It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
A Holiday House Tour
With just a few short days left until Christmas, I thought I would share a few of my favorite Christmas photos of our house along with favorites from around the web and throw in some nostalgia too!
First let me say for some people Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year! Sadly for some it's a time of great heartache and turmoil. Weather it's because of a loss of a loved one, family issues, financial constraints, mental illness or depression this time of year poses real anxiety for some people. Often they don't show it on the outside, not wanting to take away the joyful feeling of others. So please, be aware and sensitive to those who you know and may meet over the Christmas season, after all, the spirit of Christmas is about peace on earth and goodwill to men, and should be demonstrated not only at Christmas but throughout the year.
I like to use natural greens in my outdoor decor because its simple and inexpensive. Over the years I've done many different displays with lights, lighted deer, candles in every window….now I like to keep it simple. The word JOY kept entering into my mind as I was getting ready to decorate outside so I decided to choose JOY this season not only as a theme for the decor but for my attitude as well! With so much going on all over the world these days from terrorist bombings to random mass shootings and political mayhem. I decided to be joyful in all circumstances. This is not an easy task, given the various happenings, but it is biblical. I love the Christmas hymn "Joy to the World." So, I am choosing JOY!
I took an old shutter I had and glued the letters on after spay painting and glittering them silver. Then I added some greenery and a bow. When the light shines it glitters nicely, even from the street.
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| Even the fall pumpkins got a makeover! |
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| Add a bow to anything and it becomes festive! |
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| An old backyard deer ornament gets a new coat of paint and a necklace of fresh greens! |
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| Nighttime View |
On the inside decor JOY is also the main theme. I use fresh greens inside as well, the smell is fabulous and it takes little time to stick a few branches here and there.
Of course the manger scene is the first decoration to go up. It's hand painted ceramic figures that I received from a friend many years ago complete with angels, animals and the holy family. I've had it placed in different places around the house over the years. This year its displayed on the china cabinet.
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| Merry Christmas! |
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| A few ornaments on a silver tray with fresh greens makes a simple and pretty display. |
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| Fresh greenery for the kitchen too! |
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| Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread |
Like many of us, I do a lot of baking this time of year. I bake a slew of cookies for my grandkids and like to try something new now and then. This is a cream cheese filled-pumpkin bread recipe I found on line at Averiecooks.com
It really tastes great although I did have a little trouble with the filling part. Practice makes perfect because after the second try I think it came out pretty good!
I found this great lamp over the summer at Homegoods. I just love that you can remove the cork on top and fill with whatever you please! I was using it for our cork collection and decided to add some natural greenery, pinecones and ornaments for a Christmas display. It can be changed out seasonally with all sorts of stuff because the opening is large enough that I can fit my hand in.
I love the living room at night with the tree lights and candles it really has a warm and comfy feeling!
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| I made these vintage looking lace ornament many years ago and they are still looking great today! |
Well enough of our house, now for some more inspiration and favorites from around the web. My friend Deb at The Front Door Project has been out capturing some great Christmas doors! Make sure to visit her blog where she shares her photos of doors and historic preservation.
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| Found on The Front Door Project |
We were invited to a pre-Christmas celebration at my hubby's brothers house over the weekend. It was a gathering of the brothers and sisters and their spouses. My husband is one of ten…yes ten children. With all of them married with children…and most of their children have children of their own, formal gathering can be quite large and quite noisy! Many are spread across the country, sadly, a gathering including the whole clan is a rare occasion these days. We had a great time eating, drinking eggnog and laughing, and even played charades! My sister-in-law Cindy, the lady of the house, loves to decorate and always does a nice job with her Christmas displays. Here's a few of my favorite photos of their home all decked out.
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| Photo Credit- Cynthia Pronovost |
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| Photo Credit-Cynthia Pronovost |
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| Photo Credit-Cynthia Pronovost |
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| Photo Credit-Cynthia Pronovost |
I was so excited when a client I did work for several years ago contacted me to help her re-install this window treatment I did for her. She had to have it taken down to be cleaned due to soot issue from the fireplace. She told me she loved it so much that she wanted it put back up just the way it was originally! I love my clients!
When I do have some spare time I like to search the web and such for interesting and different decor ideas. Here are a few of the favorites I found this year. Please check out my Pintrest page for more photos and ideas for Christmas decorating!
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| I love these snowflake decorations! |
Did you ever make paper snowflakes as a kid, I did! I love these as a window decoration!
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| Cuteness overload! |
Do you have an ols winow or picture frame? These designs are really simple, cute and inexpensive!
I've had an Instagram account for a while but a few months back started posting more regularly and since then have connected with many friendly and talented folks! Tiffany from Joyfully Rooted has a lovely home and shares her styling skills!
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| I love this seaside inspired tree and the starfish ornaments! |
And to wrap up my Christmas favorites I'm including some nostalgia from Christmases past! The first photo is a special favorite of mine. My parents the Christmas before they were married, it was taken in 1944. The photo was in slide format so I had it transferred to digital image. Images like this can never be replace, so they should be cherished and cared for so they can be passed down through the years. The image was originally done in color so nothing as done. I find the color quality just beautiful.
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| Mom and Dad 1944 |
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| Found on Countryliving.com |
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| Found on Countryliving.com |
Well I hope you enjoyed our house tour, the decorating ideas and the trip down memory lane! Thank you for visiting the blog and please share and comment, I'd love to hear from you! It would also be great to see some of your favorite Christmas decor and memories! You can visit me on Facebook and post your photos there, I'd love to share!
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tina
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| Found on 49.media.tumblr.com |
