Merry Christmas and Twelve Days of Instagram~

Hello there!  I have been working around the house trying to get ready for Christmas.  I am sure you are all doing the same.  My goal for the last twelve days or so has been to post something "Christmas" on Instagram.  It has been fun and has given me the opportunity to show bits and pieces of my Christmas decorations this year since I haven't had time to do a complete blog post on the subject.

I thought this would be a nice time to share some of my Instagram photos with you just in case you do not follow me there and, also, to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. I am planning on taking the rest of the year off from blogging to finish up my Christmas "tasks" and to enjoy the season and to share it with my husband and family.  I certainly hope you are able to do so, as well.

So, now it is on to the slide show~

This arrangement sits in the front entry of my home.  I went with this blue color to coordinate with a painting that hangs in the hallway.  I've enjoyed the departure from the reds and greens in this particular room.  It has been a nice change.

This is a photo of my barn lit up at night.  That is a Christmas tree, if you can't tell what it is :).

This is one of my favorite decorations of the season in my home.  I thought the truck was super fun and I loved the lights on it.

The big Christmas tree in the living room~  The tree was so pretty all by itself that I simply used a tiny bit of garland and filled the tree with many, many ornaments.

This is the living room ottoman topped with a mini wreath and glass tree display.  The wreath is surrounded with battery-operated mini lights.  The batteries are going to be needing some replacement since I forgot to turn the lights off one night!

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The next photos have not made it to Instagram yet.  I am toying with the idea of posting one of them but, am not sure which one to use.  They are pictures of my dining table during the day.  To be honest, I have a terrible time photographing my house during the day.  I either have way too much light or not enough.  It has been a continual problem for me.

This is a night time view of the room.  Maybe after the holidays I should take a photography class so I have better photos for the blog :/

~Outdoor scenery and greenery~

A vignette in the family room, with the smaller artificial tree.  Log cabin, rustic is kind of the theme here.  Every year I add a new ornament or two to match the theme.

~My little polar bear keeping an eye on everything~

~Christmas papers found at JoAnn Fabric.  Fun, fun~

 My first Rae Dunn item.  I am sooo excited!  I have been wanting to start a collection for a while now.  I found this piece at HomeGoods the other day and snatched it up!  I might go back for more :).

Finally, I will finish with one of my favorite Christmas decorations of all of my decorations.  This is a print created by my talented daughter, Brittany.  She originally made this print to give to my mom, her grandmother.  I loved it so much that I begged and pleaded for a copy of my own.  She finally found the tile in her art supplies (it had disappeared for a few years) and printed off a copy for me.   (Thank you, Brittany.)  I have cherished this print ever since.  For me, it embodies the simplicity of the Nativity.

Well, dear friends, I wish for you a beautiful and merry Christmas filled with happy times with family and friends.  I also hope you are given time to take in the sacred meaning of Christmas, too, and that it touches your heart in a special way.  (A wish for myself, as well.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!