I took all of the Christmas stuff down yesterday. We hadn’t managed to get it done before the trip and I was a little overwhelmed when we got back (especially with laundry). Yesterday I decided I was tired of bringing down a shower of needles every time I walked between the table and the tree.
I managed to do a little cleaning out and organizing as I worked. I went through the tablecloths and other linens and put all of the summery/springy ones on the shelf in the hall and all of the current ones in the drawers of the buffet. I also put the place mats together in groups. I admit I’m a little anal because I like either to have things match or to mismatch, but in a very deliberate way. Having five of one color mat and two of another sets my teeth on edge. I also separated all of the Christmas linens and packed them into one of the Christmas boxes I brought down from the attic. (Hello, it was COLD outside yesterday. While I was outside getting boxes I also took down all of the outside decorations and couldn’t feel my hands when I was done.)
Dragging the tree out was one of the last things. I think it has a couple hundred needles left on it. The other one million were all over my floor, furniture… I’m still picking them out of things. They don’t call them “needles” for nothing. We’ll set the carcass out tonight. I hope they pick it up tomorrow.
That brings me up to today. I will say that one cure for thinking that you’re cramped is to bring a seven to eight foot tree into the house and leave it there for a few weeks. The great room seems unusually spacious now. The mantle is bare except for two candlesticks and the anniversary clock. Instead of automatically putting everything back I decided to leave it bare for a day and see what occurred to me. It’s kind of nice to have a clean palette.
The trick is to get the house fixed in such a way that it doesn’t seem bare and forlorn without Christmas. You can’t automatically bring in spring things to fill the gaps but I don’t know that I’ve ever thought too much about winter (always winter but never Christmas) decorations. Hmm. I am in the mood for clean and non-cluttered but not cold and bare. Any of you who have this thing down pat are free to leave suggestions. If I get this figured out I’ll let you know and possibly snap a picture or two.
Praying With My Feet 
I keep pillar candles on the mantle and light them often, and a stack of throws/small blankets next to the couch for snuggling and that's about it for my “winter” decor. (This week my decor has included a wooden drying rack set up over the floor furnace in the living room for wet/snowy gloves, socks, hats, and other outdoor gear that needs drying.)
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I don't have many seasonal decorations. Our seasons consist of hot and hotter in Arizona but I do like to have candles and flowers out. I try keeping less out because its less to dust.
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I've never been much a seasonal decor person, myself. I have no suggestions 🙂 But I still have my Christmas decorations up, too. I guess I better get a move on that soon. Maybe tomorrow…
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Hmmm, I've kept my small brass Nativity up for a whole year so far… 🙂
I am glad I am on the old calendar that that Theophany is not quite yet … so my (fake) small Christmas tree on my coffee table is still here!
I will go back to my pillar candles and Ukranian table runner when the tree is put away…
do you have anything from your family that you have not displayed in a while?
looking forward to pictures! love to you!
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This made me feel better as I also today put away the nativity scene and bared the tree. My husband will put it away (it's artificial) this weekend. We keep decorations up till epiphany, but we left the day after epiphany on our little journey and came home on tuesday. Well then wednesday my mother went home and so it ended up today when I started putting away christmas decorations.
I don't do much seasonal decorating either. I added one new willow tree figurine to the mantle that my mother in law gave me, and for the rest put back the statues of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary.
How about an Icon of a winter associated Saint, with a candle?
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Enjoying the travel stories so much! My new dog has helped with my post-Christmas decorating. Doesn't everyone keep the sofa pillows on top of the china cabinet? I like the idea of an icon — St. Seraphim with the bear would be appropriate for my present situation.
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LV, this dog is sounding more and more impressive by the day!
Before I decorated for Christmas the mantel looked fallish. That's why I don't just want to replace what was there. It's still bare (because I had other projects yesterday) but I'm going to be working on it today. Because we haven't had anything breakable within children's reach in about 12 years the mantle is the only available “decorating” space. It's also the focal point of the living area. Hmm… Good suggestions everyone.
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Remember how you “staged the house” in Birmingham before selling? I, too, like clean lines and less clutter. I do like some things out–always pictures–too cold if there is nothing there. My mother always gave me holiday decorations for Valentines' Day, etc and I did enjoy putting a little something out as reminder of the holiday.
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Matushka, why not some bare branches and candles?
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