Dressing a Room vs Dressing Me

My husband and I are invited to a "black tie optional" event being held in January.  If it were a "black tie" event, I'd know exactly what to wear.  The "optional" is what is throwing me off.  If a client asks me to create a formal living space for them, I know what formal pieces of furniture will work and I'll use a symmetrical arrangement.  For a casual living space I would place the furniture more randomly and I'd use soft, comfy fabrics.  Whatever they want, whatever style, level of comfort I'm sure I could satisfy their needs.

I'm also very confident in choosing clothing and how I dress....usually.  It's not often that I attend a formal event.  And styles and customs change from time to time and from one region to another.  So, I'm finding myself in a quandary.  I googled "black tie optional" and then went looking for a dress.  Imagine how happy I was to find something on my first outing.  I bought a nice evening bag and am looking for shoes.  Also, I went through my jewelry box and found the perfect jewels. 

I should have stopped there.  One last "google" to make sure everything was ready.  It seems like every site says basically the same thing, then each one adds a few extra comments to confuse the issue!  Now, I'm having second thoughts on my choice, time is running out, and since many women are now shopping for New Year's Eve dresses, I think my choices will be very slim. 

Probably all will go well, although at the moment, I'm a little stressed.

Christmas

It's five days till Christmas.  I'm ready except for a few minor things.  I always do this.  Each family member gives me a wish list at Thanksgiving time. I choose what I want to give them, do the shopping (hopefully, early) and then proceed to wrap.  Each person usually has the same number of gifts to open and approximately the same dollar amount is spent on each person.

Somehow, I always fall short with someone.  Then I find it necessary to go out and buy another gift.  Fortunately, this time it should be easy to purchase what I want.  Also, I'll make sure I'm at the store in the morning when the doors open.

My decorating is done and some of the baking is done.  Christmas Eve is always at my house.  We have dinner, open presents and go to church.  I have to admit that last year I was so tired and everyone was in such a rush that we never made it to church.  Most of the time my family comes for Christmas dinner.  This year my son & his fiance are having an open house on Christmas Day so I get to relax on that day.  On Sunday we're invited to a cousin's house for lunch.  I'm really looking forward to this weekend!

Here's a glimpse at Christmas in my house......

An Artificial Christmas?

When decorating my home for Christmas most of the greens inside are artifical and the outside greens are real.  I do this because I know the greens outside will stay fresh because of the cold and those inside won't wilt because of heat and lack of water. 

For years I frolicked (I like that word, it sounds Christmasy) through fields of trees looking for the perfect one to decorate.  It was fun when my children were young and we made it a family affair.  After they grew up it wasn't as much fun going by myself (my husband went once and that was enough for him).  Then one year I awoke to tiny little spiders all over the walls and ceiling.  Apparently, one had built a nest in the tree and the warmth of the house produced all the little ones!  That was the last year for a live tree.

I've been wondering what decorations will look like years in the future.  When I was growing up I didn't know anyone who had an artifical tree.  Well, I take that back, once my mother bought a silver tinselly looking tree.  (She read a lot of women's home magazines with so called cutting edge ideas.)  Another time she went out in the woods and picked up a large branch that had fallen off a tree, took it home and spray painted it gold, then proceeded to put lights and balls on it.  She placed it in front of the picture window where everyone passing by could easily see it.   As a teenage, I was mortified!  My brother and sister and I protested so much that she has never attempted any unusual decorating since.

In the 19th centuy:
          All the Christas trees were live........now many are artificial     
          Candles were placed on trees......today we use electric lights
          Live holly decorated the home.....in modern times holly is red plastic with a foam core
          Pine cones were gathered from the woods.....resin pine cones sprayed with cinnamon scent are sold in bags.
          Waxed candles burned brightly.....now we can use battery operated faux candles.

Fifty years from now will all of the decorations we use be artifical?  Will anyone even remember when live/real decorations were used?  With the advancement of technology and modern manufacturing the "natural" factor is being taken out of so many things in our lives.  I hope we don't get too far from nature and remember that we are human and humans thrive and are happiest when connecting on a personal level and surrounded by nature.

                       I WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
                                                                        AND A
                                           MERRY CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH LOVE