wanted to get some christmas pics up for all my devoted readers! seriously, even though most of you are family...or like family, we get so busy this time of year, we don't even get to each others houses to see all the decorations....so, i've got a very small sample of my holiday cheer for you!

my favorite little chair...it was my neighbor's high-chair when she was a little girl...love it!

even cuter with present, dont ya think?!

totally not the best lighting, but i totally have the wrong camera to take good pics...anyway, i DO love how cozy lamplight is. the "W-I-S-H" word was a little thanksgiving day project we did years ago at the poelman's...


my antique store trees with my best friends, george & mary bailey....please tell me you know who they are...you dont? oh. my. stars. go rent the movie, "its a wonderful life". after you put your kids (or dogs) to bed, get in your pj's, grab a blanket, some hot cocoa, and a box of kleenex. the best movie of all times!!!!!!!! have you not noticed the name of my blog?
the bailey's are family...at least it looks like it, cuz i have their picture plastered everywhere. love them, i seriosly considered how i could somehow name my kids after a part of the movie....just think, little george vruggink.

1946....i love everything about this movie...the story...the values...good overcomes evil...the clothes...the homes...especially how they decorated! no pottery barns or crate & barrel! homes reflected the personalities of the people who lived there!

this pencil sketch was a present from my mom last christmas....isn't she good?! i always loved this picture...agian from the movie....she drew it by pushing "pause" on the dvd player and drew it...LOVE IT. it makes me happy every time a look at it. it hangs proud on my wall year round.

i love books. i love christmas books even more! court gave me the idea to read a christmas book every day of december with my kids. so i've collected a pretty nice stack...good ol' scholastic book orders, used book sales and amazon.com have made this a pretty inexpensive tradition...my favorite book? the gift of the maji, by o'henry....my mom read it to us as kids, and now my kids love it as much as me! i also have it on tape (dubbed off an album of my grandparents)...it is lorne green narrating the story...awesome.

if you haven't read it, put it on your list of things to do before christmas :)

the reason for the season...i love my nativity...if i could witness anything in the bible, it would be the birth of Jesus...oh, to hear the angels singing...i get goose bumps thinking about it. another tradition...reading luke 2

love christmas ornaments...

this is an old ornament from my mom...
"every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings"

(this will make no sense to you if you haven't watched the movie...)

my tree, which we got from behind my grandma & grandpa beld's...complete with icicles....

well...i mentioned a few of our traditions...what are yours?

post some pics of your trees, too! it will be like our own little bloggy-holiday tour!