Holiday home tours…one of my most favorite things to view online. I don’t know about you but I LOVE taking peeks at other peoples homes. The decor, the layout, I love it all. I’m not overly flashy, nor am I one of those that covers every square inch with CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS!! My ideas are not award winning, but I figured that there are probably others who love looking at homes as much as I do..so here you go!
When December rolls around it’s time to get my house holiday ready. Of course we probably all (to some degree or another) put out Christmas decorations (or Hanukkah or Kwanza or whatever winter holiday you celebrate!). Because I keep my home relatively tidy and (mostly! HAHA!) clean, swapping out décor is a pretty streamlined process. As I unpack the Christmas bins, I pack up all the everyday stuff in the bins and back down to the basement it goes until January !st. We’ve only been in this house for 18 months, so only one Christmas under our belt in these digs. This means that I haven’t perfected the décor yet.
I love to share my home during the holidays and truly the idea of guests coming through the front door keeps me ultra motivated. In fact, I purposely schedule my first party within that first full weekend of December. Having that date looming keeps me, not only on track, but also keeps me from fussing endlessly, moving things around and adding more! Once the lights are glowing, the fire is crackling and happy smiles and joyous laughter fill our home, it’s then that I know the holiday season has arrived.
Our new white cabinets really let the details shine. Mini wreaths adorn the cabinets with a simple strip of plaid ribbon looped over the top, secured with a command hook. I fashioned the wreaths myself, out of simple garland, when I was unable to find the size I wanted. I added a lit up wreath for more sparkle above the stove.
Adding just the gingerbread pie plate gives our open, chicken wire (aka shabby chic!), cabinet just the right amount of Christmas without going overboard.
This tiny tree has graced the countertop for atleast 10 years now. And might I add that this is the Most Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER! Don’t forget the decorators icing! (included at the end of the sugar cookie recipe)
My family goes big with our Christmas tree! The epitome of “go big or go home”, haha! My hubby insists on getting the tallest tree that could possibly fit in this space (and then tacking on an extra foot or so, which inevitably leads to trying to trim it down while simultaneously wrestling, squishing and shoving it in to place. With the final step being bolting it to the wall to avoid any falling down catastrophes. It takes me roughly 2 hours to place approximately 1,200-1,500 lights to get it just right. Of course I would remiss if I didn’t mention the most crucial steps to getting the lights on properly…
- remove all pets and children from the space…NO! You can’t help mommy!!
- turn peaceful christmas music (or death metal…you do you!)
- keep wine at the ready…you’re going to need it to numb the pain from all the pine needle scratches that will inevitably cover your arms
- add $50 to your swear jar…you’re going to need it! This is a conservative estimate…keep an extra $10 on hand just in case!
Seriously these tips keep me sane…or is it just me that can only get in the spirit by cursing at the tree like a sailor? 😉
I mentioned that we’ve only been in this house for 18 months. These shelves, while I love the display space, continue to be design tricky. For Christmas, after removing a fair amount of our everyday décor, I added a small touch of red to each cubby shelf and the lit up garland across the bottom. This is an area I suspect will need tweaking every year until I find the right formula. A skinny tree lights up what is otherwise a pretty dark corner and a bucket of Christmas hats finishes off our cozy nook.
My “chalk board” was crafted from an old door I found at a salvage place and used chalkboard paint to dress it up. If you were to come through my front door this would be one of the first things you would see. I spend roughly 2-4 hours (depending on the complexity of the design) drawing out seasonal displays between 4-6 times a year. I truly love lettering and the time I spend researching, getting artistic inspiration (Pinterest really is fantastic!) and ultimately rendering the finished product, is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time. This years design set the perfect tone for our Gingerbread Decorating Party.
Sassy little cardinal found a home on my new scale from Magnolia Market.
Finishing off our first floor is the powder room. (please excuse my hand in the mirror! No matter where I stood I could not get a picture without me showing up too!) 😊 The powder room gets glammed up during the holidays… Sparkly Christmas tree, and cardinals, and soap bottle, AND a few extras on the shelves. This tiny space makes a pretty decent “Seasons Greetings” during the holidays.
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