Time to Wassail

This weekend we ventured out of the city to Pine Valley Farms. We blasted Christmas Carols the entire way there to shoo away any non-Christmastime thoughts brought on by the gorgeous high-50s weather. 

I had my heart set on a cute little baby tree, and Chris had his set on a tree grown for giants. 

 With contradictory expectations, we debated the merits of many a tree. There were so many, I got separated from him more than once! 

Finally, after almost losing hope, we saw the perfect tree. Not to big, not too little....but just right! It's not the baby tree I had originally envisioned or the gargantuan behemoth that Chris had in mind, but we were smitten. 

She's a beaut! 

No defects and it smells of Christmastime. 

Chris handled the crawling under the tree portion of the sawing, and not to be outdone, I jumped in to trim the lower branches off the fallen trunk. 

Not that anyone cares, but for the record, I don't buy jeans with holes in the knees. These jeans were bought circa early high school and they've earned their wear and tear over the years! 

Can you tell how proud we are of our tree? Chris still claims he loves that crazy big tree he cut down the best, but I'm pretty sure this one is better.

I don't think he was as thrilled about my photo documentation of our adventure as I was :) 

Terrible photo quality, but the start of my mantel decorations! I give complete inspiration credit to Aura.

Chris tackled the outdoor lighting. We used these very cool LED lights around the door. They are larger than the regular lights and look like those old school large bulbs. I added the ribbon bows and Kath contributed the wreath. It might be time to get rid of our last pumpkin. Some rabble-rousers chucked our other pumpkin into the street some time in the wee hours of Sunday morning. 

This might be my most favorite tree of all time, mostly because it's my first one I've gotten since moving out. Can you believe there are 500 lights on this baby? (Chris went a little bit light crazy as we were shopping. Even as I stood in line, he ran back to get three more boxes!!) 

This weekend was the perfect start to the holiday season. I got to see two of my favorite ladies, spent time with Chris, went on a tree adventure, and celebrated the holiday with my coworkers in DC. As cliche as it sounds, I am blessed. 

Weekend Decorations

Do you judge me for already looking forward to the weekend? Even though today is only Thursday? 

This weekend I'm looking forward to selecting and chopping down a SMALL Christmas tree.

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 I must emphasize SMALL, because Chris has an infamous history with Christmas trees. He's decided that since this holiday is named for him, all of this holiday fuss must be in his honor. As such, he thinks we're going to get a big tree. In fact, one year, he and his brother even left the Christmas tree farm to chop down a real, non-Christmas, evergreen from a neighboring farm. They hauled it back to the tree farm for them to bundle and take home.

Let me just tell you, this will not happen this year. 

Needless to say, he comes from the "go big or go home" school of thought. 

I, however, come from the "I have to live with, care for, and dispose of this damn tree in a month" school of thought. We will see who wins the battle! 

This week I've been daydreaming about my Christmas decor. I haven't been out of my parents' house for many years, so I have yet to really accumulate decorations. I love the idea of collecting things over the years so that each ornament has some sort of meaning. I just love a classic looking tree though. I'll likely strike a balance between some uniform ornaments and ribbons and then maybe add a new special ornament or two a year. We will see! 

Here are some decorating ideas I've seen that I just adore. 

Source: aurajoon.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Aura's decorations inspire me all year round, but I especially love how she includes natural elements into her Christmas decorations.

Source: deckthehalls-christmas.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

When I choose holiday decorations, I tend to prefer simple white lights, red ribbons and gold accents. I love how tasteful this is. 

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Growing up, my sisters and I always fought over who got to open the next window on the advent calendar. It was so exciting to see what came next. 

What are your favorite elements to incorporate as you decorate? 

Do you prefer homemade ornaments or store bought? Do you prefer a uniform look or a hodgepodge? 

I think I'm most excited for the smell of a fresh tree in my home. I'm a little bit nervous about Vivi-kitty deciding she wants to become a tree kitten. Things could get ugly pretty quickly!