Where have I been? The absence of @artist1989 from Steemit Explained :) (& Christmas Decorating Photos!)

Before my recent post last night, it had been a while since I had posted on Steemit. I thought I would take a moment to let you know what I have been up to this past month..

I have been sharing my Christmas decorating ideas online for years. One thing I have realized is that people "shop" for Christmas decorating ideas very early - like late October.

Would you believe that last year I posted a Christmas tree decorating video showcasing a new ribbon technique BEFORE Halloween!? It (Wave Ribbon Christmas Tree Video) currently is my highest viewed YouTube video at 474,500 views! I think the main reason for the video's popularity was the fresh tree decorating technique, but also because I was one of the first to post a Christmas video that season.

This year I had a late start Christmas decorating because I was at Steemfest until November 6th. 10 days might not seem like much missed time, but I was struggling to get all the Christmas decorating/videos/photography done in time for the season. Also, I was tired and trying to get used to the hours of time difference due to jet-lag from Portugal. But I worked hard, and here are the results :)

(All of these are pictures of decor that I put together this year in the last month.)

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Here is the main Christmas tree done in a traditional style with beaded garlands, glass ornaments of every color, family ornaments, and 1,500 lights!

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Here is a close-up of the mantel decorations, decorated to match the tree:

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The main floor guest room Christmas tree - decorated with feathers, white, soft gold, and ice blue ornaments:

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The Nativity displayed with a decorated garland and wreath:

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The main floor dining table centerpiece with over-sized glass ornaments:

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A handmade felt Christmas advent calendar (the ornaments start out pinned to the dates and one by one each day are added to the tree):

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Decorations and village display in the main floor dining room:

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Gift wrap - (I am giving everyone in my family my collection of Steemit short stories book: "The Little Book with a Big Voice") :)

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Decor with mini tree of ornaments I purchased in Germany :)

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Family Room Christmas tree:

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Family Room Fireplace Decorations:

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Lower Level Dining Area:

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Mini Tree of Vintage Ornaments:

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And finally, some outdoor decorations (with snow!) :)

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After the holidays are over (and after I get all the Christmas decorations "Tetrised" back into the Christmas closet lol), I plan on writing again. One of my first planned projects is a sequel to my Steemit series "InBetween". I have been very excited to get started on this new project, and I have already written 5 chapters of InBetween 2!

I also would like to write more sentimental short stories and share them here on Steemit, but the inspiration for those strike at random (usually right when I am about ready to go to bed lol).

So there you have it! The explanation for my Steemit absence =)

Thank you to all my followers who still follow me through the "3 posts a day" to the "1 post a month" times - I really appreciate it! :)

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Thanks for reading! If you would like to check out any of my decorating videos that show the process of creating the trees/decor from start to finish - here is a link to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsK4NY4Zyn_Tv3T7EKGmIhQ

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