Christmas at the White House

Earlier this week, we were fortunate enough to be invited to tour the White House. A good friend is a reporter in the White House Press Corp & each year members of the media are able to tour the White House all decked out for the holidays with their friends & family. This is the fourth or fifth year we’ve been able to see the White House at Christmas & it always leaves me awestruck & feeling a bit whimsical.

White House 2 — **immediately inside the East Wing entrance is this colorful ornament garland & a tree honoring Gold Star families**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23531402059_1a139465d1_k — **happy snowmen greet guests in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden along the East Colonade**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23531404219_c04cce28ed_k — **this year, the East Colonnade was transformed into a winter wonderland with hundreds of beautiful snowflakes**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

WHite House 4 — **just like in real life, each snowflake was different, including designs for each of the U.S. states & territories**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

White House 6 — **the China Room (or the Dish Room, as fans of the American President know it as) decorations are inspired by the Obama’s china pattern**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23899287455_a5ef200f54_k — the famous portrait of George Washington stands in an East Room sparkling with icicles & pearls. This portrait would not still be here, if it weren’t for the quick thinking Dolly Madison, who ripped it out of the frame to save it, as the British burned down the White House
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

White House 3 — the Green Room is probably my favorite room in the White House. I love the concave mirrors, the roaring fire & the walls covered with silk. Did you know that First Lade Eleanor Roosevelt greeted Amelia Earhart in this gorgeous room?
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

White House 7 — **the Blue Room tree is the centerpiece of the display & I think this year’s is my most favorite yet. Clad in shiny red, white & blue ornaments, it honors our nation’s military men & women**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23271086074_72e90c79a6_k — **the garland on the Blue Room tree was filled with messages from military families, many of whom will be separated from loved ones this holiday season**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23271084294_2bef225ba5_k — **the State Dining Room is full of sweets this year! The nutcrackers play homage to the very first White House Christmas theme, chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy: the Nutcracker Ballet**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23617771750_6f8847aa82_k — **this year’s Gingerbrad House is the largest ever – it even includes edible East & West Wings!**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

White House 8 — **babbles & garland right inside the front door & a cranberry wreath in the Red Room (which was actually yellow until 1882)**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

White House 1 — **me & B in the Cross Hall in front of the Blue Room tree & under the presidential seal; these are the stairs that the president descends from the residence**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

23272485503_70afbcc8f5_k — **after the tour, visitors exit under the North Portico & are rewarded with a handsome view of the People’s House**
*(C) Christina Saull – All Rights Reserved*

Planning a trip to DC next year during the holidays? You can see the White House Christmas decorations too! Just contact your member of Congress for tickets at least two months ahead of your trip. All the decorations you see in this post are part of the regular public tour!

Christmas at the White House in 2013

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Travel Which is Not Quite Luxury, Definitely Not Budget, and Probably Isn’t Long Term

Do you have a full time job, a mortgage and a garage to clean, but the biggest thrill in your life comes from a new passport stamp? Me too. This is your place to learn and plan to make the most out of your limited vacation days.

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