d is for decorating

betweennapsontheporch.net

Oh my goodness, how Americans love to decorate!  They easily put lazy Aussies to shame in this department, since the same full-blown, all-out decorating effort we reserve for Christmas - Americans put into every season and occasion!  You'll see wreaths, garlands, garden figurines, welcome mats, window stickers, table settings, wall hangings, even things on roofs and much more changing all year around with the seasons and celebrations.

And I do mean every occasion!  Imagine a house decked out for Xmas, only:

- Valentines Day is pink, red, fluffy, hearts, angles and all that stuff as far as the eye can see
- St Patrick's day means clovers, green, gold, leprechauns and beer glass decorations in front gardens etc

etsy.com

- Easter means bunnies, eggs and pastel colours everywhere (sometimes giant bunnies inflated in front lawns).  Check out this incredible example - I borrowed the photo of the Easter porch below from here.

worthingcourtblog.com

cornerofplaidandpaisley.blogspot.com

- 4th July means everything is red, white, blue and covered in stars

thetandd.com

mulberrycottage.net

- Thanksgiving and Halloween mean autumn colours, pumpkins and pilgrim artifacts EVERYWHERE.  Decorating this time of year is quite a sight to behold.  In many cases, it's more elaborate than Christmas.  I believe Americans have invented things to decorate on Thanksgiving that the rest of the world can't even conceptualize.  Napkin rings, vases, photo frames, crockery, cutlery, furniture, bedding, carpets: you name it - it's been done.  And it's BEAUTIFUL.

my napkin rings 

asundayafternoon.com

chicncheapliving.com

unskinnyboppy.com

potterybarn.com

lauriejoneshome.com

I'm convinced that my mother in law isn't the only American woman who takes half of her home (ok, a quarter at least) and puts it into storage after it's run its seasonal relevance and replaces it with currently applicable items.  But this isn't limited to homes.  Shopping centers and places of business participate as well, replacing pink Valentines benches and window displays for green St Patty's ones and so on throughout the year.  (I know Aussies to this kind of thing too - but trust me when I say it's a weak effort in comparison).

One of the best things is the selection of decorating items available and the number of stores you can buy them in! Hardware stores, furniture, department and even pharmaceuticals sell some form of seasonal decorations, from lights and garden statues to Xmas baubles all year long. An example is when my parents visited the US in July last year, they were able to buy a bauble for their tree from every city and landmark we visited.  I love this sentiment as it allows you to relive your year as you decorate your tree in December.

spotted these on our recent trip to New Braunfels

I almost forget: parties!  Themed memorabilia is also out of this world in America.  You could buy a banner (or have one made) that says 'congratulations on removing the cancerous tumor from the left, bottom side of your brain' and every party thing to match.  Americans take parties seriously - table settings and colour co-ordinations are a must!  Really any chance to be elaborate is taken.  I've seen  houses that fly flags that announce the school their children attend or massive "congratulations on your graduation Timmy" ones.

I could go on and on but I think I've made my case: decorating in America is on steroids!  One half of me thinks Aussies are really too lazy to decorate and redecorate all year long - many of us leaving our big-deal, all out Christmas decorations up well into February.  The other half of me thinks that if these items were as cheap and readily available in Australia, many would take the trouble after-all.