On years that I do put up a Christmas tree, I am not one of those gals that puts hers up in the Fall. Nope, I am not an"'out with Turkey and in with the Christmas Tree, on the same day" kind of girl. I've found out that many people are still celebrating Christmas, even today. The 12 days of Christmas are coming to a close and that is when thousands of people take down their Christmas trees and holiday decor. Who knew? I read a post on a sweet blog called
A box of twine , and learned about Christmas being observed for a full twelve days, starting on Dec 25th. I actually was not aware of this long standing tradition, even though I have sung the 12 Days of Christmas song for many years.. This idea totally fits in with my commitment of slowing down my lifestyle, living in the moment and being able to enjoy my Christmas decorations well into winter.
It makes me happy to still be enjoying the twinkling Christmas Tree and mantle lights in my cozy little farmhouse. What is the rush anyways? Think about how much rampant consumerism controls are daily lives. What if you actually bought and gave your presents over the 12 days of Christmas? One could certainly save some bucks by purchasing presents after Dec 25th. Most items on your list would be at greatly reduced prices as well as wrapping paper at 50-75% off normal prices. Christmas is IMO about reflecting on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do that daily and actually feel that Jewish holidays have a scriptural basis and present a clearer picture of seasons and reasons instead of just a pretty house and like I mentioned, rampant and wild consumerism far removed from any biblical.basis for a Christian. We each have our own convictions and traditions and beliefs.
If you looked at my earlier Christmas decor posts these pictures are similar except that I am sharing a few pictures of my dogs, my front room tree and the little farmhouse at night, this night of Jan5, 2019. No, I didn't decorate the house for New Years Eve, even though I had a little party over here with some amazing friends, great times and so much fun. However, I am considering decorating my Christmas tree with tiny vintage hearts to create a Valentines tree. Seriously.. Well -maybe?
 |
| Jan 5th 2019 |
 |
| Christmas Farmhouse Cottage , Jan 6,2019 |
 |
| Christmas still going on through Jan 5th |
 |
| Cozy reading nook |
 |
| Farmhouse Christmas |
 |
| Cozy fire on New Years Day |
 |
| Farmhouse Christmas |
 |
| A pig, a dog and a chicken surround the base of the Christmas tree |
 |
| Some of the children here who live in fur coats |
 |
| Sisters in fur |
 |
| My sweet girls |
 |
| Twinkling lights at night |
 |
| Angels soft glow in the night hour |
 |
| Vintage star |
 |
| My Farmhouse bedroom Christmas tree |
 |
| My bedroom Christmas and watchful angel at night |
As I always end my posts, I will continue to say... Please remember it is never to late to have a happy childhood. Please create time for yourself this year to play, even if it is for little daily breaks. PLAY.
XO -TONITA
24 comments:
It just looks...enchanting. How lovely!
You should leave everything up just add a touch of color for each holiday,love your pillows in search for something similar.
Hey there, I showed your photos to my wife, she said you really have a good eye!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dan
Hey there, I showed you photos to my wife and she said you really have a good eye.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dan
Hi Dan, Such an unexpected visit from a vet, patriot and owner of my favorite blog. I respect you sir and THANKS,- SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE and for being so dedicated to creating amazing, informative, truthful and very well written content on your blog. I wish you would start a video channel, before they continue to silence all of us who love our God, guns and our country. Yes, us who still believe in borders, language and culture. Thanks for giving your wife a glimpse into my girl cave. Yeah, it's the other side of me. Fixing up the homestead is some of what I like to do when I'm not at the gun range. Sure do wish y'all were my neighbors -we could share some great stories round the fire pit. Blessings to you and yours in this New Year.
How beautiful and cozy.
Happy New Year.
Kris
Thanks for these charming and cozy photos. May I suggest you might want to add a Nativity set? It's another way to acknowledge Our Savior's birth. I have 3 sets, and this year I put out only the largest one. Merry Christmas and Happy 2019. Now that I'm retired and widowed, I am working on havng a happy childhood!God bless.
Thank you for sharing. Love the babies, of course. I never knew your house had an upstairs. Will you be showing your bedroom decor soon? I LOVE your style of decor. Praying for you only the very best New Year. May God continue to bless you richly.
Tonita - forget what I said about your bedroom. Apparently, even though I am signed up for your posts, I did not receive the Christmas post showing your bedroom. Oops! Will read it now. :-)
Thanks for the suggestion. I have a clear glass nativity set that sits in my dining nooks window sill, so that the natural light from outside shines through it during the day. I guess I have not shown a picture of it on the blog. Thanks for visiting the blog and Happy New Year to you.
Haven't been to the range in a while, myself, but I am feeling the need for a little aroma therapy. Nothing like the smell of gun powder to get rid of any stress. Wouldn't even know how to go about setting up a video channel, maybe a project for after I finally retire. And yes, sitting around the old campfire swapping stories would indeed be fun.
Beautiful! ALL of it. Love the girls! Happy New Year!
Hi Cate, You are detail orientated (I can tell) and caught that I have a loft space. Well, that space is a train wreck..It is a total catch- all, where I throw my messes or dirty laundry (just keeping it real) just before company comes over. Pictures of my loft may take a couple of years to reach my blog. I did a post just days ago and shared some pictures of my tiny bedroom. It is pretty much my bed, tiny dresser and a wall of old doors which make up my closet space. It is a really tight space and hard to photograph. However, expanding my closet from its 26" width when I bought this home, to the current length of 4 vintage doors, does deserve an (upcoming) post of it's own. And- thanks so very much for the prayer. I receive it gladly.
Dan -Here is everything you need to know about vlogging.
https://www.thesitsgirls.com/vlogging/how-to-vlog/. When you become famous, remember who told ya about this Vlog stuff. Heck, I am still trying to figure out how to use Spacebook, InstaHAM and Flitter, but starting a Vlog is all the rage and you should ck it out.. And just a random fact that every man needs to remember - Shooting a gun causes the same chemical reaction in the brain as a passionate kiss. No joke.
Tonita, What a wonderful little space you have to live in. I love it. I especially loved the pictures of the dogs and your animals under the tree. Your home looks so inviting and cozy; as if it is hugging you. Thank you so much for sharing. Sandra
Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
In my family we always keep our tree up until at least January 6th. I took mine down yesterday, and the house seems so dark and dreary without those twinkling lights....although it's also nice to get things back to 'normal' some how.
Hi Tonita,
What a great post! I love that you kept your tree up - your living room is the definition of COZY. I could spend hours here, as I'm sure your friends did on New Years' Eve. Thanks for mentioning my blog, too! Very sweet of you. We just took our tree down this past weekend, and the walls seem so bare after those spectacular 12 days of Christmas!
Hi, Tonita. Your living room looks so pretty and the fur babies are so beautiful just sitting there in front of the fireplace. I leave mine up until the feast of the nativity, which is on the 6, the 12 th day. The Byzantine Catholic Church, which is eastern rite, can leave it even longer. On the other hand, the Orthodox church's Christmas is a week after the 25th. Presently, mine is still up. Maybe today. I like to linger with it. A couple of times, I did the 12 days of Christmas with my daughter, and except for the first and last present they were just little things, for example a Pet Shop toy. Channukah in the U.S. can be as a consumerist as Christmas. However, our Israeli friends say it is small there for example, only a dollar would seem about right. I am okay with the presents, in makes our economy run and people are generous to each other. We can buy a toy for a child in need. We can donate to the Salvation Army who help people in our own neighborhood and city. So, there are ways to spend money to help others. On the other hand, I don't like trees go out the door the day after Christmas when liturgically it is not over. I know some have to take it down because the tree dried up, which can be the case here if you chose a once live tree. But I really have not had that problem in recent years when I chose that tree, I think the trees are processed better now and last longer. I wrote a chapter! xo Su
Su, Thanks so much for your insight on the traditions of Christmas. I like your chapter. I am all about helping those in need. After 40 plus years of front line dog rescue work and spending a life savings, plus-on neglected dogs, rehabbing, training & vetting them in order to get them adopted, I can appreciate a giving and charitable heart and lifestyle. I see kids in need of a coat or a pair of shoes and realize I prefer to meet those type of needs as well as have others help a child or a dog instead of trying to find something for me. It has been so hard for my friends to understand and honor my -NO MORE PRESENTS requests. Finally, I think they got it. I ask that they bless a kid in need or spay or neuter a dog in my name. Thanks for dropping in.
Your home is so beautiful! I love your fireplace and all the pretty touches, I wouldn't want to take the decorations down either if mine were that cozy :) I really liked what you had to say about drawing Christmas out over the 12 days. I never observed those either, they just weren't part of our church experience. But with the kids all gone and no big morning to look forward to, I think drawing the season out would be a much more relaxed way of celebrating and would take advantage of a part of the season that is less crowded with parties and events! Thank you for this perspective!
Hi Kathleen, Thanks for leaving a comment. Part of my downsizing and lifestyle change was to invite myself to 'slow down' and savor the day, season and place that I have chosen to be in. Living in the wooded mountains here in Appalachia has given me a lot of insight to a more relaxed lifestyle, which I had to learn to embrace and now totally appreciate. This lifestyle invites savoring the winter glow from my Christmas tree lights. I finally took my tree down, but continue to enjoy my mantle greenery and twinkling lights.
Wow, just beautiful! And I love that little pig by the tree. So darling!!
Beautiful. Hugs.
Post a Comment