Christmas decorating challenge (my cheapness AND laziness)

I am no good at decorating for Christmas. It has always seemed a tremendous waste to me because it is only up for 3 weeks or so. Even more wasteful than decorating itself has been spending any money on decorating for the holidays. But when I mentioned in my last post that I was wanting to do something with my mantel, my friend KB challenged me to a mantel decorating extravaganza. She, too, has been wanting to do something to her mantel, so we are going to post pics of what we come up with.

Today I shall post my "BEFORE" picture:

With Nana watching the boys, I was able to venture out to do a little shopping, and I was able to get everything I needed to decorate my mantel. I like it, but I'll wait a couple days to post the picture (to keep my increasingly small readership on the edge of their seats. Where'd ya'll go, by the way?).

I thought I wanted to keep the wreath for two reasons: 1. My MIL made it for us when D and I first got married, so it has some sentimental value, and 2. I hate to not use perfectly good stuff. But at the same time, I thought that if I saw something that I really loved that would be perfect, I would consider buying it. I used to hang the wreath it on my front door, but N found a Santa face made of yarn at Papaw's house that her great-grandma had made so we have that on our front door now.

While at Garden Ridge, I did find some cute wreaths, one I liked even, and they were on sale at 50% off. However, the wreath I liked (not loved) was $49.99, so even on sale it was $24.99. Now had I not had a wreath at all, $24.99 is a good price. But when I already have a wreath, and I wasn't head-over-heels for the one I saw, it was no-go. Frugality beats all.

I debated not getting the things I ended up purchasing so that I could check other stores, but since I really don't like to shop and my ability to get out and actually browse by myself is extraordinarily limited, I just went ahead and got 'em. If I am lucky enough to get out after the holidays and find other decor I like as much or even better, I can always get it to use for next year. Plus, it will be way cheap. And I totally love way cheap.

Mine and D's stockings are the ones we've had since childhood, so I opted to do the kids' stockings the same way. I spent a whopping $1.99 on M's. I really liked the ornate ones or cross-stitched ones at the stores, but, again, why toss stockings that do their job just fine?

Stay tuned for more pics of the After mantel, as well as my half-ass way of doing the basement Christmas tree.