A Dominican Christmas in the making...

We are spending Christmas in the Caribbean this year. Crazy right?!! It has definitely been different listening to Christmas music while it is like summer outside... I just like to think of the heat as our built in fire place! And we are definitely toasty here! With staying here for Christmas, we basically had two options: we could sulk and complain about the fact that we are away from family, friends, traditions, Pottery Barn, Target, toy stores and snow- and don't have much by way of rescources, focus on the things we don't have and have a horrible holiday ... or we could utilize what we have, make it wonderful and embrace this opportunity as an experience of a lifetime!... We chose the second option.

I am often reminded of the quote, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." It has kind of been the motto we have been using since we moved to Dominica. Our resources here are limited, however, that has not stopped my giddy little Christmas mind from spinning! I have been so excited about our Caribbean Christmas, I can't even stand it! It has kept me up at night trying to finish all of my Christmas projects! My inspiration came from the Dominican Independence celebrations that started in October. Dominican plaid EVERYWHERE!!!

I instantly fell in love and thought that Dominican plaid would make wonderful Christmas stockings! I traveled to Roseau (a town about an hour away), found some amazing fabric and there it began... the beginning of OUR Dominican Christmas!


I borrowed a small (very small) portable sewing machine from a friend. One that only sews a straight line and doesn't back stitch. Not having all of my sewing things here, I had to unpick two stockings using fingernail clippers and tweezers. But it was worth it! My initial vision of having each stocking a different plaid wasn't working out how I had hoped, so I started ripping the fabric into pieces and sewing them into a patchwork design. Finally, after two days of staying up late, I finished the stockings. Though they are not perfect, they are ours... and will be a great remembrance one day of the amazing Christmas we spent in the Dominica. One that was without all of bells and whistles of Christmas but the one that taught us most about what Christmas is really about... making traditions with those you love most, being humbled by others, feeling grateful for what you have, and giving selflessly. I am loving the experiences we are having here and I would never trade them for anything.

We needed something Christmasy to hang... and nothing says Christmas better than something created by a child! Crew didn't want the google eyes for his reindeer. He drew them just exactly how he thought they should look! And with a smile too! And they look perfect! (These were made from Crew and Jack's foot and handprints!) I love them!

Then we made a Dominican Santa! The boys add a cotton ball everyday to make his beard! Thanks pinterest for this fun idea!

One of the greatest things I have found came from the art fair they had a couple of weeks ago. I saw it and instantly fell in love! Knowing we needed a nativity and thinking that this would make the perfect keepsake from Dominica- I bought it...  (that was after I had to talk the guy down to a price I was willing to pay!) I love it! I didn't have any cloth or white lights to put around it, so I utlitized what we had and attempted to make it work!

Let's not forget MISTLETOE!!! They don't sell that in stores here, so I decided to make my own! I picked leaves from the orange tree just outside my door, added a little red sparkle and a little touch of Dominican plaid and there you have it... out Dominican Mistletoe!!!

And finally... the TREE! I found this little gem at Jame's Store for $24 EC or $9 USD on Black Friday. Actually they don't have Black Friday here but it was a fun purchase I made the day after Thanksgiving! They said they didn't even charge me for the ornaments! Sweet hookups! Just check out how awesome those beauties are! 

As great as the tinsel and brightly colored dollar tree ornaments were, it seemed a little too American for our Caribbean Christmas. So I pulled them all off and made my own. I still used the sparkle balls but just wrapped them with the scraps used from our stockings and tied them with jute. 

The tree didn't however come with a stand... (well it was stuffed into a mug that I paid $4 ec for- got broken right as we walked in the door!) So I put one of the old jam jars I had been saving to good use! (I seriously don't throw anything like that away here- you just never know when something like this could be useful!) And then filled it with the unused silver tinsel! 

The lights I found at a Chinese store in Roseau. 

Added a little needed Dominican goodness! 

And how could I not use the Santas?!!

Threw on a some homemade popcorn garland...

Added a tree skirt... just used the one place mat that came with our place

And topped it with a star (made from a cereal box- thank you again pinterest!)

Dumdadadum! Behold our Dominican Christmas Tree!!!

I love it! It feels like Christmas! Add some Reggae Christmas music to the mix and it really makes it the perfect Caribbean Christmas! I love this! I love that we am here without all of the extra little things (even though at times I say I don't). Why?... Because it has forced me to attempt to be creative, to use what we have and make it work  wonderful!  And recognize that it isn't those things that make up Christmas. So good to be reminded of this. I love that we get this opportunity to celebrate it here in Dominica, a once in a lifetime experience, our first Christmas of just our family of four, a Christmas that hopefully will be remembered and treasured forever.