Christmas at Mom's (part 2)

If you missed Part 1, you can find it here!

....And so the decorating continued at my mother's house! It is like a treasure hunt to open box after box after box of beautiful Christmas decorations, and then decide where to put them all!

This little white vignette is in the (now) guest room. Lots of sparkly garland, lights, and fluffy snow complement a white-robed Father Christmas, and three polar bears named "Echo, Frank, and Holly." Really. That's what it says on the box! (But I think my niece wrote that in! ;-))


There are two china cabinets, but I think I forgot to take a picture of one of them. No matter; this one is my favorite. The five glass candleholders are etched with forest animals. I added some fake snow, pinecones, and pine garland, and then about 30 fat little birds. We call them "mushroom birds," although I have no idea why!


This little magazine table sports a new acquisition. If you're a Costco shopper, you may recognize this snowman from one of their recent magazines. He's super cute.


Although most of my mother's decorations are "new," (meaning they weren't around when *I* was a kid), the Nativity scene is an exception. It graces the piano. The Holy Family are from Anri, and they are so beautiful. The rest of the pieces are ceramic, and they were painted by my paternal grandmothers many years ago. Are they valuable, like the Anri pieces? Well, not in monetary terms, but they mean the world to me!



The sideboard is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. It was a Christmas gift for my mother many, many years ago, and it is one of her most prized possessions. It is such fun to decorate for Christmas!

She started collecting Fitz & Floyd figures several years ago, and they take up most of the space.
The little ceramic Christmas tree on the left is another piece my grandmother made. It has been in our home as long as I can remember.

These little plates on the bottom, though, are the real treasure. My mother china-painted for many years (she is not able to do it any more), and she created some amazing works of art. I love these four bird plates (and yes, I realize you can only see three)!


Tomorrow...the Christmas tree, and my two favorite decorations!