i'm that girl.
the one that usually has the tree down by Christmas evening.
it pains me to admit this to you
but as much as i love our home decorated for Christmas
(& i start working on decorating our home mid november)
i love it all cleaned up just as much.
i'm not bah humbug.
promise.
however this year i love love love love the tree
& how its glow reflects on the hardwoods.
it's magical.
really it is.
& i doubt seriously i'll take him down saturday afternoon.
maybe sunday
but definitely not saturday afternoon
in an effort to capture some of the nighttime glory
sans flash
( i am now a converted never user of the flash . i am that girl too)
i switched my white balance to tungsten
& jacked up my iso to 1600.
clearly i still have much to learn to perfect shooting in basically the dark
forgive the blur
as i shoot on aperture priority , still haven't mastered shutter speed.
( coming january 2011)
however i thought they turned out fun
(rounded the corner & found little bit playing with the nativity. precious)
so i told caroline that i wanted to capture brinkley sitting in front of the tree.
alone.
no offense of course.
however being the lover that he is, if you move, he will follow.
so we had to be sneaky.
back up slowly caroline
i don't think he's on to our plan
atta girl
keep backing up
just a little more
that's it
good boy brinkley
yeah
i'm definitely not taking it down saturday
merry merry merry Christmas to you
xo
Don't feel bad! I do the same thing!! And I agree with you about loving to decorate for Christmas, but also love having it all cleaned up. You are doing a great job taking pictures in the dark. I really like your floors by the way. :) Merry Christmas
ReplyDeletemerry merry!
ReplyDeletelove the floors.
love the pics of C and the nativity.
LOVE the VW ornament!
love you!
xo
Paige,
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours~ your photo's are wonderful!
Kate
beautiful...
ReplyDeletecan't tell you how many times I've tried to take pictures at night of our lights without flash...
still working on it.
love your sweet dog....and those pics of your girl playing with the nativity.
Merry, Merry Christmas!!!!
sweet.
ReplyDeletemy tree will be down on sunday...it's already pretty much dead because...
no naming any names or anything...
but someone forgot to water it the last few weeks.
It's a good thing said person can at least remember to bathe her children every once in a while.
Hahahaha! Love the shots of Caroline staging Brinkley for his picture, and the ones of her backing out of the scene are priceless!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. We begin our Christmas preps Thanksgiving weekend and everything comes down on New Year's Day (sooner some years) But it's lovely while it lasts!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! You have such a great dog!
ReplyDeletesuch a beautiful tree!!!
ReplyDeleteI do the very same thing. I love the decorations, but crave the order of having them put away. Control issues??? :) It will be down by Monday at the very latest! (only due to work schedules)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, as always!
Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family! Many blessings in the new year!
lovely absolutely lovely
ReplyDeletemerry merry christmas to you too!
xoTiffany
It's such a beautiful tree, I'd be leave it up till New Years but then again, I one of "those" people who leave it up till mid January. lol
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of your daughter and the manger.
it's all glowey and magical! My tree might come down on Monday. It's pretty much dead. I love to clean up afterwards. My fingers itch to do it.
ReplyDeleteMerry christmas!
I keep mine up until New Years Day too..usually...but this year I think I might ( for the first time ever) be away for New Years Eve...so it might come down earlier.
ReplyDeleteLove that little VW ornament!
Tammy :-)
I love that Miss C was playing with the Nativity. Is that a ramp she made for one of the wise men to skate down?
ReplyDeleteI love your tree in the bucket, it's absolutely precious. Do you decorate it, or do you let the girls help? I usually let the kids decorate our tree then after they have gone to bed, I undecorate and redecorate it. This year I left it alone and I have to just walk buy it and resist the urge to spend the next 4 hours making it look like some professional tree decorator has done it.
Just a little thing I picked up from you this year...I've started collecting the little bottle brush trees. Yours looked adorable, but I'm going to need some serious Paige Knudsen decorating skills to make it look half as cute for next year. Hey, some people have these skills and some don't. I was not blessed with them unfortunately.
Brinkley looks like he is a very easy going dog.
those were sooo pretty and soft paige. our dog does the same thing. follows us. hard to get that perfect pic! i'd keep that tree up as long as possible...so lovely:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for
ReplyDeletesharing the
magic, Paige!
I'll be learning
all of that
photo mumbo jumbo
starting in
January and can't
wait... See what
an inspiration
you have been : )
Merriest of hugs
to you, today!
xx Suzanne
I love your tree! There is definitely something magical seeing the tree all lit at night.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my baby is Caroline too. :)
XO
Kerri
Love the photos of Caroline and the nativity. So Sweet!
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures. I used to take my tree down between Christmas and New Year's Day because when I was teaching I had that time off. It was all cleaned up and done with by the time January rolled around. But now that I'm retired I like to let it up a while longer. And I switched to a tabletop tree in an urn that I just wrap and put up in the attic all decorated. Easy-peasy. Peggy from PA
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. Love the doggie and your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI am sad that it will be time to take down the tree.....I hate that part.
Merry Christmas.
So very cute -- you and Caroline and Brinkley and all your wonderful decorations! Plus -- those hardwoods -- lovely!!!! Enjoy! :)
ReplyDeleteJanet
Your tree is just beautiful. I'm quick to take it all down as well so I can relate. Enjoy these last few evenings (sans flash!).
ReplyDeleteYou did a GREAT job with these shots and I too usually have the decorations down and away within a day or two. But this year I might relax and enjoy a little longer too.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to your sweet family!!
Pai-iiiiage...I love it! How can you take it down Saturday.....Or sunday....or Monday....
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm *that* girl who keeps it up through the first week(ish) of 2011...
I totally understand, the way it reflects on the hardwood, the memories and the life it brings to a room, the pictures without the flash! :)
Merry Christmas to your sweet family, dear one - I hope you enjoy every second....until you take down your tree. ;) ha!
xoxoxo
Paige, what a beautiful tree. I just adore the bucket idea, I may have to do it next year. I've been unable to comment for months due to a bum laptop but I just got a new one and I'm back. I've been following along and just love the wood floors and your decorations this year. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas.
ReplyDeletePaige I love your tree! Are the little balls vintage? I have little old balls that belonged to my great-grandmother.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips on shooting low-light w/out a flash. I can't stand flash, either! I have a great lens for low-light and it really helps for indoors!
Unlike you, I tend to keep my tree up until mid-January- until I absolutely can't stand it, LOL!
~xo/michelle~
Paige, I have absolutely no idea what a white-balance or an ISO is, but I do know these pics are gorgeous!! Your tree is just beautiful. I am also someone that needs to clear the Christmas decorations away, early. It is usually boxing day for me :D Wishing you and your beautiful family the most wonderful Christmas and wishing you all a fabulous 2011. Hugs ~ Tina xx
ReplyDeleteLove these photos! Changing the white balance to tungsten! I'm going to go try it right now!!
ReplyDeleteStill can't get over the tin bucket - it's inspired! I am not surprised you want to keep it there! I thought it was tradition everywhere to take the tree down on the 12th night? Is that just here!? So that means 6th January! It's often far too long for me; I long for some minimalism after all the trinkets everywhere. But so pretty whilst it lasts. Lou xx P.S you doggie is just the cutest...
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas my precious friend. Love your tree too sparkling on your gorgeous floors!
ReplyDeletexo
I'm usually the same way about the tree but I'm not feeling that way this year either. Maybe it's because we were gone for 6 days of the holiday season and I feel a little gypped? I love these photos. You have me wanting to play in the dark with my tree tonight. Merry Christmas Paige! I'm so glad you are my friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm a no flash girl either, but have yet to figure out how to do what you've done. Great job! Send a tutorial my way...or a post with details! :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Linsey
PS -debating takedown time. Leaving town early in he morning, but want to enjoy the day. Guess it will all have to wait till January.
Hello!!! First of all I love, love, love your blog!!! I am from Nebraska and came across your blog via my mom and have been hooked since. You take such great pics and the love for your family is inspiring :).
ReplyDeleteI have a really random questions...lol...what font did you use on your "Have a very merry Christmas" image of your daughter in front of the barn??? I love it and have come across it before but can never find it for myself :).
Thanks for the help!