Two other Inspired by Life and Fiction Authors have posted photo-tours (here and here) of their festively decorated houses that are beautiful and deserve to be printed in glossy magazines. In case that makes you feel inadequate, here are a few photos from my house to make you feel better.
I don’t have a Martha 
Stewart bone in my body. Zero knack for decorating. Plus, I’m on deadline, so… I’m giving myself a break and you can, too. It’s not that I don’t appreciate a beautifully decorated house. I do. I wish Deborah Raney would come here and spruce up the place. But barring that, I don’t think House Beautiful will be calling to schedule a photo-shoot anytime soon.
I did get the artificial tree put up with help from college boy when he was home for Thanksgiving. So far I’ve put on lights and one, count them, one ornament. But hey, it is a United Kingdom flag ornament, so that counts for something, right?
Maybe when college boy comes home for Christmas in a few days, I can sweet talk him into hanging a few more ornaments.
In the meantime, my husband did put up a few strings of outside lights, bless him. And then, armed with my gratitude and a staple gun, he came in and decided the cat climbing tree needed lights as well. It’s klass all the way here at the Klassen house this Christmas.
There, now you should feel better about your own holiday decorations, or lack thereof. You’re welcome. Merry Christmas!
Latest posts by Julie Klassen (see all)
- Gifts for Readers…or You! - November 12, 2024
- Research Challenges & A New Release | Guest Post by Erica Vetsch - October 22, 2024
- Book News & Second Chances - October 8, 2024
Oh Julie, you made me smile big-time! And you very well may have captured more of the true spirit of Christmas in your simple decorations than any of us—even Martha Stewart! 😉 Thanks for keeping it real! I think you are pure klass!
Oh, good, Deborah. Glad you saw and enjoyed this post. You really are a gifted decorator. Love seeing photos of your gorgeous home.
I’m with you, Julie! I’ve done a bit more, but it certainly won’t win me any awards. Neither will my house when it is in its normal state, sans holiday. With two small boys, I am lucky to keep things on tables, like decorative books and small lamps. Most things end up on the floor!
Hi Courtney, I hear ya! My two boys are teens now, but somehow my house has not improved all that much. Though I DON’T miss the Legos all over the floor…
Julie, I used to go all out. But like you I am on deadline. And since we aren’t doing any entertaining, and no kids or grandkids are with us for Christmas, we opted to skip the full size tree this year (the biggest part of the decorating job, both putting up and taking down). So I have decorations on the mantel, lights in one window, a small tree with lights that fits on the entertainment center next to the TV, and a scattering of stuffed Santas and snowmen (entry way, piano top, etc.). So it feels like Christmas but without too much fuss. I’ll probably be able to put it all away on New Year’s Day in well under an hour.
Sounds good, Robin. It’ll be your turn to post photos soon! I do like the idea of the quicker clean up, especially with a draft due in January. 🙂
Thanks for the not-so-perfect tree post! Been a bit under the weather this year so the grandkids came and set up 2 trees and decorated them for me. What a blessing! They aren’t perfect, but to me they are the most beautiful trees I’ve ever seen!
Thank you for writing such amazing books! I have read all but your newest release and it’s impatiently waiting on the end table! I love spending time in historical settings and your books whisk me away to places across the sea!
Thank you, Karen. I’m so happy you have loving grandkids to deliver Christmas cheer to you! Hope you feel better soon.
I’ve turned the bulk of decorating over to my daughter this year. Since she’s home from college with nothing to do, I’ve left her in charge. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have my task-oriented personality, so the processes is slow going, but I’m not in a position to complain. She got the tree put together yesterday, and I’ll probably help get some more decorations out tonight. Then she and the boys can take over hanging all the ornaments – the most time consuming job – yet the most nostalgic, too. Who am I kidding? I’ll find a way to get in there and help. 🙂 We’re slow getting them up, but there’s a good chance they’ll stay up well past New Years, so we’ll get our time out of them. 🙂
I’m sure your daughter will do a great job…eventually! Way to delegate, Karen. 🙂
Your post made me smile, especially the light draped cat climber. It brought back memories of our beloved Rascal, long gone to cat heaven. He had never bothered our tree, so I really didn’t worry. Then one year I saw some beautiful ornaments made of sea shells (we live in Virginia Beach) and also miniature starfish covered in glitter. I just couldn’t resist and bought several of each. I carefully placed the starfish on several limbs of the tree. Little did I know that after all of the treatment and glitter, the starfish still retained an oder discernable to a cat, so Rascal attacked the tree. Luckily we got the starfish away from him before it could harm him, but I had to keep those ornaments tucked away in my Christmas box until he passed on.
I have a copy of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill and will be reading it in January with two friends. So looking forward to it. Thanks for setting up the wonderful site for the book. We have been absorbing it.
Merry Christmas, Julie!
Love that story, Betty! Sorry your dear, aptly-named Rascal has passed, but I’m glad you have good memories of him, like this one.
Loved your post, Julie. I’ve learned that Christmas comes with or without decorations. And the most important part for me is having all my children home. I also have your newest book, and can’t WAIT to read it!
You are so right, dear friend. And I have YOUR new book and can’t wait to read it either!
That’s awesome! 🙂 I appreciate the attention to detail for the kitty. That’s how it goes in our RV. Small tree (pre-lit), fake, plastic ornaments, and one string of lights over a slide. All kitty proof. And that’s all the room there is. Done.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for sharing that, Angie. An RV Christmas sounds lovely. Makes me miss our old Winnebago…
Don’t feel bad I have had bronchitis this week and I am behind on the decorating as well.Your new book the Inn keeper of Ivy Hill is on it’s way to me via Amazon.I am looking forward to reading it.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Oh, no, sorry to hear it Diana. Hope you feel better in time to enjoy Christmas–and the new book as well. 🙂
I’m with you, Julie! I’m definitely not a decorator. I do have my tree up, but only because a couple of my granddaughters came to help me. I also have my nativity set up on the mantel. I need to drag out a few more things, I guess, if I get the energy. My thought is–what goes up, must come down again. My daughter got her tree up, and one of her cats promptly climbed up the middle and sat on the top like a tree topper. I can’t figure out how the tree and ornaments stayed upright and undamaged.
Thanks for the fun post! It made me feel a lot better! LOL
Bless your heart! It’s the thought that counts and I know you are thinking of all the people you love.
The season is about the Savior not the house.
I appreciate the deadline because I love your stories. Thanks!
LOL! I especially love the one lone tree ornament.
Julie, thanks for sharing your non-decorated home … I can definitely relate. Usually I love decorating for all holidays, including Christmas, but not this year. My dear mother passed in August, and we’re just completing a kitchen renovation that created chaos in our entire home, so Christmas decorating just hasn’t been a priority yet. We’re hosting my family Christmas so I’d better find some holiday spirit soon.! 🙂
High five Julie! I have a tree and stockings that’s it!! My husband wouldn’t care if we had a tree or not. My back was out so my son and his beautiful bride put up my tree and hung our stockings. Then I invited my six and four yr old grandkids over from across the street to decorate the tree. The tree’s not perfect (some limbs have two or three ornaments having from them) but they had a ball!
Thanks for making me laugh, Julie! No tree at my house this year…just a small ceramic one in the window. I can’t figure out where to put it with my new larger furniture. Also a one-year-old grandson was a consideration. We are happy anyway. I also have lots of LED candles that the grandkids love and no fire concerns.