Christmas in the Country

My Christmas tree this year at the Eastern Shore.  The bay window in the dining room is the perfect place for a tree.  The tree is lit with lots of lights and decorated with hundreds of antique ornaments that I've collected over the years.  I counted - there are about 225 ornaments on the tree!   

Fiona was very excited to have so many tree branches (her favorite thing) inside the house, and she investigated the tree from every angle before I decorated it.

I also hung a huge wreath on the front of the house.

I made the wreath at a wreath-making class at Strange's florist in Richmond, VA last weekend.  BTW, can you see Fiona at her favorite spot looking out the window?

Merry Christmas from the country!

Christmas in the City

My Christmas decorations in DC tend to be pretty low-key, because of both space and time constraints.  This year, I did a table-top live tree, which I decorated with some of my collection of antique ornaments.  (I now have hundreds and hundreds of these ornaments.  I think I have a problem.  Seriously.  I can't stop buying them.  Check back for my CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY post in a few days, and you'll see what I mean.)

I also placed seven, handmade beaded stars on the tree.  They're perfect for filling in blank spaces.  I plan to do a post with instructions on how to make them.  They're really not hard at all.  But aren't they beautiful?  Sparkly simplicity.

Here is what the full tree looks like.

I love it!!  

Happy Holidays, everyone!