christmas decorating

i bought a tree today, but we don't have a stand yet, so it is sitting out in our backyard. since i was itching to do some kind of christmas decorating, i got out everything else and put it up.

the stockings were hung by the chimney with care:

but then madeleine pulled one of them down with its heavy stand and almost killed herself, so now they are hanging on our bookshelf:

this makes me pretty sad.

so i put up a few other little safer stocking as replacements. as you can tell from the whiteboard that is barricaded by a piano bench to keep madeleine from pulling down the extremely heavy, extremely loose, fireplace grate, our fireplace has other safety issues as well.

this is our "entry way table." i put out all of our christmas books and a candy dish. it already needs to be topped off.

my christmas quilt is prominently displayed on the couch below my advent calendar,



and even the piano has a little decoration.