Merry Christmas from the Hallers

Christmas is in full swing over here at the Haller home. We’ve had parties for hosting and marshmallows for roasting every night this week. I’m in charge of the Christmas program this year in our church and I’ve loved having all the songs playing in my head all month. Singing in church and the music is one of my favorite things about Christmas.

Another favorite tradition is reading a Christmas story by the tree every night. I used to do that growing up and it’s fun to snuggle up and feel like a little girl again but now I’m listening to Mitchell hilariously narrate his version of the stories.

Bless Mitchell. He let me go a little off the beaten path with the Christmas decor this year. For some reason since I was young I’ve always thought it would be cool to do a different kind of Christmas tree than a pine tree. I searched the Pinterest cosmos for inspiration and pretty much for the first time ever saw that it hasn’t really been done.

We recently bought a property that we are going to be redoing and in the back yard were some big huge quakies that were dead. They needed to come out anyway. Bingo! This was my year for a non-pine tree. So, day after Thanksgiving we ventured over to the other house and cut down our quakie Christmas tree! (Mitchell chopped it onto the house, in front of the neighbors who I’m positive think we were the biggest amateurs to ever cut down a tree. Which was a fair assessment.)

After a whole lot of broken sticks and the boys knocking it over at least twice each, we have our Christmas tree!

And you know what? I actually love it. Even Mitchell who laughed at me the entire time I was stringing lights on it admitted one night, as it was beautifully glowing in our living room, that he actually likes it a lot. I accidentally bought the zingy white Walmart lights that could light up a football stadium so Mitchell calls it the tree of life. But because of the white bark it actually looks better in my opinion.

I used an Anthropologie rag as inspiration for the color scheme of all our decor this year.

I meant to buy it and hang it on the wall but my inability-to-buy-things disease kicked in and I passed on an $18 rag - albeit a very very cute $18 rag.

These Christmas pillows are from TJ Maxx two years ago and I love them. Also, those green chairs are my spirit animal and one my favorite KSL finds of all time. I picked them up for $50 for both from some guy selling his Mom’s estate along with my Lane tables, which were in mint condition, before they met the Haller children.

Couch from West Elm, pillows from Target and the DI, rug from Safaveiah. Those lamps are the new trend. It’s called “lamp shade with no lamps in them” or in other words Cal broke both of my lamps whist making forts. Which was tragic because they were simple gray hand thrown ceramic lamps that I scored a year ago at the DI. I haven’t found new lamps for under $10 that I like so my lamp shades just float there awaiting their other half.

ALSO, meet our little vintage Santa guy. I also rescued him from the DI and I love him so much.

Also those little red hand made angels are from our first Christmas together.

I will love these angels forever because it reminds me of those happy days gone by when my budget for Christmas was $25. We made salt dough ornaments that year which I accidentally left in the oven for 3 ½ hours while I went to school…but they still worked! I had about 15 or so left to hang on the tree at the start of this month but every few days I find that Marriner has eaten another one.

Mitchell’s going to read this and tell me not to tell people that I shop at the DI. He claims that every time he goes there he starts feeling itchy. Ha ha But I like it. Those are my peeps. Even if I had all the money in the world I would still shop at the DI because I love that I can get things there that no one else has. I love old things. and I love repurposing things. and I love not spending money. So thrift stores are my place.

Please admire Cal’s artwork as seen on this rocking horse.

That Christ statue is from my Dad when I graduated high school and I’ve kept it with me wherever I live ever since. It is a mini replica of the one in Temple Square which has always been a sacred place for me every Christmas. We went a few days ago and I was in the mode of chasing kids and Mitchell was trying to hurry us home so he could watch the Jazz game but he agreed to stay a minute longer and go up to see it the Christis.

Something about it this year unexpectadly overcame me with that familiar warm burning in my heart. It started with the sister missionary greeting us with that three inch glow around her face that only missionaries have. In her thick Spanish accent she read “We bear testimony that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.”

And I felt it again, like a candle in a dark room, the truth of those words. So to you who are reading, wherever you are may you remember Christ, that little baby in a manger who is now the living Son of the living God. Merry Christmas. Love, The Hallers