happy holidays!
i’m getting this post out just in the knick of time! whew! the end of this year, has been a pretty busy one
for me. between my daughter’s 13th birthday party, halloween, and multiple
guests posts, i was non-stop busy. also, my husband has been working long
hours, so i’ve been holding down the fort! i feel this time of year is kind of
difficult for me, since my father passed away in december, exactly 7 years ago.
so i think i’m subconsciously, and emotionally paralyzed. i do feel that this melancholy mood seeps into every
other part of my life. i miss him terribly and i try not to think
of it most of the year, for fear of becoming sad again. i do have a fond memory of him. every year, he always
took a photo of my brother and i, in front of our christmas tree. it was a photo
taken in that 1970’s fashion, packages on our laps, and the tree behind us. he
wasn’t a very sentimental man, but every year he would pry us from our activities, so that he could take our photo. today, our family traditions are very few, and about the only one we have during this time of year, is taking our holiday photo. this year, we are breaking our tradition and it will be a new
year’s photo, since i’m so behind on everything. oh well, better late than
never. i have had a fun time with some holiday craft projects and i will post one of them in the new year. anyway, i hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and are able to enjoy
the festivities with friends and family.
for me. between my daughter’s 13th birthday party, halloween, and multiple
guests posts, i was non-stop busy. also, my husband has been working long
hours, so i’ve been holding down the fort! i feel this time of year is kind of
difficult for me, since my father passed away in december, exactly 7 years ago.
so i think i’m subconsciously, and emotionally paralyzed. i do feel that this melancholy mood seeps into every
other part of my life. i miss him terribly and i try not to think
of it most of the year, for fear of becoming sad again. i do have a fond memory of him. every year, he always
took a photo of my brother and i, in front of our christmas tree. it was a photo
taken in that 1970’s fashion, packages on our laps, and the tree behind us. he
wasn’t a very sentimental man, but every year he would pry us from our activities, so that he could take our photo. today, our family traditions are very few, and about the only one we have during this time of year, is taking our holiday photo. this year, we are breaking our tradition and it will be a new
year’s photo, since i’m so behind on everything. oh well, better late than
never. i have had a fun time with some holiday craft projects and i will post one of them in the new year. anyway, i hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and are able to enjoy
the festivities with friends and family.
~ a note about the
nester ~
nester ~
when i was a kid, my
father loved going down to our local mall on christmas eve. he just loved
watching all the people scurrying around shopping. he really never had any
shopping to do, he just loved the hustle and bustle of the shoppers. i usually
accompanied him since i was the youngest, and basically had no choice in the matter.
father loved going down to our local mall on christmas eve. he just loved
watching all the people scurrying around shopping. he really never had any
shopping to do, he just loved the hustle and bustle of the shoppers. i usually
accompanied him since i was the youngest, and basically had no choice in the matter.
now, looking back, i’m happy that i tagged along!
here are some of the holiday decorating i did this year.
this year, my porch decor is pretty simple. we usually, get a garland up around the front door, and also snowflake lights line the porch. but alas, we ran out of time and energy and so, i placed some little touches on the door and the seating area.
for a longtime, i’ve always wanted to make this paper garland made from book pages. it was a little labor intensive, but of course it was so worth it! i got a little carried away, and ended up making two garlands. one for the entertainment center and the other for the mantel. i really think that my husband believes i’m a tiny bit compulsive.
i bet you can’t tell what i’m up to here? yes, those are vintage ornaments lining the top of the bowl. well, scroll down and see what i planted in this beautiful bowl that i bought at goodwill.
i love this old wooden box, and i especially like it with these fun tinsel trees. it has now found a new home on our dinning room table. i repainted the box with annie sloan’s chalkpaint, french linen. don’t you just love the richness of the color?
since having children, i’ve never had a christmas tree that i could decorate all on my own. well, this year i decided to buy a little elf tree and decorate it will all my vintage ornaments. as you can see, i placed it in our family room, and it turned out that my son is still allergic to pine trees. oh well, i ended up relocating it to our front porch. it looks rather cute there, too.
here is our main tree, but i think this is it’s last year with us. one branch is broken, and one tier of branches has non working lights. it has been a good little tree and we’ll probably donate it to our local thrift store. i do have one funny memory of this tree with our old english sheepdog, named mollie. she would try and go between the tree and a chair and she would squeeze her 100 pound body through this tiny space. well, you can imagine what happen to the tree. it quickly became a rotating tree, the whole tree as well as the ornaments would rotate with her! oh my goodness, was she a spazzy, and funny dog!
here is the vintage ornament wreath that i made for a guest post. here is the link on how to make it: wreath tutorial
here is the link for this cute mason jar craft: bottle brush tree tutorial
i’m not sure if any of you know, that california has been in a serious water drought for the last three years. well, this december we have received a ton of rain, which is such a relief! i’m sure we are still way behind on our water levels, but it definitely must be helping. the hills instantly went from a golden brown to a lush wet green. here is my favorite tree and it’s wonderful green grass and misty fog!
so, from our family to yours, i wish you a very happy holiday!
cheer,
I named my blog Happy Happy Nester because I love everything related to the home. I’ve always enjoyed decorating my surroundings. Get cozy and stay for a bit, thanks for visiting!
Latest posts by Janine Waite (see all)
- 50+ Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas - May 9, 2025
- How to Make a Tender Juicy Steak - May 8, 2025
- My Favorite Flower Crafts - May 3, 2025
Lisa @ Texas Decor
Hi J! Your home is beautifully decorated!!! I love the paper garland and all your special touches throughout. I did the same thing with wanting my own tree to decorate. I started with getting one for the dining room, then added one in the kitchen, and bedroom too! Lol! Now I have three of my own to decorate. 🙂 Whenever I see your kitchen, I think of the word "happy." It's so cheerful! I'm so sorry you lost your dad. I know you miss him terribly. Sending you lots of virtual hugs right now. 🙂 Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year!
Colette Joseph
I love that paper garland, vintage globe wreath that you did for my blog and bottlebrush trees in jars. Your house is so festive w/o being cliche'. Very nice!