Christmas Traditions and Decking the halls with...

non-traditional colors!

Fa la la la la la lalala :) 

Jessie Spano moment (see last post) has subsided and I'm so ready for some cookie inhaling and spiked cider.  Just two weeks until break.  My graduate class is over.  I decided to wait on the HSG until January.  Ready to move on to happier things!

  Just for fun, I'm joining up with the The Newly Woodwards' mission to Deck the Halls:

 I feel like a fraud because I only DIYed one thing... ahem.. last year, but here it goes...

It's mostly just a photo dump of my xmas decor, starting with my gradient stockings.  No, I didn't dye them myself and then hand sew the crystals on.  I bet some of you crafty vixens out there in blogland could do that, but mine are storebought:

Green and blue ornaments on the mantle:

Tree with meaningful ornaments (not a one of them homemade- oops)

Love this bluebird one from Target.  It reminds me of that short story where the kids go looking all over for the bluebird of happiness.  You know the one where he is in their backyard all along?  Deep stuff, I tell you.

To remember two of our favorite travels:

So what did I DIY?  I made these faux snow globes (from last year) using epsom salt and tiny trees that I sprayed with fake snow.

And that is a lazy girl's decor :)

Xmas update:  Dan and I also did our annual tradition of visiting the four star Jefferson for some gingerbread gawking and a drink.

Instead of a gingerbread house this year, the master baker made a lifesize train!

I'm always impressed with these things, but this year's was out of control!  Here are some of the candy stats about it:

You can see the love in the details:  strings of rock candy icicles, gummies in the background, cookies wallpapering everything:

I know, I know... too many pictures!  But look at all the edible decor!

Even the "gravel" was made from dark jelly beans!

Nerds, Hershey kisses, and fondant... yum!

Dan always does a tradition of taking me on a winter date.  We made it a double this year and went to the botanical gardens with his brother and his soon-to-be wife for a little light viewing.  Their theme this year was East meets West.  We both couldn't get enough of the crane installation:

That's a wrap of my holiday decor and tradtions! :)