Do you decorate?

[Spartana]

I never decorate for anything - not for holidays, not for special occasions, nutin'. But others are contantly scolding me for not decorating or cooking special food things (I also don't really cook much - just for myself). I think if I were a kidless single guy no one would say anything but since I'm a female it seems to me something that people feel I'm "suppose" to want to do. I wondered if there are other's out there that feel the same? How do you handle the critisims and complaints because you don't decorate? Do you see decorating or cooking for special occasions needed to celebrate them? I just take someone out to eat or whatever to celebrate the occasion and would consider that celebrating the event. I'm also the same about weddings. Hate all the fuss and bother. Had a simple one myself - sort of a JFK Jr. type - and loved it.

[Tweety]

I put up Christmas lights inside around the windows because I like the look of them in dark winter evenings. That's about it as far as seasonal holiday decorations go. My neighbors have been getting more and more into Halloween and Easter decorations outdoors in recent years, but I think that just looks tacky. To each his/her own. At least nobody has criticized me...yet.

[Gina]

How do you handle the critisims and complaints because you don't decorate?

I decorate when I feel in the mood, which is sometimes. And I only decorate with things I like myself. I don't get criticisms because my friends know I would tell them to sod-off if they did. :laff: Of course some of my friends don't decorate much either.

[Kestra]

Not sure if you mean specifically for holidays, or in general. I don't decorate for holidays. DH sure wouldn't either. I don't know why his sister seems to think we should have a x-mas tree. Really, we live like a couple of bachelors (bachelorettes?) or college students, other than being richer and married. As far as home decorating, I put up two pictures today. We've been in this place about 10 months and 2 or 3 pictures is all we have. I don't really celebrate for holidays since I don't like them. And I don't cook special food since I don't like hosting things. Sometimes we do a special meal just the two of us. Like I cook pancakes at x-mas or some type of fancier pasta and wine once or twice a year. As far as weddings I completely agree. We had about 10 people, and honestly I would have preferred less than that. If we didn't need witnesses and a minister, I would have got married just the two of us. But I'm not a girly-girl at all, and don't care what "society" thinks for the most part. I'm not going to do things that I have no interest in.

Edited to add: About criticisms, I really don't get that many and don't care if I do. Everyone I know well enough knows who I am by this point. And if they don't I'm always happy to get ranty about why I don't bother doing "normal" things.

[Mrs-M]

When it comes to Christmas, I decorate, all other holidays are hit and miss. Usually the younger ones will grace a window or two with a few paper cutouts and things (made in school), but otherwise I don't decorate formally for those. I like the idea of decorating for all holidays even if it is only small scale, because I think it adds to the holiday and makes a house so homey.

[IshbelRobertson]

Only for Christmas - no other celebration holidays.

I do, however, bake special foods for some holidays - eg I make simnel cakes for friends and family for the Easter long weekend.

[kally]

I only do a little bit and what I want. If someone was to bug me about it I would just make a joke out of it.

[Rosemary]

I do some decorating for Christmas - we have a small artificial tree and some things that we put around the house. I get them out of the storage space, and DD distributes them - she loves doing that. DD also helps DH put up a few lights outside. Otherwise, I really don't decorate. I don't enjoy fussing about that kind of stuff. We have things that 'decorate' our house - plants, photos etc - but they are more or less permanent fixtures. Not only would it make me crazy to get stuff out and put it away all the time, but we don't have that much storage space.

I do however, cook, a lot. I do fuss about that - especially fresh vegetables and fruits.

We had a simple wedding, too.

My closest friends aren't really that into decorating, either.

[kib]

Um ... we have about three cubic yards of sentimental items waiting for a home. The couch pillows are two brick-like objects made of old fleece blankets plus I-forget-what's-inside and the walls are more or less bare execept for a clock with four metal animal sculptures arranged around it, Dali style. Two snakes, two lizards. Christmas? Easter? Earth Day? hee hee hee hee hee ...

We visited acquaintances a few months ago who actually have home theater including movie release posters, beer on tap and a popcorn cart. The $300 dollar sheet guest bedroom had an actual Statue in it. The war of pride and inadequacy I felt over my own life choices was almost nauseating.

My question: who among us (Spartana, I put in a vote for you) feels both pampered enjoyment + NO pressure when confronted with this?

[KayLR]

Aside from Christmas, I may only do a simple table centerpiece of some kind. We had another couple over last Saturday night, so I put out a lovely antique green floral plate, set a ceramic bunny music box in the middle of it, then poured a bag of Jelly Bellies around the box. That was it. When the Jelly Bellies were gone, I put it all away.

[rosarugosa]

I'm pretty minimalist too. Small, token decorations that fit in with my usual decor. For spring, I twine a pseudo-forsythia garland around the grapevine wreath that is already on the door, that sort of thing. Our friends know how we are and don't take issue with our ways, and as for anyone else, who cares what they think?

[Gardenarian]

I let my dd decorate for the holidays. She has a lot of stuffed animals, dolls, art supplies, and imagination. For Easter, she filled a big basket with grass, added our dyed eggs and arranged some stuff bunnies and ducklings. Very sweet!

She also likes to make bouquets of cut flowers (roses, dandelions, whatever), which I really appreciate - it's lovely to come home to fresh flowers every day.

[janharker]

I try to decorate through the year, but since I'm no good at it, it is minimalist at best. Flowers on the kitchen table. Change the color of the candles on the fireplace mantel. I wouldn't do it at all if I didn't feel like my DH likes it.

I think that other people are out of line if they are telling you that you should decorate at any time. It's your house, and if you are comfortable in its lack of clutter (which is what decoration brings in, IMO) then more power to you and they can go decorate their own house.

[madgeylou]

i do a christmas tree or two and some lights and nativity scenes and what have you, but that's about it as far as holiday decorating. we do bring a lot of flowers and branches into our home, too, which is guess seasonal ... but yeah, nothing too crazy ...

[reader99]

I don't decorate and no one has ever said anything about it.

[Spartana]

My question: who among us (Spartana, I put in a vote for you) feels both pampered enjoyment + NO pressure when confronted with this?


Me? feel guilt? HAHAHAHAHAHA.......... No I actually find when I visit someone who has both a "fancy" lifestyle with lots of ornate or over the top stuff (including the mega-home theatre set up surrounded by nude statues of David and champagne fountains) or just a place that is filled up with "nice stuff" (including holiday decorations) to sort of overwelm me. I enjoy looking at it, and really enjoy partaking of it, but can't wait to get back to my own spartan digs where I can breath. Highly decorated places (again both holiday and day to day decorations) really make me appreciate my simple style much more. I guess I just don't like fussy stuff - don't even like clothing accessories like scarves and belts and lots of jewlrey - so, again, while I appreciate the effort and "prettiness" of a decorate home or person, it is claustrophobic to me.

And as for people telling me I should decorate - again for the holidays or day to day stuff - I'm not really bothered by it and don't care what they think at all, but I find it odd that THEY care. It seems that I am not fulfilling some womanly obligation to want to beautify my home or change my decor (or lack there of in my case ;-)!) each season. Sort of baffles me why it's such a big deal to them. Some friends, who has every surface of their homes covered with knickknacks and plants and such, seem very put off by my minimalism even though I have all the basic household stuff and a few nice art pieces around. They constantly ask when am I getting some plants or candles or pictures or some kind of decoration for my place. I guess it looks unfinished to them and bugs them. Oh well...

[porcelain]

I adore fresh flowers and usually have a vase or two filled with seasonally-appropriate blooms. Beyond that I don't do much besides displaying any cards I receive for holidays and setting out a few favorite heirloom ornaments at Christmas.

[Maxamillion]

I don't do much decorating, though I will do a little for Halloween and Christmas. I have a small 3-foot tree that I put up. I might put up a wreath on the door and/or something in the windows.

[CatsNK]

Like others, I decorate for Christmas only. Even when I was single I had a Christmas tree. It just seemed sad not to, somehow. I have two huge boxes of Christmas decos - I'm a bit of a freak about it, I suppose.

For the other seasons, I have many tablecloths that I've made that I use with the changing seasons.

[Zoebird]

I do seasonal decorations -- using paper (usually some form of origami) and plants/flowers/nature stuff. We actually go out and collect it, so it's part of the process.

Everything is either recycle-able (paper) or compost-able (flowers and stuff). We don't really have traditional holidays, though.

[Zoebird]

I also don't feel pressure to decorate, really. My mother and sister go wild with it, and it's nice, but I like to keep it simple. I get a lot of complements on how i decorate. :)

[redfox]

DH & I decorate the house for Winter Solstice; we have quirky home-made things the kids made for us, as well a thrift store finds. Mostly we hang little white lights everywhere, and use the ficus tree as the base for decorating. It's sweet & pretty. Lots of bring-back-the-light stuff.

My house is decorated by having the things we love out - vintage dishes, which we use - nothing is off limits, though the more fragile stuff is not used often. My husband's photos are hung & all the artwork in the house is original by artists we know or appreciate - paintings, pastels & a cool sculpture. Lots of color - the kitchen, which is actually a kitchen/dining room is four vibrant colors (2 shades of green, some yellow, and a brick red wall). I found a silk sari at the Goodwill with lighter shades of the brick red wall, and it's a curtain swag. We have Guatemalan textiles all around, as I lived there. And my grandmother's Navajo rugs are in the living room... we were inspired to get them out after visiting Santa Fe last fall, and they look awesome with our rustic bentwood chair (made by a friend), a red leather chair & footstool (Goodwill), and all the rocks we bring home from the beach.

So, yeah, we decorate; if it's from the Goodwill, something we can make, or found items and is cool, artistic & quirky, it's welcomed!