Let's see your outside Christmas decorations

[Marty]

Mine are not so hot this year. I'm a little disappointed. I started hanging lights the day after Halloween as usual but they didn't turn out as nice as the other years.

Blowing fuses all over the place now since Jerry had to re-do the wireing for the new barn and tore up the old outside outlets so I couldn't add the other 20-30 -50 sets. Getting tire of fixing them. Then that darn storm that came a few weeks ago made us loose a few strands of lights here and there. We still have tons out there though and they're pretty, but next year, I"m going to have to do something way different. Jerry said I have to "tone it down"......yep, ok Dear.

But I do think less can be more.

I also forgot to add the candles in the windows too this year but atleast I remembered the wreaths! Got a wreath on the grill of my truck and on my poopwagon too.

I'm thinking of going to all white lights instead of colored and white ones next year. hmmm

I like those white wire outlined thingys that you add the white lights too. See them around a lot and they look really pretty.

If you want to see mine, they are on my Christmas page. Too much to post here.

I'd love to see your outside decorations and your ideas.

 

[Jenn]

Marty, I did a craft yesterday that you would have LOVED! I saw it back on Martha around American thanksgiving time, and thought it was so pretty.

What I did was take a grapevine wreath and I covered it in mulberry tree berries - I think that's what they are called, the tree that grows clumps of red berries in the fall for a few weeks and then they fall off. Anyway, after I saw Martha's version, I went out to our trees and cut two grocery bags of berries and put them in my deep freeze.

Anyway, I secured the berry twigs with craft wire - ala Martha - and once the whole wreath was full, I added a big gold bow. It looks so pretty I can hardly stand it!

The only bad thing is that it is warm here right now - above zero - and I'm afraid the berries will fall off if they thaw. So I put the whole thing back in the freezer until it freezes up again. It will definitely be an outdoor wreath.

Martha's thanksgiving version used yellow/gold colored berries (they turn red if you leave them on the tree longer) and it was very nice, too.

Anyway, the whole thing cost less than $10 to make - including store-bought grapevine wreath, wire and bow - and it just looks awesome. I will take a picture of it when it gets cold enough to put it outside.

I also put up my outdoor lights today with the help of my niece. I just did our archway to the house, the stairs to the house, and a couple of trees out front. Nothing too much since we also have electrical issues if we put too much demand on the breaker, plus I'll either be really pregnant or just having a new baby when it comes time to take them down!

I decorated our inside tree today too (again, the niece helped - 12 year olds are great!) and it looks so pretty. I have to wait until hubby finishes his painting to get my garlands and the rest up. I can already see what I need to buy to round out my new Christmas theme (gold/silver/white/glass), since I've arbitrarily decided I don't want red stuff for my indoor decor anymore. This, of course, comes just a couple of years after I decided I wanted all red stuff. Anyone need some red Christmas decorations or lights?

Edited to add: Oh, I needed one fully-stuffed grocery bag of berries for one wreath. I wanted to do two wreaths, but didn't pick quite enough for two big wreaths.

 

[Marty]

Leave it to Martha to come up with a gorgeous wreath. I can't wait to see yours.

Gee whiz Jenn I could really have fixed you up with grapevines to do your own wreaths. Jerry has grapevines in his orchard. Miles and miles of them and they are wide, good to use. I could make thousands of wreaths but only made one from them this year.

Still doing the Christmas plaid thing here. You know how I worry that there isn't enough plaid in the world. We've just got too much stuff to change things on the inside now and it fits this old mountain county home anyways.

Can't wait to see your pictures and for pete's sakes, stay off of ladders!!!!!