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Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Yikes, It's December

And, that means, and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas outside our apt door.

We hope that everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had as nice a turkey fest as possible, despite the circumstances this year of no travel, limited gatherings, social distancing and so on.

Our at home celebration of two included roast turkey with sides of green bean casserole (once a year favorite), mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, homemade cranberry relish. And, home cooking meant leftovers for soup, pot pie, and sandwiches this week. Our holiday was capped off with pumpkin pie and egg nog as we watched The Grinch That Stole Christmas. (Doesn't everyone do this Thanksgiving night after watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving?)

While it wasn't a perfect holiday, it was as good as it gets in this year of you-know-what. We were thankful for the well being of loved ones, friends and ourselves. Video chats and phone calls made up (somewhat) for missed time together.

HUMBUG! Our decorating plans had included a live tree this year until apt management notified residents that the 2020 policy for live trees had changed and they would no longer be allowed due to insurance and potential fire-related issues. We suspect that it's also as more folks will be at home and decorating. Disappointed, but not deterred from having a tree, our newly bought non-live tree which will be put it up and decorated later this week. 

That said, the exterior apt decos were put out over the weekend. Those holiday cards are not early ones received this year, but some of last year's that were saved and recycled for decos this year. (It's always nice to see them a second year.)

Speaking of trees, the forest of cork, pine cone, and pom-pom trees were handmade by myself this year. It was a new project to try and at home time was very available this year. Pinecones were collected locally and given a white coating of simulated snow.
This is my entry for the annual door wreath competition. It will be hung later this week. Entries must be handmade and are voted upon by residents. This year, my theme was a pine cone and snowman. Last year's cork wreath entry won a 2nd place $50 gift card. The competition is only for a door wreath and not exterior decorations (sigh).

I'm falling behind on blog reading this week since one of my favorite pre-holiday activities is writing cards. That's what I'm doing while watching listening to Netflix holiday films. If you would like to be included on the list (mine, not Santa's) to receive a snail-mail 📬 card, send your name and address to the email on the blog and you'll be added.

How is your holiday planning/decorating going this year?

30 comments:

Emma Springfield said...

The Christmas decorating fairy has visited you! They are wonderful as always.

DeniseinVA said...

Splendid decorations and I love your wreathe. Good luck on the contest!

Ron said...

I know, it's hard to believe it's DECEMBER!?!

Your Thanksgiving Day (food and movie watching) sounded ideal! Don't you love, A Charlie Brown Christmas? I watched that this year as well, and also The Wizard of Oz because when I was a kid, they always televised that movie on Thanksgiving Day. Such a great memory!

Yes, our apartment building has the same rule --- no live Christmas trees. I have a really cute (14 inch) fake tree that I decorate with tiny ornaments, beaded garland, and white lights. I traditionally decorate it on Thanksgiving night.

Your decorations are so fabulously festive. I especially love the cork tree!!!

And your door wreath is adorable! I bet you win FIRST prize this year!

Thanks for sharing your holiday's, my friend. I enjoy seeing how other people celebrate.

Vee said...

Things are looking very merry and bright over there. Your Thanksgiving sounds about perfect given the circumstances. Mine was mostly good. Here's to a Merry Christmas even if it is 2020 enough already!

William Kendall said...

You definitely take Christmas seriously.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Bah-humbug to the management but I know how you tow are and will decorate that artificial tree beautifully! As I type, Christmas stuff has been moved into the house but not yet unpacked...:)jp

Jeanie said...

Your exterior is so welcoming, strangers will be knocking at your door! It's just charming!

Rick gets a real tree. All of mine are artificial. But doing his is one of my favorite things.

Red said...

You are really in the Christmas spirit. It's good that you make wreaths from your own materials in the house and what you have collected outside.

Margaret D said...

Things are looking up at your place for Christmas with some decorations so far.
Probably won't be having decorations this year as only one son is staying home plus he's working.

Rita said...

Cute wreath! I hope you win.
I am moving slowly with my Christmas cards but have finally started. Might be later this year but will be coming. :)

Susan Zarzycki said...

I like your wreath very much. Hope you win first prize!💖

nick said...

I love all your decorations, especially the wreath. We have a range of indoor decorations that we add to each year, so the house gets more and more festive! I don't understand why real Christmas trees are banned from your apartments. Are they really a fire risk? I've never heard of them catching fire! And I've never heard of any such bans here in Northern Ireland.

We'll be going out for our annual Christmas meal just as soon as the current restaurant lockdown ends. Christmas Day itself will be quiet as our families always stay in England.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I think you have a decorating gene, Beatrice, and it has exploded! Both Hanukah and Christmas will be different this year, but I am sure we will all get through it, and with the prospect of a vaccine in the offing, who knows what it might be like a year from now. Let's all hope that COVID-20 is not lurking around the corner!

Anvilcloud said...

Excellent job on the wreath. That nook is pleasing as well.

I looked up wreathe which I wanted to write as opposed to wreath and found that wreathe is the verb form. I never knew this.

Marcia said...

You must have been saving corks all year! Neat looking trees.

Packing continues here.

MadSnapper said...

Somehow after all the years that I've known you I did not know you were talented and love to do crafts. Your little trees are absolutely beautiful and I like all of them. And your front door looks wonderful! Beautiful wreath also I remember the cork one from last year. Can't wait to see what kind of tree you bought

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Your decorations are so cheerful and bright! I bet everyone gets a smile on their face when they walk by your apartment door!
Good luck on your wreath competition. ALL of your creative work looks amazing and lovely!

Edna B said...

Your trees and wreath are beautiful. You did a great job! Thanksgiving may have been different for most folks this year, but it was doable. We all could still communicate with each other. Christmas will be doable too. I love how you have set up your Christmas nook. You have a super day my friend, hugs, Edna B.

David said...

Beatrice, Our Christmas tree is a small 'flat' one...artificial and pre-lite too. We decorated it once and just roll it out of the closet to its spot about 4 feet from the closet door. Otherwise we're minimalist at Christmas with my wife adding a couple of items from time to time as the holiday grows closer. No family and no visitors so not much effort this year. We have enough stuff to decorate 2 large trees and we have a number of professionally crafted (not by us!) Santa Claus vignettes that we sometimes put out.
Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Stevenson Q said...

Waaa I would love to visit such a beautiful and festive home! This pandemic, it's really up to us on how we make our season extra special! I really love what you did from Cards from last year because you did not just gave it new lives, but also the senders will be so happy to see them again :)

Bill said...

You've been busy decorating and have done a great job. You certainly are ready for the jolly man. Have a great day!

Rob K said...

Beautiful decorations! I love the forest of cork, pine cone, and pom-pom trees.

I can't believe your building won't allow live trees. That's all we had when I was growing up.

The door wreath is fabulous. It certainly looks like a winner to me.

Linda G. said...

You have such pretty Christmas decorations.

We traveled over Thanksgiving, just the two of us. We stayed 6 nights at an AirBnB. We avoided people as much as possible. I felt safer on vacation than I do back home. I read daily of many, many new COVID cases in our small community.

Lowcarb team member said...

So lovely to see your decorations, love your door wreath.

All the best Jan

Linda said...

Nice pictures. The no live trees policy seems odd. Do they still allow candles?

LL Cool Joe said...

You are organised, so far I've bought presents and put out the advent calendars but that's it. I'm not really feeling very Christmasy at the moment, and this year will be very low key. The thing I miss the most is going to church.

My name is Erika. said...

Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. And like you, the holiday spirit has arrived. I like your wreath and trees. I can see you've had some fun making them. I like the variety you made and they make a cute set together. Too bad about the live trees. Especially now with the newer cooler lights, but I guess better safe than sorry. Hope you are doing well and enjoying the new style of holiday season. Thank goodness for zoom and other forms of online connecting. Take care. Hugs-Erika

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Oh Beatrice, are there any vacancies in your apartment building? ))). I would love to live in a place with neighborly competitions and such pretty decorations .(it’s a little too far away of course, but I am envious. our apartment complex does nothing like that.). This of course is the first winter/holiday season that we’ve spent here...there are many activities at our Florida snowbird resort where we usually are. ...your enforced at home time certainly paid off with your beautiful Christmas projects!

Doris said...

Hope you get first place for your wreath this year! Love it!
We had a nice Thanksgiving and we watched Charlie Brown....always a favorite.
I'm not reading blogs either as evidenced by seeing there are so many to catch up on. Oh my, I do need to do better.
I know we won't see you this Christmas but we wish you a very blessed Christmas and look forward to whenever we can meet again!!

baili said...

oh i loved your Christmas decorations so much dear friend!

wishing you all the best for all you are willing to do for further preparations for Christmas :)