Sometimes you just gotta...

Keep Christmas ornaments on display.

Okay, I know it's only 3 PM on Christmas day, but the tree now only holds ribbon and will be down after the kids go to bed.  I've been decorated since just after Thanksgiving, and with the early arrival of Ronin almost 2 years ago, I now like all Christmas gone by the 26th to ensure pure birthday celebration for the lil man.

But as several of you know, Ro is represented in my heart by the snowflake (due to the weather conditions under which he was born), so for his birthday, I do keep some ornaments up as birthday decorations.  But then there are ornaments that are just beautiful, or artsy, or allow you to bring art from the ceiling...  I have plenty of that in my house.

 My Starbucks ornaments (and cute hand ornament Ivan made at school) in my coffee-less coffee bar area...

 I got 4 more from my mom this year.  They are a special collection bought by my mother and a former co worker, Erik Sheldrake.  I love them!  They stay up year round.

 These WERE going to be my Xmas color this year until I found brighter colored ones I forgot I bought last year.  But these colors just happen to match the classic Mickey colors of Ro's birthday.

 Seriously, Dollar Tree, I love you.  This is a plastic...  PLASTIC bowl!  So pretty with ornaments.

 My Victorian inspired ornaments I just got at Home Goods which will stay up.

 The absolutely adorable plane ornament my mom got Ivan, which will stay in his room.  I mean a plane...  Glitter...  What is NOT to love?

 Some of the ornaments that stayed up for Ro's birthday last year are decorative art in the guest room.

 The original ornaments...

 I got these from a Providence Festival of Trees one year when Corporate Express bought the tree.  I loved the classic robots so much, I could not bear to put them away.  So I bought shadow boxes and hung them in my old office.  Then when CE got bought out and I became stay at home, they became decorations in Ro's room.

 My mom got Ro this adorable Mickey ornament this year, this is his special bday shelf, Mickey will go to Ro's room, the bowl will be packed up for next year after Ro's party.

My other ornaments.  They are put up now, but look how pretty!!!

I think my goal for next year is to have a 9 foot tree and make salt dough ornaments for ALL the holidays.  Baby steps, I will make ornaments EVERY holiday between now and then, and the collection should turn out pretty darn sweet, fingers crossed.