Finally....Christmas Decor

I have finally gotten it together enough to take pictures of the Christmas Decor.  This year has been fun....but I feel like I have gone at a snail's pace.  I mean it is December 20 and I am just posting about it!

So without further adieu....here are the photos.

Candy Table when you walk in the house.

I started this tradition last year...Hard Candy Christmas.  I thought it would be fun to have treats for friends and family when they walk in the door.  They can just scoop and put the cellophane...much easier than cookies....and it is pretty too!  The funny thing is that the kids go up the stairs to see in the top of the stand to locate where their favorite treats are. For those of you wondering how the kids handle it.... after the first day, the kids forget about it...and aren't sneaking candy as much....I wish I could say the same for me:)

Santa has a nice seat amongst my new favorite pillows.  As you can see, I am in a pink and orange stage. 
The red in much of my  traditional Christmas decor, seems to be tempered by these colors. 

We finally adopted the tradition of Elf on the Shelf.  Nothing like a 6 year old with big ol' eyes saying, "why are we the only kids without an elf".  This year elf, next year a cell phone.  YIKES!

I have always wanted a sleigh in the middle of my table.  This year I got it!

The kids are finally old enough for the vintage train around the tree. They LOVE it!  And it wouldn't be the same without the Winston car...totally NOT PC.

And the little pops of Real Southern Cotton.
** funny story at the bottom about that cotton**

More cotton...and clove filled oranges.  Something my mother always did.

And a wreath above the kitchen window...with vintage balls that I found at an estate sale.  Notice I decorated the back table too.  Too cold for me to go out in my robe and take photos.

So there you have it.  Now for the cotton story.

The Mom who "STEALS" cotton.

A couple weeks ago we my kids and I went on a trip to Aiken, SC (my hometown) to go to the Christmas Parade. On our way there are many fields of cotton.  Most of the cotton had already been harvested (which means the stalks aren't as pretty)....but there was this one field.   We were late on the way, so I wasn't able to stop, but I thought I "might" stop and do a drive by picking later in the afternoon.  Christmas parade was great, bla, bla....as the day wore on, I couldn't stop thinking about how the cotton would "make" the decor this year.  Just little touches here and there.

Well, I forgot that it starts getting dark around 5:30 these days...and we had just left Grandma's house.  I thought it might be too late, and I would have to say "sais la vie" to the cotton idea, it may be too dark.  But as I rounded the corner, I jerked the car into the cotton field...with my children saying "MOM why are you stopping???"  I said "just grabbing a little bit of cotton".   Let's say there was a field A and a Field B.  In field A there were some bright lights and a bunch of trucks...they were harvesting the cotton!  I was thinking my timing couldn't be more perfect...go to Field B.  If  I had waited another day, the perfect cotton wouldn't be perfect anymore.  My kids were thinking that Mom was going Straight to Jail!!!!!  As I gathered my first armful, the exchange went like this....

the kids yelled out the window, with little high pitched voices "Moooooom, I think you have enough.!"

I said "oh, it's alright, just a bit more".

"No, really  mom, I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH!"

I was decorating in my head, and couldn't be bothered...."just one more".

"PALEAAAAASE"!!! They begged.

"Oh,  ok" and I jumped back in the drivers seat and got the heck out of dodge.  Whew!

The kids TOTALLY thought I was going to be picked up by the farmers for stealing their cotton, and I was so consumed by my dreams of decor,I couldn't hear the shear terror in their voices.

I have a feeling that the story "The day Mom stole all the cotton!"  will get bigger and bigger, and that I made one of those memories that they will be talking about around the Thanksgiving table for years to come.

 Unfortunately for them, it probably won't be the last time they see me "borrow" some flowers, cotton, or other greenery from the side of the road.  What a girl won't do for some good decor.!

I knew y 'all would understand:)

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Linking up to: Cottage and Vine  and The Nester Holiday Link Parties.