Recovering from Christmas

Heya Nesters! Today I got to stay and work from home, thanks to a huge "Nor'easter"- as we New Englanders call it. Take a peek out my kitchen window that I took yesterday morning. 

Nesters, meet Kevin- My Kitchen Chicken.  He was a joke birthday gift form my girls and I laugh every time I look at him.

Wild, right? I know. Shoveling out was... interesting.

Thanks to that additional time at home, I finally de-Christmasfied my apartment! I love Christmas as much as the next gal but I was ready for it to be taken down.  Last night before I went to bed, I caught one last glimpse of its warm light in the dark room and had that cozy Christmas-y feeling one more time until next year.

The removal process was less than delicate or neat.  Let's just go ahead and say it was a freakin' mess.  I couldn't do it fast enough. {Which resulted in inhaling a pine needle and others poking me in my clothes all day. Rotten buggers!}  

And here we are back to normal! The best part of the tree, was covering up the ugggg-ly AC unit.  I have my newly re-purposed basket {it used to hold magazines.} holding my pending sewing projects. 

I'm not thrilled with the set up right now but I have an addition in mind so stay tuned for that one! I also have a new little accessory in that pic that I am going to leave unmentioned because I will have a tutorial on it next week. Hmmm what could it beeeeee....

 I just couldn't bear to put away my little dove glitter votive holder from Chistmas.  Glitter objects are never relegated to just one holiday in my house.

Isn't she just the cutest? I know.  For the holidays my Great Aunt Annie also gave me one of her pieces of art.   She does intricate paper-cuttings with amazing paper. 

Pretty sweet huh? I love it! And I like how it balances out that shelf.

I'm happy to be back to normal.  My apartment looks and feels so much less cluttered than it was before. I have a little breathing room.  Next stop, new dresser to replace the silver one, in hopes of creating more open space!

So how are you Nesters recovering from holidays? Did you have your tree down the day after Christmas? Or are you a straggler like me? And do you keep around any of your holiday decorations all year-round? Dish for us! We're all dying to hear! <3