The cat who stole Christmas...

... or at least the decorations! We're still not sure if we'll be putting up a tree this year...

We may have to be content to look at photos of last year's decorations...

... unless we do THIS! And although Baby thought it was great fun to have her photo taken, she would not enjoy being caged until Christmas!

The dining room last year at Christmastime, with the bay window and half wall decorated.


A variety of pine trees and some sugar houses were set up on the half wall... Not this year.

Guess who discovered that the windows move, swaying back and forth if she tries to squeeze between them to make her way from the family room to the dining room?

Mm hmm. Innocent little Baby, that's who. We no longer have any decorations on the half wall....

...because Baby thinks it's great fun to pry her way under or betwen the windows, which sends everything crashing from the half wall to the floor. Lesson learned.

So the trees, birds, sugar houses and such will stay packed away this year.


I've always decorated the DR bay window with our old animated Christmas doll and a small white tree.

This year, someone else discovered the bay window...

...and has come to realize that it's a great place...

...to spy squirrels and birds.

When Baby sees something that entices her...

...she doesn't let anything stand in her way...

...even if it means climbing the windows to (try to) get it.


Can you imagine what my doll and tree would look like by the end of Day 1? I shudder to think.

She is so sweet and innocent....

... but is a very precocious little kitty child!


The family room last year, decorated with my sugar house village, vintage angels, Santa and some reindeer on top of the TV.

You may remember how I posted that the top of the TV is one of Baby's favorite places to hang out (all the better to bat at moving images on the TV screen).

Needless to say, the village won't be set up this year.

Yes. Baby has claimed almost every item and area in our house as her own.

The top of the treadmill allows easy access to climbing the fake ficus tree in the family room (hence the hesitation about putting up a Christmas tree!).

She runs lickety-split from one end of the house to the other and leaps onto the top of the treadmill.

Here she is batting at the framed artwork that hangs next to the treadmill. Perhaps she thinks the cat in the "9 a.m. in New York City" print (Neuf Heures du Matin New York by Jean-Jacques Sempe) should look more like her!

Oops. She just spotted the parakeet and canary. Thank goodness they are plastic.

Lord knows what she spotted in this photo, but that wild look in her eyes usually precipitates a few minutes of frenzied racing through the house!

Last Christmas the living room bay window was decorated with a vintage tinsel tree and angels...

But Baby has made this window her favorite place to perform daring acrobatics...

... and to practice the fine art of balance.

I think it's safe to say that the feather and tinsel angels will stay safely packed away this year.

So our sweet Baby has really altered the day-to-day living and decorating in our little cottage............... and we wouldn't have it any other way!

To anyone who was waiting for a yearly "Christmas letter," don't hold your breath. Every time Baby hears the printer kick in, she races from wherever she is in the house to attack the moving paper.

She is quite proud for protecting me, as you can see by her big kitty grin.

Lest anyone think Baby is allowed to run amuck all the time, that is not the case. She was allowed to engage in her natural, curious antics for these photos. Normally we attempt to teach her that such behavior is not acceptable. Emphasis on attempt.

Hope everyone else is having fun decorating :)

Donna

The decked-out dining room....

Okay, calling this a dining room is stretching things a bit since it's actually just a small eating area connected to the kitchen and living room (most split entry 'cottages' don't have real dining rooms)...

(click any photos to enlarge)

I stood on my tippy toes and held the camera up high to give you a bit of a bird's eye view of the room... Oh, let me move those two chairs so you can see the tablecloth I'm using this Christmas...

Well that was a mistake! It would have been nice if I'd ironed it before putting it on the table!! (Irons and I don't really care too much for each other)...


This view was taken from the living room. The windows above the half-wall are strictly decorative, overlooking the family room off the back of the house.


And this view is looking toward the living room (I'll share the hutch and fireplace photos in my next few posts).

These photos were taken last week. If I took them today you'd see a blanket of snow outside! Not too much changes in this window from year to year... The animated doll from the 80's and the little white Christmas tree are always placed there. (The animated doll used to be dressed in red plaid but I gave her a shabby cottage makeover several years ago.)

The Christmas cactus is blooming beautifully! One new thing I did add to this area is the "ice crystal" wreath that I got on clearance last year. It definitely adds some sparkle and reflection to the window.

The silver glitter bird didn't come with the wreath, but I thought he looked right at home nesting in it.

My bird collection grew too big for this tree, so now it's just decorated with small pink and aqua bell ornaments. I'll show you in an upcoming post where the bird ornaments ended up!

You might remember the pink sugarplum reindeer who gave up their "reindeer barn" (a.k.a vintage birdcage) to my Christmas sheep this year... They're happily grazing by a tall (bottlebrush) pine tree on the jelly cupboard these days...

... where they're being kept company by a couple of the Wal Mart glitter birds I showed you a few weeks ago...

The mini birdcage on top of the mirrored cupboard also got decorated for the holidays with a chippy vintage angel. Pete and Re-Pete (two of my many parakeets) approve.

A small white manger sits on top of our little recycling center in the dining room....

... while stars & snowflakes sparkle, and reindeer prance across the windowpanes.

And speaking of reindeer, I just love these deer that I got at Target years ago, with their scrolly antlers just dripping with prisms... They guard the Christmas tree centerpiece every year (although from what, I don't know!!)

Here's a good closeup of the vintage morning glory tablecloth I'm using this year. The tablecloths are about the only thing that gets changed from year to year in this room. (You can see the past 5 years' tables in this post.

Another thing I did differently this year was decorating the chandelier. I attached my dollar tinsel wreaths (such a deal!) and then hung a few of the sparkle birds along with some glittery white stars I had on hand....

It really does give a festive look to this little room!

I still have so much to share with you... more of the living room... the fireplace, the hutch, my new bird tree, the winter village set up on the TV and, of course, my collection of Night Before Christmas books, so if any of that interests you, pop in again from time to time!

Now be sure to visit Rhoda at Southern Hospitality and see her elegant home all decked out for the holidays!! You'll also find a list of many, many bloggers sharing their Home for the Holidays decorations!!! Have fun touring!

Donna