Grits & Gravy: Decorating for Christmas

When I was little my step mom began purchasing us an ornament each year which served as our Christmas Eve gift. I have an ornament for almost every year of my life that represents something I was interested in then, from scuba diving to being rodeo queen. When I went to college, my Momma purchased my first bulbs of blues and silver which still adorn my tree. With all of the meaning behind my ornaments, I always feel a bit nostalgic about decorating my Christmas tree. I have had a hesitancy about decorating my tree an anything but these ornaments but I have decided that it is time to transition into ornaments that I buy for myself - I'm thinking owls and jewel tones. I may be a family of one but I still think it is important to start your own holiday traditions. I could never get rid of these ornaments so I will be displaying them in a large vase in future years. With the changing of traditions on my tree, I felt especially excited to decorate the tree this year.

Everyone has a process they use to decorate. I start by pulling out the tree and getting all of the branches ready. Then I lay out my ornaments to survey what will go on the tree this year. Some of my ornaments that would be prime time for the cats to break, I display in a vase. Once all of the ornaments are laid out, I test the lights. I strand the tree and then the fun begins. This year, I simplified and only put up a few ornaments. I even broke the rule and put up my tree before Thanksgiving because I am going home on the 17th and I wanted to be able to enjoy it for a bit.

I begin shopping for Christmas super early because I hate the crowds as the holiday grows closer so I am usually done by Thanksgiving. This year is no exception, although I still have a few lingering things. Wrapping presents is the most fun for me - there is nothing like getting a pretty present! I did a twist on Christmas colors and went with Green, Pink, and Red with white for bows. I got the cutest paper at Pier One and these little accent berries at Hobby Lobby (for a steal I might add). For a couple of years now, I have flown home for Christmas and have not been able to decorate my presents all that nice so I really got excited about wrapping this year.