Friday, December 15, 2017

Church Christmas Decorations

I don't have a recipe to share this week. I wanted to share some wonderful photos I took at church last week. The sanctuary looks so beautiful, I couldn't help but run around and snap pictures with my phone. :)

Welcome to our church! Here's the pretty wreaths on one set of doors.


Inside the sanctuary, we have the beautiful Chrismon tree. In case you're not familiar with what that is, here's a little history from the United Methodist Website.

Ornaments made from Christian symbols (or Chrismons, a contraction for 'Christ monograms') were first developed by Frances Spencer and the women of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, VA. Many churches display a Chrismon tree during the Advent and Christmas season decorated with handmade ornaments.


Here are closeup photos I took of some of my favorite ornaments.














Most are ceramic and painted with gold. So very pretty! And there are some cross-stitched ones as well.

Oh, and here's my front door. I bought a new wreath last year, but, once I put it up, I realized that it was too bland. It blended in with our green door! So I wrapped it with a gold bow this year. I still think it needs something else. Maybe some red glass balls. I may add those next year. :)



My daughter is finally home from college, so I'll have some help decorating the rest of the house. But for now, we're happily snuggled on the couch under a soft, fuzzy throw blanket, working on our computers. :)

I have to say I think snuggle time is a little more important than whether we have lights on the bannister. So I'm not rushing anything!

Missy

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful decorations!

    Have you noticed that a lot of retail places don't decorate for Christmas anymore? I don't know if it's economics or culture, or a combination of both, but I miss the Christmassy feeling of the department store windows and other decorations!

    But we've noticed a change this year - Our mall is owned by a new company, and they have put decorations in the windows of the few empty stores. Some are pretty, some are cute, some are festive...but they really cheer up things at the mall! It was fun to do our mall walking (and a bit of shopping) yesterday evening. :-)

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    1. Jan, we've noticed the same thing. I bet it's a combination, but I miss it... and it pushes me to do more online shopping because the mall just isn't fun like it used to be.

      Beth and I took a ride to Eastview Mall, about an hour away from our house two weeks ago... We went in Von Maurs... It was alive with Christmas! It was like department stores of old, decorated.... festive... a pianist had sat down at the big grand-style piano and was playing Christmas hymns and carols... and there were comfy couches and chairs, all filled with men, relaxing while the Mrs. shopped, I bet! It was such a poignant scene, Hallmark friendly.

      And that mall was quite decorated... and owned by the same company that owns our mall.

      But our mall on the west side has old blue and white foam decorations for the Santa area... and bits of foam are missing.... it's very, very tired...

      When our kids were little, they had a real "North Pole" type setting, with wooden fencing, animated reindeer, fake snow and jingle bells and lights, and Santa's seat was fronting a workshop facade, like you'd expect to see on a Christmas special....

      When they changed to this blue-and-white-and-penguin thing years ago, it raised a lot of eyebrows... so I wonder if retailers and mall owners realize that we take those impressions home with us?

      Something to mull...

      There's a mall near Binghamton that had a Nativity scene set up last year. Beth sent me a picture of it as they were traveling through. How sweet to see that in a mall!!!!

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  2. Jan, our mall goes waaay over the top in decorating for Christmas! I took photos years ago. I should go find those and share sometimes. I guess I need to find out if they decorated again this year. I would imagine so. It's always so beautiful! And you're right about it feeling festive. It makes shopping a little more fun.

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    1. I did a google search. Check out our mall, Mall of Georgia!

      http://bit.ly/2BtLrQ5

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  3. Snuggle time is SO important. Enjoy those moments while you can. I think your church looks so lovely!

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    1. Thank you, Mary Cate!

      Today snuggling (and typing The End) and tomorrow, shopping. ;)

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  4. I am in love with your wreath!!! Oh my stars, so beautiful... and the wreaths on the church doors are gorgeous....

    And now I want a Chrismon tree, Missy. How beautiful! And how fun to have the kids start making ornaments for it this year... I think I'll look for symbols they can create for it. I love this idea!!!!

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