Christmas has come and gone way too fast this year. It is easy to feel this way when I am the main planner and preparer of the holiday season. With all the work involved I always wish I could start the first of November, but I don’t feel as though that would be fair to Thanksgiving. This year Thanksgiving ran late in the month and my oldest son wasn’t home that week, so we postponed the annual trip to the tree farm until he could get home. He is very handy and likes to use his handmade saw to cut the tree.
For many years as a homemaker I have binge watched homemaking/decorating blogs for inspiration and connection with like minded women who value home and hearth as I do. Christmastime is my favorite time to decorate and I decided this is the moment to give blogging a whirl. It helps that my middle son is currently taking computer programming and web design classes in college. I couldn’t do it without him, as I am seriously helpless with technology. So here goes…
The Dining Room
It is common for me to display multiple trees throughout our home and this year is no different. The dining room pencil tree is adorned with cream and clear ornaments which I have collected over the years. I decided to carry the theme to the mantel as well. I shopped around our home and collected the nativity set, which never seems to be placed in the same spot from year to year. Next, I grabbed the wooden angel I bought when my mother passed away and the angel vase a niece bought me years ago and placed them carefully on the mantel. Lastly, I draped cedar garland with wooden angel wings at the ends. Interestingly, I received the angel wings from another niece. Yes, I like angels! It is fun to shop around my house and create vignettes with items I already have lying around.
The Kitchen
I took a break this year from my regular Gingerbread theme and focused more on fresh fruit and flowers mixed with greenery. Next year I have a feeling the gingerbread tree will make its way back out along with other pieces. They just never made their way out of the garage this year. Where did the time go?
The Living Room
This year I decided to decorate with simple balls and bows. I really enjoy the elegance of the cream and red velvet ribbons draping throughout the tree. I sprinkled a handful of wooden ornaments with vintage art I assembled last year on the green branches. Since Christmas is over I threw some vintage boxes, a basket with books and a chunky basket underneath to fill in the space.
This is a fun shelf to decorate seasonally. With the exception of the Merry Christmas sign, this will stay this way through January. As an upper Midwest girl at heart I embrace all things winter, especially sleds, skates, and snow!
At the entrance into our living room a white baby grand piano graces the left corner. It is a neat story of how we acquired it and maybe I will write about it in another post. Not only is it beautiful but functional as well. Two of my three sons play, which is music to my ears. I would love to decorate it for Christmas, but my 18 year old resists me. To be funny, I threw a small tree on top of it to see if he would notice. When I went in the room the tree was missing. He wins!
A couple of smaller trees line the right entrance of the living room. I love keeping the small flocked tree unadorned as it is pretty just as it is. The bird tree has made its way out again this year, which always brings a smile to my face.
The Porch
One of my favorite rooms in our house is the back porch/mud room. When it is tidy the warmth of the fireplace and the outside nature streaming in through the large windows laced with garland and snowflakes is very peaceful. I love sitting back in the oversized wicker chairs on a snowy night and gazing at the snowflakes dancing down. It is very relaxing, especially with some soft instrumental music playing in the background.
The Master Bedroom
Our bedroom is my haven, the one room where I can keep clean and uncluttered. I love reading a good book by the fireplace sprawled on our lounge chair, often with one of our dogs at my feet. I gravitate towards the homespun look in this room which just speaks cozy and relaxation. Many of the ornaments span decades starting with ornaments when our first son was born. The red/plaid soft bedding and pillows beckon me at the end of a long day.
