O' Christmas Tree & Good St. Nick

So many blogs I visit are showing off all their Christmas decorations around the house so I thought I would share mine.  I used to decorate every room, even the bathroom in my old apartment, but the time and energy for that is past and I have whittled my decorations down to just those I really love and freecycled the rest to a family who had lost all theirs in a move.

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I used to buy a 6 foot real tree every year but when it got so you couldn't get one for less than $40 and it was spray painted because they cut them so early and truck them down to Texas, I decided a fake tree would do just fine.  It was a very economical $20 at Big Lots about 9 years ago.  It is pre-lit and I added an extra string of red lights.  Most of my ornaments are angels and most were gifts so as I hang each one on the tree I am reminded of someone special.  The angel on top is a lovely paper mache angel but unfortunately she is not lit up, so here's a photo with a flash so you can see her.

I grew up with a fake tree each year so it doesn't really bother me, the real ones here have no scent anyway as they are pretty much dead by the time they sell them.  I also grew up with the shiny foil icicles to hang on the branches but with cats...well, sometimes they like to eat them...not a good thing.  So I have collected glass and plastic icicles to hang and I think it looks quite festive.  The red velvet tree skirt has bead and jingle bell dangles of which 1/2 are missing because of the cat, but he needs his fun too.

 

The one thing I collect at Christmas is Bishop Nicholas figurines.  Not Santas, although there are some gorgeous ones out there, but the harder to find St. Nicholas in his bishop's robe and miter.  The only one that is not is the birch bark looking Santa in white to the left.  He was my exception just because he's so darned cute with the squirrel climbing on him.  Anyway, I got these in many various places, even the Texas Renaissance Festival-that was the litle pewter one.  I have seen a couple more online, but sadly there was no budget for one this year.  I did get a cross-stitch chart of Nicholas which I am going to stitch up this next year in time for the next St. Nicholas day which is Dec. 6th.  The Orthodox children set their shoes out on the night of the 5th and he either leaves candy or coal depending on how good the child was during the year.  Very similar to the stockings we all put out every year.

 

This year is slightly different as we are attending a Russian Orthodox Church and they follow the old calendar which makes Christmas on Jan. 6th according to the calendar we all use everyday.  I guess I get 2 Christmases!   I put out the Nicholases right after Thanksgiving, the tree went up a week later, tomorrow I will probably put out the nativity figurines and post more pictures for you.