My Christmas Mantel and Li'l Tree 2009

This year we have no grandchildren running around (that's their photos on the mantel) and nothing special planned, so I only did a minimal amount of decorating. I really wanted to add lights to the mantel, but that is so much work hiding the cords! The mantel is decorated with assorted artificial Christmas greenery, variegated holly, berries, winter twigs, ivy, silver and gold glass ornaments and "Let It Snow" themed candles.

The same basic items stay on the mantel all year and I just decorate it for the seasons.

Although it would make me a nervous wreck to have these candles lit for very long, I did want to see how they would photograph. I really needed electric Christmas lights for the best effect, but not enough hours in the day, not enough days in the month, etc!

Now please don't laugh at my Li'l Tree! I have done enormous and elaborately decorated trees in the past and almost embarrassed to show this one! You know it's a live houseplant LOL! But it is a Norfolk Island Pine and only about 18" tall.

I just love these trees, but the branches are not strong enough for decorations! A string of lights would look ridiculous on this kind of tree, as they would weight the branches down even more than my lightweight ornaments. It's a good thing (as Martha would say) for people with a limited amount of space or for people that just want a little tree that won't require a lot of effort.

Now that I have probably embarrassed my self, I suppose I will have to make some more posts of some prettier trees I have decorated at home and some that I have designed for our local Festival of Trees.

So that's it for now. Happy Holidays to you all, and Merry Christmas, you ho, I mean ho ho ho! Oh yeah, the first two photos should be clickable (in case you want a close up view). You can also press your Ctrl key and the plus sign a few times to magnify the pictures.