Sunday, December 12, 2010

Holiday Home Tour 2010~ Falalalala lala la la

If you have a blog you do know that you're required to post a few pictures of your Christmas decorations each year, right?


I read that in the handbook.


Or somewhere.

candle holder proclaiming 'Welcome' in German
Christmas Market, Nuremburg Germany, 2004

Do you change your decorations very much from year to year?

hand made German pyramid
Christmas Market Salzburg, Austria~Dec, 2010

Or do you take comfort in keeping things pretty much the same?

Colonial Soldier, London~2006
St. Nicks Tree Farm~Snow Village vingette, USA~2002

One of the things I like best about pulling out the boxes and bins and bags each year is seeing the old and familiar....

our Maryland crab, Annapolis, 2003

I look forward to unwrapping ornaments that were tucked into tissue paper just one short year ago.

our favorite ~ the British taxi, 2004

I welcome the flood of memories that wash in with the ribbons and bows....

suitcase ornament, gift from a cherished and well traveled friend,
Munich 2008

happy memories of travels with family and friends,

Alpine ski smoker
The Christmas Market, Dresden Germany~2007

of sights seen close to home...

Rockefeller Center, NYC~2009

and those seen miles away.

Anne of Green Gables House
a visit to friends on Prince Edward Island~2009

I will open an ancient JC Penney box and find a play dough star...molded by a sweet soft girl who loved glitter and paint...who thought deep thoughts and dreamed big dreams, even at the tender age of 3...


She still loves glitter and her paints...still thinks deep thoughts...still dreams big dreams. I will give her the star and she'll take her time...she'll choose precisely the right branch on which to hang her play dough gift.
Still my thoughtful girl, so careful in her choosing, full of grace and beauty...I'll smile inside to see the sweet soft three year old still there, in my girl of 22.


I find the precious hand prints of another sweet, soft girl..an impulsive, laughing four year old whose bright eyes twinkled...whose love of life was contagious and oh so hard to tame.
Her hand prints are 20 now but her infectious smile still brings joy...her eyes still twinkle...she makes us laugh, and still she loves so hard.
I'll watch her when she isn't looking and I will feel so grateful for the mighty toddler child turned woman who is still her mama's girl.

Finally, nestled amongst the old and the new,
I'll find the heart of the matter...

gift from a neighbor, Maryland, 2002

A true life love story whose message never lessens,

our first Christmas together, December 1984
Knoxville, Tennessee

never dulls,
never ceases to amaze...

Christmas Market, Cologne Germany, 2008

It's the reason for the season.
May yours be blessed and merry!


This post is part of the Holiday Home Tour 2010...visit The Nesting Place
and/or Show us Your Life at Kelly's Korner on Monday to add your own link or to see more homes.

34 comments:

  1. Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to link up. I love getting out the same things year after year. Your sense of what Christmas decorating is all about is very much in line with mine.

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  2. You put my decorating to shame! :)
    Handbook? There's a handbook?! No wonder I am always so confused. ;)

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  3. Love all your decorations! Remind me of mine, I try to get an ornament or something Christmas from where ever we travel to! We have the same Skier smoker ! Have a wonderful Monday!

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  4. Beautiful decorations, and loved all the beautiful ornaments and especially the nativity scenes.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Sue

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  5. We have ornaments from all of our trips and places we have lived, and it's so special to pull them out every year. Our tree may not be magazine ready, but it's full of memories, and I think that's the best kind. :-) Knoxville, eh? Did you go to school at UT? We live in the beautiful mountains of E. Tennessee - close to NC and VA. Merry Christmas!

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  6. Your decorations are fabulous! My kids want everything to be JUST THE SAME year after year....if I even think about changing something...that particular decoration was somebody's MOST FAVORITE thing! My favorite of yours in the Anne of Green Gables ornament...I am obsessed...one day I will visit PEI...it's on my Bucket List in bold italics...

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  7. Your decorations are beautiful ... absolutely lovely. But even more beautiful are the memories with each piece. ;-)

    Thanks for the tour.

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  8. Hi Joyce! Thanks for commenting on my blog! I've enjoyed seeing your decorations from places I've been! I wish I'd gotten more German Christmas market items when I went. I use to live in Prague and went a few times.
    And I just LOVE England. I'd love to live their some day, but we always love to visit!

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  9. I love the ornaments that bring back a wonderful memory. Mine go all the way back to my childhood. My tree was decorated last night by my grandkids....it is currently a little bottom heavy from the efforts of two very enthusiastic 2 year olds.

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  10. Those are all lovely Joyce. I have done much the same, and have ornaments from around the world. Thanks for sharing yours with us.

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  11. It's so cool to get out the ornaments and remember friends/students who gave them, and places we've been! Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Beautiful decorations! I think I had a handbook, but I cleaned house once, and now I can't find it. I'm hoping to post a few decoration pictures later this week. We have a party on Saturday so hopefully I'll have my decorations just the way I want them before then.

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  13. Loved seeing your Christmas decorations, Joyce! And I know what you mean about the ornaments your girlies made with they were just little! Those are definitely the best!

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  14. Now I want to go to Prince Edward Island just so I can get an Anne ornament.

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  15. What a beautiful and moving post!

    Thank you for sharing your decorations and most importantly....your memories.

    Always blessed when I stop by to see you...
    Candace

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  16. Thanks for sharing all of your beautiful ornaments. So special and sweet!

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  17. You have GORGEOUS decorations. I might look forward to decorating more if I had a collection like that. :)

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  18. Beautiful!! You're house looks soo pretty and festive!!

    Merry Christmas!

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  19. Love that unique pyramid -- and your nativity scenes, too. Thanks for a glimpse of Christmas at your place.

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  20. I was so excited last year to join in the tour.
    I can't this time, I am no were near ready! Your house looks beautiful and I love those special ornaments. Thank you for the tour.

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  21. I love it all! Those memories are just great and I love the taxi! We lived in England way back in the 70's and it was a great time! Thanks for the tour!

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  22. You have the most amazing collection of decorations. It is so wonderful that you have these to remind you of good times, travel, and friends.

    Love your daughters ornaments too!

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  23. I love the memories behind all your ornaments. I especially love your German ones. I lived there one year while I was in high school and loved the Christmas season there. Magical!

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  24. Wonderful decorations, quite the world travelers and yo have the decorations to prove it.

    I don't blame you I try to pick up a Christmas ornamants during our vacations as well.

    Blessings
    R

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  25. Thanks for allowing me to peek into your home and enjoy your lovely decorations. The Christmas Market in Germany sounds like a place I def need to add to my list. I love the variety of Nativities too. Have a great week. Blessings, SusanD

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  26. I was flitting around on another blog and saw the title of yours and my instinct was that I would like it, I was right. What a lovely orniment collection you have!! What a whirlwide adventure you have been on so far with all your travels and moving! I look forward to reading more. :)

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  27. What a unique and interesting collection of ornaments and decorations you have! Thanks for sharing. I know you must treasure them very much...

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  28. Your tree looks great! We also have all sorts of ornaments marking travels and the like. Although I have to confess I don't put the NBA basketball players on the tree anymore. Those were Mr. 18's ornament of choice a few years in a row. Let's just say they will be moving out with him when the time comes. Ha

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  29. So enjoyed this and loved the stories behind the ornaments. What sweet memories!

    Happy week!

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  30. Okay, now that I've seen your lovely decorations and stunning home, I'm embarrassed that you keep coming back to my blog and see spatulas stuck in the middle of birthday cakes. You inspire me!

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  31. Love the tour! Thank you for the stories... touching and beautiful~~

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  32. Hello, I am blog hopping today and just decided to stop by your blog.

    Your decorations are BEAUTIFUL!!

    Please feel free to stop by either or both of my blogs and a follow would be much appreciated.

    Jessicas Lil Corner is my family blog at http://jessicaslilcorner.blogspot.com

    So Stylilized is where I am currently offering FREE custom blog designs at http://sostylilized.blogspot.com

    Have a very blessed Wednesday!! :0)

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