Jingle bells! Batman smells! Robin laid an egg. Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker did ballet.
What, you didn’t sing that at camp while wearing culottes and a tie-dyed shirt? I did. In any case, I hung the stockings and added a few extra decorations beyond just putting up the tree — knowing we’ll be packing most of it away in mid-December for our move. Still, Clara’s first Christmas deserves a little celebration, even if it’s brief. I brought out the feather trees I bought years ago and the same Target stockings we’ve used for the past few holidays:
Because the trees and stockings were old favorites, I wanted to add something new without spending much. Inspired by our pink and silver tree, I bought two sheets of pretty wrapping paper from a local gift shop and picked up a roll of silver paper as well. Then I raided our stash of gift boxes and ribbon. Between saved boxes and the pink-and-silver ribbon left over from baby gifts, I had everything I needed.
I wrapped eleven empty boxes as faux gifts for about seven dollars in wrapping paper. The result feels a bit vintage and adds a sweet pop of color — the touches of yellow in the paper even tie in nicely with our yellow rug. They look so charming I’m tempted to reuse them in future seasonal displays.
And, of course, Mr. Concrete Greyhound got his holiday look — simply a gold ribbon tied around his neck. He’s ready for Christmas, whether he knows it or not.
I also made small cardstock tags for each stocking, with one shared tag labeled “Mom & Dad” so both Clara and Burger had their own. A bit of extra ribbon ties the tags visually to the wrapped boxes. It took only a couple of minutes and made the mantel feel more cohesive.
With candles in the fireplace and the tree lights glowing, the room feels more festive than ever. I’m glad we took a little time to set things out, even if it’s only for a short while.
Are you decorating yet? Now that it’s December, it feels right to bring out the holiday cheer. Is anyone else in the middle of a move but still putting up a few decorations to enjoy for a little while?