Christmas decorating day 4

It's been a busy few days ... and hot ... and the FMS is giving me jip at the moment so progress hasn't been what you'd deem spectacular but I am definitely making headway.
First step after dragging stuff down from the shed is always putting away enough bits and bobs [ mostly blue ones ] to make room for the seasonal stuff. The easiest way to handle this is to put it all into the boxes the chrissie stuff was in and then I can find it when the Great Takedown is on... brilliant... n'est-ce pas? Of course, this means I have to take all the seasonal stuff out of all the boxes before I do anything else, but no system is perfect :]

Three of the trees have been located and put together.
This is an interesting operation all on its own. They used to each reside in their own box but to facilitate The Move, several of them were packed into one big box. It was the right thing to do move-wise but I miss those nice, neat, easily identifiable boxes. They said things like 4' cypress or 150cm Christmas Cashmere Pine. I knew which was what.
Now I just have a jumble of bits that need to be matched up. Does this top go with that bottom? and which stand fits which tree?
I live in the probably vain hope that one day I will find a stack of appropriate discarded long skinny boxes by the side of the road.
Not all the trees are up yet...Just the ones in the rumpus room, the kitchen and my bedroom. The main tree is still in its box. I don't remember the one in my bedroom being so big. Have I swapped it for the kitchen one? Nope... don't think so. That one looks about right. Hang a half a dozen things on the kitchen tree and decide that decorating them can wait till the weekend.
Refer back to last year's copious photos. Realise that I missed several salient spots while taking multiple almost identical ones of the living room. Bugger.
Okay. Where are we.?
Outside...ground level lights up and all the verandah stuff in place. Still looking for a 'volunteer' to climb up and do the fairy lights. Need to find the timers in the shed.
Rumpus room... done except for decorating the tree.
Kitchen...done except for decorating the tree and the 9' pine swags [2]
Diningroom / studio [anyone else's livingroom ] ... still a long way to go
My bedroom ... done except for the tree decorations
The normally neat and tidy spare room ... major disaster area: I've disembowelled the storage chest and provided mouth-to-mouth for a hug of suffocated teddies. Gotta find somewhere else to store them. They can't breathe in there.
Ok that's it:
I'd show you more photos but Blogger is misbehaving and it's taken a while to get THESE up.

Today's Christmas decorating hints:

Things don't need to have trees or reindeer on them to be christmassy. Think about those supplies that you would be buying anyway. Can you buy them in colours that will add to the festive air ? ... hunter green, burgundy, county reds, cream, gold and silver all work

• Paper serviettes/ napkins , and paper plates ... I buy plain burgundy or hunter green.
• Even if you don't have seasonal china, most of us have some of that ubiquitous plain white stuff. Team it with burgundy or hunter green napiery for instant christmas appeal.
• Think about using christmas themed coffee mugs throughout december. Quite a few of mine came from the Op Shop at an average price of 50c.
• Drag out the inherited silver and crystal. Even if you don't usually use it, grouped together on a sideboard it will add to the festive air.
• Forward planning for next year... if you are purchasing new towels, throw pillows, etc, ask yourself whether green [ hunter or mint] burgundy or cream can fit in with your plans.
• After christmas buy up the largest sizes of decorated gift boxes when they're on sale and use them for storage. When December arrives and the supplies come out, pile the boxes under the tree until the presents are wrapped or pile them artfully in a bare corner.
• small inexpensive touches can make a huge difference ... I change the teatowels, handtowel, bathtowels and bathmats for cheap seasonal ones and/or plain dark green. My bedlinen is burgundy or mint anyway so I'm ahead there.
• save and display your favourite christmas cards from years past.
• If it sits still, tie a big burgundy or christmas plaid bow on it! Lightfittings, soft toys, ornaments ... I once threatened to decorate the 6'7" tall Irishman who was boarding with us but he moved too fast! Even the cats get bows or curly ribbon. They condescend enough to allow me this one yearly indulgence on the understanding that I will pay for it later. There will need to be substantial offerings to the gods of food.

Oakley knows I'm writing about him ... he has just removed his ribbon and bell and given them a vengeful bite while making sure that I was watching him!