Christmas in the Den

Our Christmas décor is very eclectic to say the least. It’s the one time of year when I just mix everything together, no matchy matchy themes here!

Our den is probably the most eclectic.

 

You can read about the nativity mantel by clicking here.

Our snow village is displayed on a table in the corner.

The skiers and sledders at the top of the hill are my favorites.

Living in the south, this is all of the snow we will see during the holidays!

The tree in the den does have a nutcracker theme. It is decorated with nutcrackers, ballerinas, and red and white ornaments. Our “memory” tree with our collection of hundreds of sentimental ornaments stands in our foyer.  Our collection of nutcrackers is displayed on the built-in shelves of the den.

Most of the nutcrackers are inexpensive and have been collected over several years.

Several years ago, I added the foam core wrapped in blue wrapping paper to make the nutcrackers stand out a little more. Because we have mostly books on our built-in shelves, the nutcrackers get lost in the visual clutter without a solid background.

My favorite nutcracker was not inexpensive but part of the cost went to a good cause.

Can you guess which one it is?

My Salvation Army bell ringer is by far my favorite! The Salvation Army does great work for those who are down and out. A couple of years ago I issued a challenge to my children who are now young adults. I challenged them to drop something in every red bucket that they walk by. I also included myself in the challenge. My challenge is multi-fold. Number one, the money that I put in goes to a good cause. Number two, by dropping money into the bucket, it encourages others around me to give too. I live in a very rural area. We don’t see homeless people out here in the middle of nowhere. But when we visit big cities, I often see the Salvation Army food truck in the evening. I have seen many homeless people lined up to get a sandwich and a cup of coffee. There is something to be said for a ministry with no forms to fill out and no questions asked that is supported completely by donations. I encourage you to drop something into the buckets as you pass them.

Don’t forget to take time to savor the season!

 

I’ll be linking to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style and to the Holiday Vignettes Party at Southern Hospitality. Click over to see lots of fun stuff!