holiday cheer.

Part II of my Holiday series brings one of the most widely debated topics of the holidays -- the decorations.  Families coming together find ways to meld their styles and traditions, they avoid phone calls from the parents who passed down the traditions (since they'll be upset tradition has changed), and letters are sent to Targets everywhere that Christmas decorations shouldn't be out yet "because it's barely November!" (...no?  Just my mom sends that letter to Target?)

Growing up, there was a strict rule that no decorations went up until after Thanksgiving dinner was eaten and cleaned up, no music was listened to until the day after Thanksgiving, and you were to be scorned if you even thought about turning on outdoor Christmas lights.  The Friday after Thanksgiving, my day off from school was always spent helping my Gram put decorations up at the family business and at her house - in fact, I got to help again (albeit, two days early, much to my mother's dismay) this year when I was home, which was a real treat.  When I moved into my own apartment last year, I was confronted with my Roommate, who puts Christmas decorations up the moment Halloween is starting.  I went into a complete holiday shell-shock, and at the risk of being a tad dramatic, it did alter how I enjoyed the holidays (they felt too long, and Thanksgiving barely happened).

This year, we compromised and put things up slowly, and we're finally decked out.  We have the upside-down Christmas tree we obsessed about, Leonard the Christmas Pup is out and up, and I couldn't be more happy to come home and see my lights everywhere.

It's weird, learning to decorate on my own.  On one hand, I love being able to do things the way I envision them; on the other, there are certain aspects of decorating with my family that I miss.  My sisters and I would dress up in the lights and tinsel every year.  I had a pair of snowflake ornaments that I made earrings into, and wore them one day a year - decorating day.  We fought each year as to whose turn it was to put my mom's Precious Moments Angel tree topper up, because we could never remember from year to year, and the slip of paper we wrote it on always got lost.

When I was home over Thanksgiving, my mom was seriously bummed that I wouldn't be around to decorate the tree that year.  Before I left, I made sure to put up two ornaments of mine on the tree, with a little note.  She called me later in the day and told me how much she loved it and was glad I could be part of the decorating, if only by sentiment.

Leonard the Christmas Pup makes an appearance every year in my life, and will continue to do so whether Loverman likes it or not.  An outdoor lighting decoration, my Gram bought it on a Black Friday sale in AZ three years ago.  I was slightly heartbroken after having a holiday without her dog, and I was craving a puppy of my own.  She had originally bought the decoration for herself, but I talked about how much I loved it, she re-gifted it to me.  I put him up in my dorm the first year, and he is now up for the second year in this apartment -- he is definitely one of my most beloved decoration items.

Leonard the Christmas Pup

My roommate's cat, Betsey, has her own holiday decor.

Bonus - Christmas card of myself and the sisters at least five years ago.

What are some of your decorating traditions?