Photo Gallery: December House

Would you believe My Sweets and I have been shacking up for 13+ years, and we've never bought ornaments? That's because we've been gifted so many fabulous decorations over the years from family, friends and old magazine contacts. Here are a few of our faves.




Advent bags I made out of white paper sacks, Martha Stewart holiday paper and clothes pins.
I {try to} fill them daily with love notes, treasure hunts, etc.




Holiday books. I wrap 24 of them every November 30, and the children run down each morning to choose one. It's a treat for them to re-read an old favorite. After Christmas I put them all away until next year.





Buby's first Christmas. Wasn't he adorable? Note to self: Photograph Oliver in this hat.





Painted bell from my nephew Spencer and expectant couple from my friend Maria.





I have a crush on Crayola ornaments. My mother-in-law gave us a boat load of them before we started a family, and we saved every one. We can't use them all, but we keep them tucked away for the kids.






Of course my favorite ornaments are from the wee ones in our family. I have no idea where the straw angel came from, but we've had it forever and I cannot wait to unpack it every year. Buby says it's his fave, too!






Grandma DJ makes these mini stockings for all of us. Even the baby has his already.





Door hangers are a big hit around here. So are wooden airplanes.






Remember this puzzle ornament from last year? I adore it now... that it's finished.





Pipe cleaners + beads = candy canes. The children fill our "Letters to Santa" ornament with coloring pages, and I take them out on Christmas Eve. My lucky grapes.





Our oldest niece and nephew look a lot like Buby and Bleu here. Spencer's footprint.





Poor Jazzy. She rarely makes it onto ornaments anymore.





Window clings are all the rage here. Maria and I are too cool for school.
She sends me the most fun reminders of our friendship.





We bought the horse ornament when we lived in Arizona.




The kiddos love these singing/dancing Christmas characters.





Holiday baking aprons for Buby and Bleu. A friend of Grandma DJ's made them.
Luca is our Elf on the Shelf. He is magical. The kids hung this wreath snowman on their bedroom door.

My Sweets and I took Buby to a pottery studio when he was two years old to paint our cookie plate.
We are still pondering what kind of cookies to give Santa this year. Maybe raspberry thumbprints.