It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I had an impromptu gathering of old friends and new neighbors yesterday...just some baked brie, apples and crackers http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_brie/ with some Goldfish and chocolate milk for the kids.  As I looked around the house, I just didn't think it looked Christmas-y enough for guests.  I know I'm not called to be Martha Stewart with housing perfection, but I just felt a little burst of energy to do something...well, different,

Things being tight, I thought about what I had on hand.  This is what I came up with in about twenty minutes.  My "assistant" did the lights.

I have a large stairwell which can be seen from the foyer and the living room.  I thought this would be a fun place for a tree.

This lovely doll with a bisque face was sent by a wonderful blog reader a while back.  Her daughter works at my local Goodwill.

We used to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 5 when I was a kid.  My mother outdid herself on holidays.  We would wake up to find candy and little toys in our shoes, which was the tradition.  Yesterday was Saint Nicholas Day, which must have been how I came up with the stuff in the shoes.  Please note the initials on the suitcase, which once belonged to a Mary Lou Kennedy.  The inner-city children we mentored firmly believed that this was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s suitcase "back in the day."

My Nana's engagement picture.  Annie, my great-grandmother, made her dress.

Enjoy the Christmas season!