It's Beginning ...

to look a lot like Christmas in the Carson house!

It may be a cardinal sin, but I'm notorious for putting up the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I have found it causes less panic & stress for me to decorate well before the holiday. This year I decided to go a little simpler than I normally do. I opted to not put on the "sit around" stuff & concentrate more on the trees and mantel. I must say - I really like the uncluttered look.

Our mantel in the dining room is decorated in the traditional red/green combo w/ a lime green twist. It's so fun! Most of the items came from the Dollar Store and Walmart on the after Christmas sales. The polka dot glittered ornaments where purchased from a Christmas specialty shop.

This is a close up shot of our main tree in the living room. It is done in coppers, bronze, and limey green. Lots of ribbons (yes, that is leopard & it's a new addition this year), tree stuffers/picks, feathers, and ornaments. The copper metal cage that you see (left side) is actually a cover for the patio lights you see in the summer. I plugged them over the lights all over the tree for a little something extra.

The top photo is the tree in all its flocking glory! It's packed - I love it! All gaudy as my Granny would say. I put it on a rotating stand so the tree spins & all ornaments can be seen.

The Hubs has his own trees as well. Decorated to a hunter/fisherman delight with feathers, hunting/fishing theme ornaments, ribbons, and even shotgun shells covering some of the lights.

Ellie also has a tree in her room w/ colored lights & all of her special ornaments. Each year, Ellie gets a new ornament (or 2) for her tree. It's a tradition that my mom started when I was younger. Now, those same ornaments from my childhood are displayed each year on our tree.