I Need Snow. I MEAN IT.

For the past two years, we have really decked out the outside of the house for Christmas. And the past two years, I have be SO DISAPPOINTED at the lack of snow. I love snow, almost to a fanatical degree. I watch the forecast starting at the end of October, and I get completely giddy when there’s snow. So two years ago, when the porch was completed and we decorated for the first time, I waited with bated breath to see the house, decorated for my favorite holiday, covered in a blanket of snow – my favorite thing.

I’m. Still. Waiting. (This picture is in the rain.)

Seriously, I’m not kidding. The winter of 2014, and the winter of 2015, there was no snowfall between Thanksgiving, and the middle of January. Both years, there was a snow before Thanksgiving, but not after. And each year, I debated whether I would just leave everything up until February and be that jerk who leaves things up too long. But, I always gave up, and packed up my poinsettias with anger. And it’s not like I live in Florida. I live in INDIANA.

This HAS to be the year, right?

RIGHT?!?!

What does the Almanac say?  It says there’s a chance. Slim, but I’ll take it.

DECEMBER 2016: temperature 45° (8° above avg.); precipitation 2.5″ (0.5″ below avg.); Dec 1-9: Showers, quite mild; Dec 10-12: Snow showers, cold; Dec 13-17: Sunny, mild; Dec 18-23: Rainy periods, mild; Dec 24-31: Rain and snow showers, colder.

JANUARY 2017: temperature 34° (1° above avg.); precipitation 2.5″ (0.5″ below avg.); Jan 1-5: Rain, then sunny, mild; Jan 6-10: Rain to snow, then sunny, bitter cold; Jan 11-18: Rainy periods, mild; Jan 19-25: Snow showers, cold; Jan 26-31: Rain, then snowy periods, cold.

I just want to know what it looks like. Because I think it might be beautiful.

But until then, I can show you the snow-less house! I like the house looking as pretty without lights, as with lights. So I try to use lots of color and greenery.

But when the sun goes down, and the lights come on, it really starts to sparkle. There isn’t really anything new form last year, but I’m showing you anyway. (Not kidding, I typed “snowing you anyway” first. I should’ve left it.)

The Blue Hour.

The good thing (IS THERE ONE, THOUGH) about the milder holidays, is that you can enjoy some time on the porch. And it IS really cheery out here.

The first year, no ornaments fell off the outdoor tree, which shocked me. Last year, they went EVERYWHERE in the wind. But I love the outdoor tree so much, so this year I secured the ornaments to a red, netted ribbon, where it’ll be much harder for them to blow off. I’m determined to make it succeed!

Having red as one of the accent colors for the house really makes this all work. And that was a conscious choice! I love Christmas, and I didn’t want the house to read red and green – but I wanted the color scheme of the exterior to lend itself to Christmas decorating. I really love it.

Reindeer!

Adding ribbons to the pillows to make them look like presents is one of my cheapest and favorite ideas.

You can see the tubes of sand being used as weights for the tree – it works really well. I had the idea to put the sandbags in boxes and wrap them like presents under the tree – so I’ll do that next year.

Inside, I’m not going to post scads of pictures, because it’s mostly the same as last year. But if you want to see more, check out the 2015 Christmas Post! We love to entertain, and we have a big Christmas party each year, so the house is so much fun to decorate.

I have this vision that every room will be touched by Christmas in some way when it’s completed. Maybe not a tree in every room, but a wreath, or garland, or a Christmas book…. something.

This year, the front bedroom was completed (YAY!), so it gets the holiday treatment for the first time.

Simple red poinsettia garland on each window, with a red foil pencil tree.

Also hanging from each window is a black and white ribbon with a reindeer, and one red bulb.

This little fella needs a name. Thoughts?

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

We hope your holiday and New Year is filled with love, family, friends, warmth, and new dreams to conquer.