Well, I will start off sharing in this post a little of the this and that of our Christmas decor.... 
This year, although our kitchen/living/dining area is in shades of black, white, grey and taupe accented with silver both shiny and tarnished, I decided to go back to the shabby chic style for the Christmas tree. Why not?? The boy said I needed to do something a little different this year and well I'm nothing if not flexible esp. when hit with a challenge from my dear boy! 
I was very determined that though I was to do the tree in a different style, I was not going to spend any money on it but just "make do".
Good thing is...I had a lot of the decorations from years past (BTW the whole liv/kitc/din room used to be alllll shabby-tized!)
Bad thing...once I put the lights on I had already made a mental idea of what I would love the tree to look like and top of the list was---I needed about 6-7 feather boas!!
I wanted, no I needed them to give the tree the frothy fluffy look I envisioned. Well, once that idea was in my head that was it. I abandoned the pratical "make do" plan and went to the store to grab those covetted boas. Not the thin dress-up ones...noooo I wanted the big fluffy vaudeville stage ones............
sound of record screeching, tires peeling...
Reality...each one of the boas cost (as I hurriedly blinked my eyes hoping my contacts would focus properly on the price tag) does that say $14.99??!!?!
Rats.
Well, sullenly I roamed the aisles of Joann's with the boy going "can we leave now??" sigh...My stubborn Yankee spirit kicked back up inside and said "there has got to be something else here that will do. Something that will still give that fluffy frothy look you had envisioned that won't cost you a fortune. You can find it if you keep looking".
Then it hit me....tulle!!! I can use tulle!! It's cheap and I can get lots of it just right to nestle inside the branches to fluff up the look of the tree! YAY!
(it's ok you can laugh!)
Tulle chosen, cut and paid for I excitedly drove home with the boy reading in the back seat happy oh so happy with my score. It is funny how just a little thing can make your day sometimes, right? amen!!
At home I wrapped the tulle all inside the branches...of course I did realize after a bit that I still need to go back and get 3 more yards but it's ok...I got it almost all done just so I could show you a peek. I knda like that I didn't use all that much decorations this year and I also get a kick out of the wires on the ornaments. Years ago I would've wanted fishing line on them so they didn't show but I like the imperfectness of the wire against the white tree. I have also used hubby's ababy shoes, mine and my boy's socks (didn't get him the traditional ababy shoes cause I was so in love with his bare feet!! lol) so I used his christening socks instead and several pairs of old baby shoes, too. It's a reminder of the special birth we celebrate at Christmastime :)
At the top of the tree in lieu of a star or angel is a hat to remind me of my dear sweet Grams the hat wearing southern lady she was who passed away now more than 3yrs ago. Every day she donned a hat, owned more than 200, and was the most elegant lady I ever knew manners and style...she had it all.
This hat I wore to the Red Hat Society meeting I was supposed to take her too, but then she passed on and I went anyway to it in her memory. I was too young to be a true red hat so they have you wear a pink hat til you turn 50. This was that hat...miss you Grams more every day :) Love you always. xxoo
And this is my first ornament when I was a little one that my parents had engraved with my name on it....it's still my favorite :)
Now I'd love to share the photos of a fun thing we do every yr. We go to a nearby town ( I have posted about it before) called Wickford and this was for their annual festival of lights.
I will let the photos of the town speak for themselves...tried to take really nice ones but mind you it was like 36 that night, the town is on the water and it was soo windy.
All the shops stay open late and they have window display competitions...
This was the window that won first place . I think it's really nicely done but IMO I think these two, which are very reminiscent of Anthropologie windows, should have won.
I mean if the cool folded books are not enough, just LOOK at that amazing paper cutting hanging up!! Wow..astounding!!
Sorry for the flare on the windows in some shots. Someday I will take out my camera manual and really find out how that setting works. And also I know I have one for shooting at night. Fancy camera owned by someone who only knows how to point and click! lol
Here are some other shots around the town...
They were so talented. As were the carolers.
I love the STOP sign behind them! lol I had taken the shot so quickly I didn't even see it til I came home to edit the pictures.I just stood up quick right after we ran in from waiting in line for 1 hour for the Santa sleigh/hay ride. The funny thing is we never did the whole Santa thing with my son so we didn't think it would be a big deal for him to take the hayride without him (they had 2 rides..one with one without Santa). But I think this year the Santa looked so much like the story old fashoined one that he was all glassy eyed and excited even at 11!! It was too cute so I couldn't resist even though I was freezing cold.
We all sang carols while going on the hayride through the town...really merry and fun :)
It really was one of the best years (we say that though every year!). The only downfall was the next morning waking up with a 200 pound head full of snifflies...yuk! Now I am waiting for the chapping to leave my nose so I can shoot some more things for the shop.
I hope you all have a fun day...ta-ta-ah-choo! For now :)
xo
