Divide, Conquer and Decorating Our Farmhouse for Christmas!

As you may have noticed the last few blogs, I have been going through a bit of a spiritual growth spurt . . . which has brought on all of the aches and pains one might associate with a growth spurt.  Many of you have come to me with love, support and encouragement.  I am very thankful for each of you and the love and kindness you show.  But, as a part of this time of "soul searching" I have been praying about this blog and what my purpose here is.  When I originally started this blog it was to encourage women to be the creative, Godly wives they were meant to be.  It was to share ideas for the home, ideas for being creative . . . for making your home a haven.  It was also a platform that I could use to get the word out for Past Blessings Farm . . . both our annual August "Pickin' on the Prairie" Antique Show and our sales that we have here a few times a year as well.  My goal was to inspire you . . . to encourage you to embrace your inner creativity and to nurture your domestic side with ideas on how you can bless your family . . . whether through cooking, decorating, event planning or just speaking words of encouragement to them.  That is still the concept I want for this blog.  But in my recent soul searching I have realized there are many other things I want to share . . . the kind of things that have recently crept into the blog . . . posts on dying to self in order to let God totally shine through you.  On being willing to be the woman God created you to be, even if it means giving up the woman you created in your own power.  I see the value of both . . . one is more practical, hands on ways to bless yourself, your family and your friends through creativity and nuturing.  The other is more of a deep soul cleansing and refining.  Both are full of purpose and something I believe God wants me to do, but doing them all in one blog makes this blog . . . well, chaotic and disjointed.  People come here and don't know whether to expect "Creative Brenda" or "Spiritual Brenda."  "Bless your family Brenda" or "Give it all to Jesus Brenda."  So after lots of prayer and contemplation I have a solution.  Something I should have thought of a long time ago.  Why not have both?!   So I am excited and nervous to announce that I will be "dividing and conquering" . . . I will now have two blogs.  Maybe you will want to read both, maybe you won't.  This one will hopefully regain it's original purpose and will give you ideas for being a creative blessing to your family.   The other blog, called The Right Woman will deal with your heart . . . with giving your all to be the conservative, Christian woman God has created you to be.  I will be very transparent and show you my struggles and weaknesses and hopefully you too will open up and share your journey as well.  Come join me at The Right Woman!

So now let's get back to business . . . to the business of making our homes a haven . . . a Christmas Haven! We finally got ours all decorated . . . we were dreadfully behind!

This holiday season has been filled with chaos here at Past Blessings Farm . . . I ended up doing some major decorating for our Church Christmas Program plus overseeing the cookie social during the program.  It took a lot more time than I had figured on . . . over 40 hours when I had only thought it would take maybe 12!  LOL!  This next week I will also be decorating for the Youth Group Christmas Party.  My sweet husband, Ron agreed to be an elf with me at our church's "Breakfast with Santa" . . . this is a wonderful community outreach that serves a delicious breakfast, provides quality photos for the kids with Santa and most importantly, has Santa telling the true meaning of Christmas and reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke.  We had a lot of fun, and Ron even went along with wearing tights for the event!  I did not realize we women have a talent for putting on tights until I tried to explain to my husband how to do it!  I was sure he was going to tear his foot right through it when he was putting them on.  We served breakfast to over 350 children and parents and had a fun day. 

Ron and I dressed as Elves for "Breakfast with Santa"

We have also been invited to Christmas dinners, I have went shopping with friends and with family and Sunday night we had our Care Group over for a time of cookies and devotions. Ron has been working an overwhelming amount of hours lately as a paramedic at both AMR and for the Fire Department . . . averaging as many as 80 hours a week quite often.  Plus he still plays drums at church and gives drum lessons to two students as well.   This has been a blessing, as these extra funds allowed us to pay off some debts and help our oldest with college tuition for winter quarter.  But I so wish he had some time off to enjoy the holidays. 

And . . . did I mention I have jury duty?  I spent most of the last two days sitting in the jurors lounge with a book and today was eliminated as a potential juror for a case . . . which was odd since they never asked me a single question.  But I need to return tomorrow, so who knows if I will be on a case again or not.  It has only been three years since my last jury duty, so I am a bit frustrated to be called again so soon, but I also know it is a civic duty I should be respectful of.  But did it have to be this close to Christmas?!

So, life is good here . . . just busy.  But I did want to share some pics of our Christmas Decor here at Past Blessings Farm.  Ron and I have put ourselves on a strict budget and a bit of a spending diet, so I had determined in my head to not buy anything new for Christmas decor this year.  I have completely obeyed that, other than one string of white lights, due to so many of ours not working this year.  I have found that I can add unique touchs each year without having to spend money . . . from flocked branches from the old lilac bushes to new ways to display collections I have had for years.  These flocked branches were used at church and most are still there but I was able to bring home one to bless my own home with.  I put them in quart canning jars filled with rock salt . . . which gave it the weight and stability it needed and looks like snow!  At our church, I also used the rock salt in smaller jars for candles . . . rock salt is cheap . . . $4.99 for a 40 pound bag at Walmart!  We got the rock salt that was for water softeners, so you will find it in the hardware section.

Another fun idea was to take an old cloche and fill it with ornaments and pinecones.  I had wanted cloches for years, but could never afford them . . . until I noticed at the thrift store one day, that those old clocks from the 1960s and 1970s with the dome are basically cloches!!  So I began collecting them . . . most can be found for only a dollar or two and I don't worry if they work . . . as I am only after the dome.    They can be used in so many ways throughout the year . . . so you  might want to add them to your list of things you want to find while junking at thrift stores and yard sales.

I love my old crock collection, displayed on my red cabinet, so I just added some simple Christmas trees to the top row, some rustic garland and some fun little snowmen.  The cute little "Let it Snow" banner came from Target a few years back . . . it was in their dollar section!  Can't beat that price!

I love my old Christmas books . . . from the great illustrations and graphics to the classic stories. They are nestled under our tree this year along with old boxes of ornaments and lights . . . boxes that I love because of the amazing graphics and colors.

 

For the past several years, I have displayed our Christmas tree in my amazing 20 gallon Red Wing Crock. Ron bought it for me for Mother's Day several years back . . . knowing full well I would prefer that any day over jewelry! I am an odd one I suppose, but I would rather have an old crock or a beat up piece of graniteware any day over a piece of jewelry!  Diamonds aren't this girl's best friend! 

Our Christmas Tree sits in an old
20 gallon Red Wing Crock
and is loaded with hundreds of
Old World Christmas Ornaments

My Christmas tree is not much different this year . . . other than I swapped the felted bird I had up on top last year for the star.  The bird now rests happily on the window sill, where the star had sat last year.  Some years I add patriotic flags to the tree . . . Other years it has had baby's breath in it.  I have a few Christmas postcards nestled in the branches as well and have had signs propped in it other years.  My main decor on the tree is my hundreds of "Old World Christmas" ornaments.  As I have mentioned other years, I am lucky enough to live in the home town of the creators of "Old World Christmas", which means we have an outlet shop filled with their ornaments.  When I first started collecting them, 23 years ago, they were only $1 each!  I would faithfully buy about a dozen a year and friends and family quickly added to our collection as well.  Each year, each of our sons are given an ornament too.  When they leave home, my tree will look a bit naked I fear!  What I love about the hand blown glass ornaments, such as Old World Christmas, is that they reflect the Christmas lights so beautifully on the tree.  I have golden yellow lights on the tree, which I have done for many years . . . it adds such a lovely warm glow. 

I hope these pics inspire you a bit . . . to think outside the box . . . to arrange things a bit differently, to use things in a way you might not have done before.  Use what you have . . . From canning jars to graniteware and crocks, it can all be part of the Christmas decor.

But above all, when decorating, remember the reason you are doing it.  It is meant to show honor to God . . . to make special the most special day He has given us.  It is not about a tree or candy or santa . . . it is a celebration of the Gift of a Savior. 

If you can decorate your home to honor this and help you focus on this, then your decorating is a blessing to the Lord.  But it you find that decorating for you is a competition with other women, or if you find that decorating distracts you from focusing on what the true meaning of the season is then it is time to re-evaluate.  If decorating is a financial burden or a time burden then it is not blessing you.  If you are cranky because you don't have enough help or because Junior didn't put the light up reindeer where you wanted it, you are missing the point of it all.  I know this first hand, because I have been "Mrs. Crank."  Author of One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp, says “Creating is good theology. In the beginning God created.” Be creative as you make your home warm, cozy and inviting for the holidays. Think about ways you can keep Christ in Christmas even in the way you decorate. Decorate – to the glory of God! Take a moment to slow down, look at the blessings you have and remember why you are doing this.  To bless your family by making your home a haven. . . to honor God by making His day special and treating it as something worthy of celebration.  Let your decor declare "Glory to God in the Highest" . . . and may your heart be filled with His presence this Christmas Season.

P.S.  Don't forget to check out our new blog The Right Woman!

P.S.S.  We are participating in a wonderful Christmas Blog Link Party over at Common Ground . . . come take a peek!  Tons of great ideas for Christmas!