This year I was determined to decorate my Christmas tree in the Victorian style. The past few years around Christmas time my dad and I would visit Greenfield village. They decorate the whole place for the holidays and it feels as if you stepped in time for Christmas. It’s quite magical. This year I won’t be heading home for Christmas and in order to feel a bit better about I’ve put a little Victorian styled tree in my house.
What makes it “Victorian” you say? I think the main thing is that they were shorter and set on top of a table. Beyond that you can use your imagination a little. I imagined that the trees would be decorated with things that were easily found around the house or in the woods. I made popcorn garland to string around the tree, I used felt and a vintage green ribbon to make the tree skirt, I decorated the table with nuts and oranges, and I keep a candle lit near the tree on most nights.
It turned out great and it makes me feel so cozy in the evenings. It’s a perfect reminder of holidays past and my times at Greenfield village.
The other day I was poking around on some blogs and saw a take on the advent calendar. It was still a few days away from the first of December so I decided I would put one together. I saw this picture on pinterest and used it as my example.
I then went to the store and picked out some items that were inexpensive/we needed in the house/were tasty to eat/good for you/smelled nice. Some things were for Walker and some for me but most we could both enjoy. Examples include chocolates, candles, a nut cracker, and clif bars. I also included a few cute notes for Walker.
I then wrapped them all up, tied them with string, attached a date to each package and hung them up randomly on the hanger. I then hung the hanger in my Christmas corner.
I realize December has started but I’m sharing this at the request of my friend Steph and if you like the idea maybe you can count down the remaining days until Christmas. Have fun!
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Here is part 3 of how I got here. To catch up here is part 1 and part 2.
So that’s how it went. Katie stayed up at her school and I carried out the original plan. I got a job at a health food store in town (cashiering and stocking shelves). I worked during the day and baked, knitted, watched movies, and hung out with friends by night. I made a few new friends at work and would tell them elaborate stories about my life to make the time pass as we worked. I was quite the comedian. Anyhow, overall, I wasn’t doing a whole lot and was not in a job that challenged me or even came close to using the degree I had earned. There was nothing wrong with working at the health food store but I knew I was to be somewhere else. I would feel like this even more when, on occasion, my math advisor would come into the store.
With very little direction and feeling pretty down about where I was in my life I began talking to Katie and thinking about my next move. She would be applying to graduate schools and deciding where she would be living for the next few years and I announced that wherever she ended up going I would come along. Maybe what I needed was a big move! Plus this way we could live together like we had planned.
The decision for her came down to Madison, WI and Austin, TX. Originally I was hoping for Madison because it was close to home and was still in the Midwest. Turned out the program in Austin was better for Katie so that is where she chose. So Austin it was! I was moving to Austin with my best friend.
At the end of the spring I quit my job and moved back home for the summer. I figured I better save all the money I could because I had no idea what to expect when I got to Austin. I did as much as I could ahead of time though. I scoured the internet for jobs and found one that looked promising. It was an after-school position with Citizens Schools. It sounded like a lot of work but it sounded rewarding and interesting which is just what I needed.
Throughout the summer I was in the process of interviewing for the job, Katie and I were doing our best to find a place to live but decided it would be nearly impossible until we were actually there, and we had decided to take just her car and pack only what would fit. We were both very calm about the move and just really excited for this new adventure.
Be sure to come back next Friday for part 4. Have a great weekend!
