I actually put up some nice spruce branches flanking the front door just a few hours ago. This was not planned. It was actually trash since someone left them lying in my driveway. They look like a few bottom branches off a Christmas tree. The pine cone wreath I made several years ago.
I just used plain wrapping ribbon and red twist ties. Easy peasy.
I have a wreath up on the kitchen/garage door:
This is the stocking my mother made for me as a kid. All of us have one. My dad's has a little elf, and I think my brother's might also be an elf, and my mom's is also a bear. She made these entirely from fabric/denim scraps. She was always really crafty.
And I added a few poinsettia decorations on the dining room chandelier. I'd have put 4 but I only have two of these.
One of my Christmas traditions is listening to a Christmas CD by "La famille Larin" which is a French Canadian band from the 1950's. They are well known throughout Québec, and the songs are sung in a "chanson à répondre" style (which apparently translates as "call and response"), which means that they sing a portion (line) of the song and then you re-sing the line as a group (which makes it fun). My father would play this record at Christmas every year for as long as I can possibly remember. At some point many years ago I found a copy at a local drug store and bought it. The only other Christmas album that I remember as a kid was the "Passe-Partout" (literally "skeleton key" Christmas special album. This was a French children's TV show with hand puppets from... I want to say the 1970's-80's (just checked the Wiki article and I was right!). I don't have a copy of that one though. I think it was actually on a casette!
For your listening pleasure, here's the first Christmas song from the 'La famille Larin' album, entitled "La lette du Père Noël" (The Letter From Santa Claus):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh9UcaI7qoI
Even if you don't understand the words, it's quite a catchy and definitely vintage tune (1956). The entire album can be found on YouTube. Another funny side note is that as a kid, I never noticed just how many references there are in the songs about drinking and getting drunk. Lots of mentions of Whiskey, Beer, and Brandy.
Another one of my traditions, partially started with my mother, is to give a Christmas tree ornament to everyone along with their gift. I always tend to look for unique, well-made ornaments that match the receiver's personality or taste (or I at least try).
Sometimes we just need a little pretty to go with the dirt and projects. I think about when I had a tree under a ladder at my house. You are getting there. Richard from My Old Historic House.
ReplyDeleteHi, JC - I just finished listening to "La famille Larin" tune, and had a good image of you playing your CD and decorating the Foursquare. I put up a tree this year, and unwrapped ornaments dating not only to my childhood, but also to my parents' first tree, and my father's childhood tree!
ReplyDeleteNice! I only wish I had some ornaments and decorations that were heirlooms. I have antique/vintage ones, but they're just thrift store and yard sale finds.
ReplyDeleteI kept most of my really old decorations from when I was a kid. I still remember having my own little "Charlie Brown" style "tree", which was just a broken white pine branch, put in an apple juice jar, and I decorated it with those little wooden people ornaments (which I still have).