Christmas Decorating before and after

I started doing some Christmas decorating.  I'm not going to put the tree up until December 17th when Ed gets home.  I need someone agile to go up and down the ladder since we have a 9 foot artificial tree.  We got that tree about 4 or 5 years ago.  Bob always insisted on cutting down a fresh tree at my aunts farm.  Since my cousins had stopped trimming the trees a few years ago, the trees were getting wilder and wilder.  We often had a birds nest in the tree.  Well that Christmas a few years ago, after watering the stupid thing, it fell over.  It was almost 11 pm when it happened and caused quite a commotion.  It woke Ed up who became very upset, thinking Christmas was ruined.  It took several Christmas cookies and milk to calm him down.  It ruined about half of our ornaments.  After that, we took  half a day from work off and got a new tree and some new ornaments and had it up before the kids got home from school. 

 Mantel before
Mantel after.  Every year the kids either get me a Santa Claus or a snowman.  I have gotten a few as gifts from my sister. My mom made the wall hanging for my birthday.  It looks really nice.  I like the boldness of the blocks. 

Table before

Table after.  The red and green balls I  got in Nashville just after we got married.  They have to be 23 years old.  My mom made the table runner and I have placemats that match.   

 Hall table before

Hall table after, with the snowmen the kids have gotten me over the years.  Except the big one in the middle, I picked that one up on Mackinac Island.  I really like the two on the right side.  My dad made the table one year for me for Christmas.  The legs are green.  I really cherish all the home made things.  I have several pieces my dad made me. 

I have to post things like this since the cross stitch projects are top secret.  I will post them after the holidays. 
Keep on stitching.