Christmas Decorating ~ A Late Start This Year

Yesterday began the housekeeping month anew and Zone 1 is the deck, front porch, and both entries, as well as the laundry and breakfast areas.  I decided this morning that if I worked in the porch areas, I wanted to have the Autumn wreaths off the doors and Christmas wreaths up.  And that meant redoing the wreaths I have previously decorated if I was going to hang wreaths today.

Out to the shed to dig through the bins and see what I had.  I pulled everything that inspired me.  Every thing I used was what I had on hand already except three red beaded picks I bought at the thrift shop for $.50 this Tuesday.  I got so inspired I even managed a new centerpiece for the dining room table!  That was bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Confession time: this is the THIRD time I've written this post today.  I've had blogger issues for some reason, so I'm starting over one last time.  Here's prayers that this one goes through as written.

This is my Flowering cactus.  I brought it indoors about three weeks ago after Mama urged me to do so.  I was tempted to leave it outdoors longer, but she was right.  Within two days of bringing it indoors it began to bud and this is the result.  Isn't it gorgeous?

This wreath was on the back door two years ago.  I added in the green ornaments and pine cone picks last year and this year, the three beaded picks I got from the thrift store.  Next year, I'll probably strip it and start all over again.  I never pay big bucks for wreaths.  I usually grab up one at 75% off at the dollar store.  I think I paid $3 for this one about 5 years ago.

This swag was on the front door this past year with beaded fruit picks wired on.  I took those off, removed the ribbon and straightened it out.  All it needed was just a nice hard pull between my fingers to make it perfectly nice once again.  I re-tied the bow and attached it to the top.  Then I used the cinnamon sticks and some of the copper ornaments that I've used on my kitchen tree the past three years. Even the curly ribbon is re-used.  (By the way if you right click on the photos you can open them in a new window and get a better look at each image.)

These copper ornaments have special meaning to me.  They are just inexpensive cookie cutters I got about 33 years ago from S&H Green Stamps store the first Christmas of my first marriage.  I used them to cut out cookies for family and friends and later our family tradition was that I'd make sugar cookie dough, roll it, set out sugars and the kids would decorate their own cookies each year.  These went on the Santa plate of cookies.  Our friends brought over their kids, Katie invited her friends...There have been a lot of children who made cookies using this set of cutters.

They aren't very good ones.  Invariably the dough stuck inside, a horse or reindeer or gingerbread man ended up being legless but the kids wouldn't even consider using any other cutters.  These were highly favored.  I offered the cutters to each grown child in turn over the past three years, but no one wanted them.  They have just enough sentimental value to me that I decided to keep them.  And so they became part of the kitchen tree.  Now they are on the back door.  That's where most of our friends enter and it seemed fitting to put a food inspired swag there.

Finally, there's the dining room table.  I read in the December 1991 Victoria magazine that during the mid-late 1800s a cornucopia was a usual table decoration for Christmas time tables.  Who knew?  I was inspired to use my cornucopia which I put on the table for our Thanksgiving meal.

I used the Ruby Crown Diamond point glasses as votive holders since I only have two of them at present.  One day, I dream I'll have a full set of these lovely glasses.

That's as far as I got with the decorating today but I think I'm feeling inspired and challenged now.  Inspired by the work already done having turned out nicely.  Challenged because thus far, my 'new' decorations have cost me $.50.  I do so love a good frugal challenge!