Christmas Carols: Deck the Halls

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Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

'Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

This may sound morbid, but one evening my friends and I were discussing where we wanted to be buried. The answers ranged from the same cemetery where our parents were buried, to being buried at sea, to being laid to rest in the mountains. 

Of course, my first choice would be to be laid to rest in Westminster Abbey somewhere between Charles Dickens' and Jane Austen's memorials. It may just be my only chance at ever getting a good seat at a royal wedding. 

But in case that doesn't work out, I want to be buried here---at my friend Denise's house. I'd even settle for a rocky spot in the backyard. 

The truth is, I don't really care where I am buried as long as I can periodically wander Denise's halls as a happy, non-meddling, you'll-never-know-I'm-here kind of ghost. 

I just can't imagine a prettier place to haunt.

Ever since I have known her, Denise has always fashioned her surroundings into works of pure beauty.  It is her superpower.  And never is her superpower more evident than at Christmastime.  This week, I was lucky enough to snap a few shots of her resplendent holiday home. 

Join me on a little tour of these beautiful halls all decked for the Christmas season.

 Today, we'll start outside and then take a peek at the living room.

Welcome!

Lanterns and cedar boughs guide you to the front door.

 As you enter the home, enjoy the beautiful nativity scenes to the right and to the left.

Cedar garland and lights cascade down the banister.

  

 

The stockings hang by the chimney with care beneath an elegant, copper-accented mantle.

And not to be outdone by stockings and garlands, the tree stands as the showpiece of the house. 

I can't get enough of this tree with its sparkling orange bulbs and flowing ribbons . . . 

It reminds me of a tree I once saw in a Nutcracker production years ago.  The tree in the ballet was supposed to be the most sumptuous tree one could imagine---a tree worthy to be in the center of a fairytale.  Well, I think this is certainly its rival.

And who wouldn't love a river of golden presents beneath the tree with various hues of orange ribbons?

Aren't you glad you don't have to be a ghost to see this house?  

 And this is just the beginning  . . .

Join us for 

PART 2 {click here}

and 

PART 3 {click here}

of this home tour!

Sharing at . . . 
Between Naps on the Porch 
Homestories A to Z
Jennifer Rizzo
StoneGable 
No Minimalist Here
Common Ground
From My Front Porch to Yours   
French Country Cottage 
At the Picket Fence
Stuff and Nonsense