Day 158 Nutcrackers (Day 24 of 25 days of Christmas)

Just a few of the nutcrackers my grandson collects. They all live in his room when it's not Christmas and you can't see nearly all of them here, but a pretty good representation.

He LOVED seeing the large ones on Fran's blog!

Day 155 - More Little Trees (Day 21 of 25 days of Christmas)

Several more 'little trees' in various rooms around my house.

Day 154 - Big tree (Day 20 of 25 days of Christmas)

Well, it's not nearly as big as some - but it's 7-1/2 feet tall and one of the slim ones. Lit with multicolored lights and all sorts of ornaments from over the years.

This tree is upstairs in the "FROG" room (family room over garage) so I don't see it as often as I don't spend much time up there. One of the reasons for all the other smaller ones around the house so I can actually see them.

Day 150 - Chuck's Christmas Tree (Day 16 of 25 days of Christmas)

{sigh} Three years and two months today.

Day 149 - Outside decorations (Day 15 of 25 days of Christmas)

Not nearly as many outside lights as in years past. I didn't think I'd get anything up, but our Youth Pastor and his wife came one Sunday afternoon and did the outside stuff for me. What sweethearts they are.

Chuck made this reindeer the year before he died. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this one IS a reindeer and not a moose. :) Actually he made two, this one with it's head up and another with it's head down grazing. We used them both that year - and I have not been able to find the second one since he died. I've torn the place apart - I've looked in places it shouldn't be. It's not here. I have no idea what happened to it.

I've had to change a lot of my decorations simply because I couldn't handle seeing them the way we "always did them".... maybe that's why that reindeer is gone :)

Looking at my front porch from an angle. Chuck always wound Christmas lights around the pillars - but I can't handle seeing them that way now, so I just put out my little baby porch tree and my shrub lights.

Day 148 - Elephant tree (Day 14 of 25 days of Christmas)

I've collected elephants for YEARS, and so have a pleathura of elephant Christmas ornaments (many from one particular grandson who loves to shop for elephants for me). There are so many, I decided a couple of years ago to have a seperate tree for them. They don't show up well on a green tree, but look great on a white one.

I even have an "elephant angel" for the top of the elephant Christmas Tree

Day 147 - My Office Tree (Day 13 of 25 days of Christmas)

My little office tree is kind of a "Charlie Brown tree". It's one of those little skinny ones that's seen better days. But, the lights are cheery and the white/crystal ornaments show up well.

The Christmas pillows add a nice touch and are all handmade (by me).

Day 146 - Entry way revisited (Day 12 of 25 days of Christmas)

This gorgeous 'lightbox' was a gift from a friend last year. I'd seen them at craft shows and I just love it. It's one of those glass blocks people sometimes use in bathrooms, with a hole drilled in it and Christmas light poked in, then wrapped as a gift. One of my favorite decorations. It sits on the table in my entryway.

The candle holder was another gift so many years ago it would be considered 'vintage' now. And, actually the glass beads I use around the bottom of the candles truly ARE vintage - they were my mother-in-laws in the early 1900s. I restrung them a few years ago as the string had long since worn out and I was loosing them.

I posted a picture earlier of the little tree - but from the other direction. Can you tell I love Christmas lights???

Day 145 - Purple Tree (Day 11 of 25 days of Christmas)

A friend gave me this little purple tree a couple of years ago as a gift and it always makes me smile (I think that was her idea). I couldn't get the purple lights to show in a photo. This little tree sits at the entrance to my bedroom, so I can enjoy it all day and evening.

Day 142 - Dresser tree & angel (Day 8 of 25 days of Christmas)

This little pink tree and angel sit on the dresser in my bedroom.

Day 137 - Pink Barbie tree (3rd-25 days of Christmas)

I love my Barbie tree. I saw one in a magazine several years and wanted one ever since. The pink trees became popular a couple of years ago - this is a little fiber optic. My two "best" Barbie ornaments (Hallmark) grace the bottom. Most of the ornaments are McDonald's Barbie, and my daughter found a package of small Barbie ornaments the first year I had the tree.

I collect Barbies - not the vintage or terribly expensive ones - but I do have a room full. Chuck loved giving me Barbies, so I have some really pretty ones.

This tree always makes me smile :)

Day 137 - Welcome Snowman (2nd-25 days of Christmas)

This cute little wooden snowman and skinny tree sit in my entry way. I got that tree in an antique shop for $6 a couple of years ago and have truly enjoyed it.

Day 124 - More trees

I don't know what these two huge trees are. They sit next to a large pond (which doesn't show in the photo - I was in my car). In the summer time they look like evergreens, very similar to a cedar. But, this time of the year their 'leaves' (not really leaves though) turn a lovely reddish brown. The first year I saw them I thought they were dying - but they always turn green again.

Day 118 - Red leaves

These bright red leaves are on a little 'stem' growing at the base of a tree. I guess it's a 'tree wannabe' - but the color sure is nice and bright.

Day 117 - More Fall

It'll be gone soon - the leaves are falling really fast. This is the view across the side road from my house.

Day 114 - Two tone tree

I'm so enjoying the fall colors - and ours are finally here. They probably won't last long, so I'm taking full advantage. This tree is in my bank parking lot.

Day 104 - Gorgeous tree

I've been trying to get a picture of this gorgeous tree for a week and hit the light right today. It's around the corner from my house and still mostly green, but the ends of the limbs are a gorgeous red. Not a lot of color here yet, but it's supposed to be cold tonight so maybe soon.

Day 86 - California - closeup

This is a closeup of one of one of the redwoods we saw yesterday. The park ranger said it was 1000 years old. Can you imagine?

Day 85 - Muir Woods - California

Well, we've been sightseeing today - went to "Muir Woods" - the redwoods aren't the really huge ones here, but it's pretty close to where my son lives and I'd never seen redwoods before. It's a lovely national park and we walked till I wore out. You can't really see how big and beautiful the trees and ferns and growth is in these pictures.

Day 84 - California trees

Well, they sure don't look like trees in Alabama. These trees are at the house next door to my son - and yeah - I made it safely. Though yesterday was a VERY, VERY long day. It's a long way from Alabama to California and I was just too tired to even look at a computer when we finally got to his house last night.

SO, guess I'll be posting California pics for a week anyway.