Personal Story: Christmas Decorations

Welcome to the Christmas version of our home!  David and I love our Christmas decorations and wanted to share some with you.  The Christmas before we got married a very smart person advised us to hit the after Christmas sales and grab a few ornaments, a tree skirt and tree lights.  This way when our first Christmas married arrived we did not get stuck without anything to decorate with.  We choose to decorate with items that have lots of story and maybe a little less glamour.  So settle in for some story time...

When David and I started dating our freshman year of college I made these for us for our first Christmas together.  Aren't we precious!?

This was our sophomore year of college when classes were actually cancelled (this never happened at Campbell) and we were out playing in the snow with friends instead of writing papers or studying.

I can remember making this ornament when I was little.  I have always loved stars so this ornament must always make it on to the tree. (Where's Ashley challenge... see me in this image??)

WHOA there I am :)

I looooove mixed media art.  A couple of years ago I made these little canvases for our Christmas decor...

As I have mentioned on Facebook, I have a love/interest in nativity scenes from all over the world.  I have purchased them on my travels, friends have brought them to me from afar and I have gotten them from Ten Thousand Villages.  Here are the ones up in my house right now...

This first one is teeny tiny and is from Vietnam.

Kenya:

Peru:

Also Peru:

West Bank:

This is one of my FAVORITES... I found it in a market in South Africa.  I love that Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus are held in two hands...

Uganda:

Niger:

A good friend of ours spent two years in Peru and brought us back this beautiful nativity:

(I love Jesus' hat!)

This is another one I found in South Africa:

This was given to us by a good friend as a wedding present (From Central or South America):

Peru (our tree skirt matches):

Remember trolls?  These two are the size of a quarter and I just LOVE them.  So glad I saved these from when I was little...

Our table cloth is also from Ten Thousand Villages:

Thanks for taking the tour of our Christmas decorations.  Wish we could have you all over for a holiday party :)  We hope you have a wonderful holiday season... take time to hug those you love and tell them you love them.