Sunday, December 23, 2012

Christmas at our house 2012

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief because everything is wrapped and the house is ready for the holidays.  We are having our traditional Christmas Eve party tomorrow night, then we stay home in our jammies and play all day on Christmas. 


Instead of making a wreath this year I bought a swag at whole foods and put our initial on it like I did
last year.

A nursery close by was selling tree tops for five dollars so I bought a couple for the outdoor urns.  Then I used leftover Christmas tree branches and some store bought greens to fill in all around it.  Simple and so easy!


For the little urn I replanted a little boxwood that I had in a clay pot this summer and then I used leftover greens again to fill in all around it. 


I went with real evergreen garland this year and it makes all the difference.  You can see before and after pictures of the exterior transformation here.

Let's head inside for a look around....


I kept the snowflakes going from our Christmas card photo shoot but changed the words.  We are really wishing for snow this winter. A white Christmas would be even better!

We always head out to the tree farm to hunt for the perfect tree. This year we were wandering around for over an hour looking for just the right one.


This guy is on the skinny side because I was a little traumatized by the size of our tree last year, he blocked out all of the sunlight it was so big!




Our big tree has special ornaments that have been collected for years.  The Eiffel Tower is new this year from Pottery Barn. 

I went with white and brown craft paper again and dressed them up with pretty ribbon. 



I am loving these chalkboard tags from Martha Stewart, chalk markers help your message stay put.  You can even erase and rewrite using a damp paper towel. 


More chalkboard on the faux mantel in the dining room.





I had fresh garland hanging around the old window but took it down when it wouldn't stay put so I replaced it with a fresh evergreen swag.  



The little dresser in the hallway got some lovin too.


Remember the five dollar tree topper I talked about for the outside urns?  Well, I had a genius idea to use one as a table top tree.


I popped one into a galvanized pot held in tight with florist foam and got decorating.


Here it is all decked out in a woodland theme sitting on the buffet in the kitchen.  As you can see I gave it a good spray with some "snow".


A few new ornaments like these acorns mingle with garage sale pinecones. 




And cute homemade mushroom ornaments. Tutorial found here.


I put together a Yule log using a birch branch, moss, acorns and a mushroom ornament from Target.  The center is hollowed out a bit to hold the moss. 


The squirrel is new this year too, I love his sparkly tail!



I will end this very long post with a couple bokeh pictures I had fun playing around with.  I was inspired to try it out after reading this post from Honey We're Home.  I was so excited it worked!




From my family to yours, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!


Sharing with the Nester for her famous Christmas Tour Of Homes.

22 comments:

  1. oooh i have squirrel envy!!! i love it all!!! it's perfectly done. i love your tree and the homemade toadstools- adorable! your tree has a similar look to our living room tree as far as shape- i just love it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely photos! Your bokeh pictures look wonderful, love your home!

    Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful home. I have a dresser almost exactly like the one with the beautiful handles. My top drawer is two little ones instead of all the way across. It was my grandmothers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful. Loving the little white truck. We are ready for Christmas here, maybe...spent the last days with the flu! Praying you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. just beautiful! everything from top to bottom is gorgeous. i'm sorry i missed that fox lamp at target. it's gorgeous too. merry christmas! xo janet

    ReplyDelete
  6. STUNNING! Everything is outstanding! You are so talented! Have a very Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have such a beautiful home. Your decor is always so inspiring. I really like that yule log, and the snow tree (how did you flock it?) Hope you all have a wonderful party tomorrow and a great Christmas! Thinking of you!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Stef, I used a can of snow to flock the little tree. It can be messy so I sprayed it outside.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I adore your Christmas touches in every space. That little green dresser is one of my favorites you have. I just bought that Eiffel Tower ornament for my daughter's stocking and to add to our travel tree. How great that you get to hunt for a tree at the farm...I love the one you guys picked out. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas Londen!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Everything looks so pretty! Love how you used those tree tops, both inside and out. Your chalkboard wall looks great ~ love the snowflakes. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love all your decorations! That tree topper in galvanized pot is so cute! Merry Christmas to you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, I love all your decorations, they have so much soul in them. And your house looks great! Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How incredibly festive! I love how Christmas-y your house feels. Like a perfect white Christmas (at least inside, even if you didn't get one outside!)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your Christmas tour is stunning! Love your fox lamp and mercury glass - and that old window! Pinning that chalkboard wall - it's so fun! Thinking of doing one of my own!
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for your kind comment. Your Christmas post rocks! Oh my goodness your daughter has grown into a beautiful little girl...it happens too quickly!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely tree, the size is just right, not overly decorated and not overwhelming. ~ ilikesheds.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful house! Thanks for sharing.

    On an unrelated note-- I have been looking to buy some rugs lately.. anyone know any sites?
    I've heard about Rugman.com? Any experiences there? :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amazing blog!
    Housebuyersamerica can help you suggest good house decorating tips.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey stranger! I have seen you on Pinterest but haven't come over to say hi in way toooo long! Your home looked so beautiful at Christmas, the whole house is coming together perfectly. I am starting to blog again. I hope you stop over and say hi.

    Best wishes,
    Tammy

    P.S. Loved your skating party, she must have had such a magical birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  20. https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hate-Study-but-I-Love-Student-Life/145249185623516?ref=hl

    ReplyDelete

 

Site design by FABULOUS K CREATIVE