Christmas eve and day are not my cup of tea, mostly due to how we generally celebrate it in my family. In fact, it took me a while to realize I'm actually not the Grinch, I just haven't been celebrating it the way and with whom I'd most enjoy the Holidays. 

But the part that I do enjoy, not surprisingly at all considering my love for decorating and organizing, is decking the house with all that's Christamassy. By now, this has become a little tradition and in my heart it is the one moment I truly celebrate Christmas (although it does not happen on the 25th at all), since I gather my parents and my sister (whenever she's around), put on some festive or general happy music and enjoy our time together putting the tree and lights up.

We usually try to stick with a theme, but since last year we gave away many of our old decorations and we haven't substituted them, this year was an obligatory red and gold theme. A couple of weekends ago we fully decorated our living room, put together our tree, hung up lights and spread out a bunch of Santas and Christmas trees everywhere. 

My favorite is the little Santa's Workshop that is part of a group of miniature houses we used to put under the tree and they lit up inside and looked something close to magical. Now, however, the lights don't work anymore but the houses still look lovely and cute and tiny, so we just spread them around the living room, giving the place a Christamassy touch.

Overall, I have to admit, Europe and America do Christmas (decorations, at least), much better than we do. Generally, the stores put out the same old things every year and it's not easy to find pretty decorations.

Still, next year, I plan on buying a bunch of new lights and decorations. I like the idea of a fully silver or copper tree. I've also thought of doing a full tree of origami birds and hearts, but I'd have to learn how to origami first... Mom said one day she wanted to do a tree fully decorated with chocolate, but we worry that it won't stand the weather (which is currently boiling 45ºC in Rio). Maybe one day we will be able to do one though! Tis' the season for hope, right?