Hope you've put on some nice carols, lit a fire in the fireplace, and have something lovely baking - or like me, have a cinnamon candle giving off a yummy aroma...


So please, come on down the hall, pass the arch there...

To this opening to the family room...

Through the arch you can see the fireplace - and the tree in the corner. Around the base of the tree I like to gather some of my Santas - and a few smaller trees. More on them later...


Love my cozy fireplace. Here is the broad view...


And here a few close-ups of the mantle display - modeled on an "I Spy" idea. Pack in as much as possible from as many types and styles of small trees, deer, small animals, and Santas as possible and this is what results. Embiggening these can be fun, see the detail - can you spy the corgi?





On the wall next to the tree is this shelving unit.
Do you think more Christmas bling could be packed in here? Actually, one shelf is not arranged - one of the casualties of this year's time crunch due to trip. Just haven't taken care of this detail yet.


Here are a few close-ups of the tree so that you get a taste of the many ornaments we pack in. Most of the ornaments are homemade by the kidlets and me. There are a few still from our very first tree, low these many years ago - and the balance were gifts. Stay married long enough and you can build quite a collection.



So now the Santas. I used to make Santas every year and around the tree base there are three that were a joint effort between me and my D3 (the musician). She sculpted the heads from sculpy - I did the hair/beards and all the rest. These guys are totally original, one of a kind - my own creations. Here, the internet world premere of my toys -
Santa of a German flavor...


My personal favorite, Santa of a Scandinavian flare...


And my more magical mystical style Santa...


I like to recycle old clothing to dress my Santas, using the Christmas outfits from when the kids were little, old fur coats (all fur trim is real, brown is taken from an old rabbit fur coat my sister gave me to cut up. Other Santa's are trimmed with white mink from a friend's old coat - you'll see them later), old belts - all sorts of things. Sometimes I get lucky and find a terrific old sweater at Goodwill - which is how my red Santa got his suit.


These are the windows to either side of the fireplace. My falther made these shelves on which is displayed my religious iconography collection.



The couch, all decked in warm Christmas throws and silly pillows (notice boy in Santa hat sitting at table in adjacent room - doing school work)

And the other couch, decked with a Fiona...

Below Fiona's couch? Gus, in full advanced whining mode - his tennis ball is under the couch.


A sampling of my Nutcracker collection - clustered on top of the shelving unit. These were all gifts from family.

Some of the Christmas stuffies massed on top of the computer cabinet

And my daughter's Russian cone doll collection which sits atop another cabinet.


And there you have it, the family room in all its Christmas glory...
but there is more - oh yes there is :)