Merry Christmas 2010

Sometimes we don't see situations for the blessing they are intended to be. Often the biggest blessings come in the disguise of the biggest frustrations. I wonder if this is the way Mary felt when she heard of the census order?

How dare Caesar Augustus order a census the same time her baby was due. The logistics of this were all wrong. She was young, scared, and very pregnant. She would be away from all she knew. Away from her family. Traveling far...at the worst possible time. To a little town that would be very crowded.

Every new mother wants her baby to have their time. Their welcoming. Their own place. I wonder if Mary felt like all of that would be lost in the midst of their traveling. In the midst of everyone's distractions.

God knew differently. He knew His plan. His time. His welcoming. God knew that His place for Jesus was going to be in a manger with two ordinary people that were going to welcome and raise the Son of God. Talk about the ultimate way to disguise a blessing!! A blessing that would change eternity!

This blessing was "good news of a great joy that will be for ALL the people." This blessing was worthy of the appearance of a multitude of Heavenly Hosts...singing in the sky!

Even if it did not start out the way Mary had planned, she was able to treasure up all of these things in her heart. Her baby boy; they called Him Jesus.

This blessing that took place so long ago is still very much our blessing today. A great joy for ALL people. An opportunity for us to experience life forevermore.

Glory to God in the Highest...truly a merry Christmas to all.

Love,
The Kintigh Family
If you are looking for the whole Christmas story, read Luke 2:1-21 in the Holy Bible.

We at Bananas and Damask Interiors will be back on January 1st with fresh, new year inspirations!!

Holiday Tip...Frame Pictures/Magazine Pictures for Art

I wanted to dress up our foyer and hallway with some holiday cheer...but the decorating budget was zero. So, I pulled out my holiday magazines that had come and then been tucked away. There was art and holiday cheer for free!

(This tip works the best with smaller pictures; it is a little less obvious that they are magazine pages that way! Thanks to my December issue of Better Homes and Gardens and my holiday issue of Pottery Barn)

At Home for Christmas

I showed you the play room festivities, but here is downstairs. It's more of the classic tones...the grown up decor. The holidays have so many different tones, I feel that it's fine to have different tones in your home as well. Just avoid doing it all in the same space. Avoid the clashing or busy looks.


















When the weather calms...we'll work on outdoors!

Linking up on

Christmas Home Tours 2010 at the Nesting Place




Previously On:



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Hooked on Houses

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Crazy Domestic

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Silent Night...

This is the playroom at night. The kiddos and the toys are all put to bed and the colored lights twinkle. I chose to decorate with festive colors and non-breakable ornaments to keep the fun up and the stress down! The kids got to be a part of the decorating since this is mostly their space.



You may notice my "mantel" is not really. However, in a rental home, you do not always choose the foundations of your home. We love the rental home we are in, but I no longer have a mantel. Thus, a shelf is a great option when your decorating needs call for a mantel. This particular model is the Lack Shelf from Ikea. When decorating a fun space, it is often easier and cheaper to save items to use for later decoration. The nesting boxes were from a chocolate company that wrapped chocolates came in one year. The candy was wrapped, so the nesting boxes were ready to use! The ornament wreath was a DIY project with balls from the dollar tree. My point being that decorations, especially in the holidays do not have to be difficult or expensive. A little creativity will save your self...stress and money!