Are you surprised (or maybe even offended?!) that this week’s eye candy is a wreath? Yes, I know some people pack Christmas up and put it all away on December 26th but I like to leave out the things I enjoy. And what that means, in practice, is that I leave the wreaths up until about Valentine’s Day. And I leave the (indoor) twinkle lights up until then, too, or maybe even longer. Winter is long, my friends, and some pretty greenery and soft lighting helps me deal with the cold and the dark – although the days are getting longer and that is something to celebrate.
Anyway, this wreath isn’t even one of my regular wreaths. And by regular I mean the ones on the front door, the kitchen door, and the two by the door on the deck. This wreath is one that Dale quickly set up on Christmas Eve day when we realized that temperatures in the 60s meant people would be hanging out on the deck and we wanted it to look festive. I lobbied (but was quickly shot down) for setting up all the deck furniture again but a few folding chairs and some prettily placed decorations worked out well. It was also nice to look at on Christmas afternoon when Dale and I (still in our pajamas, I might add) had a cocktail with his dad on our deck. Yes, it was warm and yes, I thought that was wonderful.
Okay, enough. It’s the weekend! I hope it’s wonderful!
We all need something to get through the long winter, and if greenery and lights do it for you – go for it! For me, it’s amaryllis and hyacinths blooming, candles glowing, and occasionally reminding myself that the daylight is getting longer.
I agree on keeping holiday decorations up for longer. Mine are still up and will come down this weekend, but I am seriously thinking about keeping my tree up (it’s artificial). It’s decorated with white snowflakes and silver ribbon – very wintry. Winter can be very long, a little extra light will be lovely on those cold, cold nights.
Twelfth night is the end of our holiday season. The door looks a little bare but we get horrendous wind in January so we just go bare for a few weeks rather than chase things.
We’ll keep our tree up until next week probably, I so enjoy the lights. We’ve got the big wreath lit still too. Every little bit helps this time of year! Enjoy the weekend Carole!
My tree comes down tomorrow but the candles in the windows stay up all of January as they give the house a cozy feeling. My wreath will stay on the front door as well. I might keep the twinkling lights on the mantle on for a little while. Have a great weekend Carole!
I leave my Christmas decorations up through the 6th of January, so I took most of them down yesterday. I usually leave my wreath up through the end of the month, but it was beginning to turn brown, so I took it down yesterday. I love the look of a wreath with a beautiful red bow. Have a good weekend!
I’m with you — I leave some things (lights, greens, candles in particular) up until February or March. (Because you are absolutely right — winter is very long. And dark.) And I get stuck with a dead wreath on my front door every year . . . because the finches nest in it every year — and I don’t have the heart to rob them of that opportunity! Happy Friday!
All our decorations are still up…the Christmas season is so busy, I feel we have more time to really enjoy them after the rush is over! I decorate mostly with assorted fresh greens and wreaths everywhere…even indoors on 4 sets of sliders at the back of the house and swags on the outdoor windowsills in the front. Our window lights stay up all year round – an Irish tradition for hospitality. The lights are on sensors and go on and off by themselves…no heavy lifting there! Several neighbors decided to do the same…they give a beautiful warm glow on any night no matter what the calendar says! And while I’ll take down most of the decorations soon, the wreaths on the doors always stay up until Valentine’s Day! We all need a little lift during New England winters (although it has been very warm this year, as you well know!).
You are not alone. Advent/Christmas is a season, not a one day event with Santa as the main attraction. in my view, it is about bringing light into the darkness, tradition, story telling and enjoying the season. My tree came down yesterday, but the wreath is stil on the fireplace, our beautiful stylized Nativity is on the dining room cabinet and the colorful Claus and Mrs. Claus that I cross stitched some years ago are still hanging. A beautiful snow is falling outside, so it is clear that Mother Nature agrees with us!
No offense taken. I wish I could keep the tree up longer. I sadly took the decorations off last night. I love the greenery and lights. If it wasn’t a fire hazard at this point I would have let it stay till February. Have a great weekend Carole.
I love wreaths. I keep one on my front door all year, just different ones, with different types of decorations. It’s very inviting. Have a great weekend. We have huge surf here. May take a ride to the coast to watch the crazy surfers. I don’t know how they stand it in 40 degree weather!
Lights until Valentine’s Day, definitely. Although I will turn the lights off on the front door wreath soon, the wreath will stay up until……well, until it just starts to look weird. The tree will stay until it starts to smell really piney which means it’s nearing flash point!
I just took our patio wreath down yesterday. It was still soft, green and very festive, but I was happy to see it go. Have a super great weekend!
I leave my primitive santas and snowmen out all year. I also have two strands of Xmas lights I leave up all year – and pretty much turn them on every night!
So I am not offended by your wreaths! Let them shine!
Linda in VA
I love it and am glad to know I am not the only one with a wreath still hanging!
Have a great weekend!
Lovely wreath. I’ve decided that next Christmas I want to hang wreaths on some of my windows. We’ll see if I actually can make that happen! It’s been very cold and wintery here, so I’m glad someone is enjoying a bit of mild weather.
I am 100% behind leaving up decorations (well, maybe not the tree) for months… it’s a lot of work to put them out and hey, why not enjoy them! I still have poinsettias, a few bowls of berries and nuts and a lot of glittered pinecones. I think of them as my winter decor, not Christmas!
I ‘forgot’ our lights in the bathroom when everything else came down last weekend. They’re so pretty reflecting in all the white porcelin! My husband keeps unplugging them. I keep putting them back on. It makes me smile!