Backtracking....Christmas Decor - HELP!

First of all, you must excuse me. I haven't been to design school, I don't proclaim to know how to decorate and don't feel confident in my skills. My Marketing degree doesn't have anything to do with decorating. But, I try. However, I need help. I'm posting this now so I can plan for next year.

Please, please, please give me your comments and HELP!

Below is our tree. It has a Madame Alexander angel. I'm not changing it because I love it; I love Madame Alexander dolls and was named after my mother's first MA doll she bought when she was 12. Okay, so our tree is a hodge podge of ornaments from my childhood, from 2000 and On...our tree isn't the problem.

Nor is this little thing in a large stocking:

Here's my problem...what to do with this mantle? Yes, the photo is crooked. The stockings will stay. They're hung by stocking holders with photos of Brian as a child, me as a child and Troy (respectively). The last is a paw with Abbie's stocking. On the mantle are two hurricanes that I've filled with ornaments. In the middle are three small trees. Last year I put lights and tiny ornaments on the tree. I don't like the way this looks. Any suggestions...please give me some suggestions and your thoughts!

Below is Troy's stocking. I should have made him one while I was pregnant but didn't. I forgot. But, I'm glad it turned out that way. I got the idea from pottery barn kids but revised it quite a bit to make it the way I wanted.

Not gonna change his stocking. If you check out PBK and like their stocking, you should buy one, they're all on sale now. I'd charge more than their regular price of $19.99 if I was making one for someone else...Brian wants me to make personalized ones for each of us. The jury's still out on that one...Wish I would have made a tutorial on this. It wasn't difficult but since it was the first time I've made one and I did it from scratch, I didn't include a tutorial. Should I made others for us (they won't be reindeer), I'll do a tutorial.

Here is our breakfast table with the buffet behind. I like Christmas trees and I think this is okay. We have several little stuffed Christmas characters (Beanie babies, singing Christmas cats, etc). Brian has bought at least 4 of the singing Christmas cats. Why? I don't know but he likes them so they're staying. I can use some help with the buffet...

The two books are filled with Christmas cards. I started putting them in scrapbooks last year. I gathered all of the announcements and cards I could find and put them in scrapbooks. If you send us a card, it goes in the book. It was a hit at our Christmas party....we ended up getting cards after the party from everyone who attended and had not sent a card prior to the party. Their cards are now in the book! I need to get a new book for next year. The ones are now full...Thanks to Tracey for me stealing her idea from last year.

So here's the dining room table. I'm semi-okay with it but could use some help here, too. We have a pretty large, heavy chandelier above it and maybe I should have hung ornaments from it? The runner is a long piece of fabric. I probably should hem the edges but I keep using it for other things. The arrangement is placed in my Tiffany platter I received after 5 years with SF and it holds sentimental value so I'd like to at least use it occasionally.

Please help me. Things are on sale right now so I could use some help.

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