainly consider writing a post on it all once the merriment subsides a little in the New Year.

      I too wish you and your family a (belated) Merry Christmas!

      Delete
  5. Your home is beautiful dressed in holiday finery. The soft glow of vintage ornaments is perfection on your natural tree and on the lovely goose feather tree.
    I think your addition of simple greenery and pine cones is traditional, warm and welcoming.
    May you and yours enjoy the many blessings of the holiday season.
    Regards,
    Elizabeth Speicher

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Elizabeth Speicher,

      Thank you for your lovely comment. I'm so pleased you approve of all the decorations. I'm sure your tree(s) must have looked quite lovely too what with your enormous collection bedecking it (them?).

      I hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday season too and I look forward to your continued support and readership in the New Year.

      Delete
  6. Your home is beautiful! Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jen Lawrence, and a very (belated) Merry Christmas to you and your family!

      Delete
  7. Hello CD, Your home looks perfect--just the right amount of greenery and old, softly colored ornaments for perfect festivity.

    I just emailed my family the photo of your chest with the bouillotte lamp on it. My mother just took a bouillotte from the garbage area in her building. Hers is not bad, but I wanted her to see what an older one looked like. She pretends to disapprove of my sister's and my curbside raids, but obviously she is catching the spirit!

    Best holiday greetings to you and your family.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jim, and thank you for your kind endorsement of my Christmas decorating efforts. I found two more ornaments whilst out and about yesterday, and added those to the tree for a bit more festive cheer, not that anyone would notice!

      I laughed at the description of your "curbside raids". Please do tell your mother I've been there myself and found a terrific old kitchen cupboard from the 1920's that had been yanked from a kitchen of the same period as our house, with original green paint. It sits in our basement's pantry area today, rescued from the curb, and put to good use once again. Oh, and well done to your mother for rescuing a lamp that she too can provide a second life to.

      Delete
  8. Dear CD,

    Your home is beautifully decorated and your blog is a delight! Looking forward to readying many more posts in 2018. Thank your for all the beautiful pictures!

    SB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello SB,

      Thank you so very much for your kind comment. I too look forward to writing more blog posts in the New Year and for for your continued support.

      CD

      Delete
  9. Everything looks lovely as I expected.Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, AD, and I too wish you a belated Merry Christmas!

      Delete

Please do leave a comment as I enjoy the dialogue with my readership, thank you.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...