christmas time, is here

I've been adding here and there to the christmas decorations I already had up, and I figured I better hurry up and share the new things before I get busy with family celebrating and christmas is over. I still want to take outside pictures at night. Hopefully I'll get them up by Christmas eve!


.The dining room.

I added a few touches to the table, both items I bought on clearance, or things I got for free! A silver beaded mat, a cute little glittery bird, and some more pine branches which I tucked behind the bird, and added to the ornament bowl.

I also added some more pine branches to the shelf. Such an easy, good smelling, nice looking touch! It certainly helps that the "back yard" of my apartment has several huge pine trees. I thank the tree for the branches every time I take a few :-)

Finally, I was getting tired of looking at the plastic base of the tiny dining room tree (hmmm, this seems to be a repeating theme ) but I didn't feel like going out, or spending any money, so I was forced to get really creative and settled on a pretty pair of cream colored gloves.

Which I stretched around each side of the base. Isn't that a cozy looking tree bottom now?

.The Kitchen.

I wanted to do a little something in the kitchen, so I put up a band of red ribbon, attached a tiny pine branch, and added a single glittered silver ornament to dress up the plaque that is always above the sink.

.The balcony.

When I did the tree trunk project, I grabbed way more branches that I thought I would need, having this project in mind. I stuck three of the largest branches into a pot I had flowers in this past summer, wound some white lights through, and wrapped a red ribbon around the pot. To disguise the dirt a little, I added some more pine branches around the base.

I ran outside last night for one last piece of pine branch, this time in front of the porch light which was really ugly and exposed due to using it as an outlet for the lights. I attached a single, large-ish piece, plus a red bow I made.

So that's (probably) all the decorating I'll be doing. I like to leave things up at least for the week after christmas though, and the white lights outside well into January. They're too pretty to only have out for a few weeks. I'm excited to do some entertaining over the next week or two, and share our pretty apartment with some friends and family!