Christmas decorating
Life has been c-r-a-z-y around here lately. I meant to write this post sometime last week, and then realized an additional freelance project I need to finish had a deadline about a week closer than I had imagined, and that I thought I was super far ahead on my Christmas gift buying but really was like, not even halfway through. Add into that the super exciting plumbing problems and a Christmas party and like, zero blogging got done. So I'm finally writing it today! Yay!
Each year I get really excited to decorate our house for Christmas (well, the last 3 years, not a super long time) and then I get kinda bummed because it's never quite as gorgeous as I predict it will be in my head. I keep forgetting that we don't have the years and years of built up Christmas decorations like our parents, so I have to kind of sigh and accept it's not going to be as great as I imagined.
But during our Christmas party on Saturday, we got a ton of compliments on our Christmas decorations - and it totally threw me off. I just have too high of standards for myself, I suppose - but then again, I have a feeling everyone does. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, I decided I'd write a post so I can remember what we did this year for decorations AND to remind myself to be grateful that we even have the opportunity and the budget to decorate for Christmas every year - not everyone has a beautifully cozy home or the disposable income to buy decorations.
So! House Christmas-y tour, here we go!
First of all, my favorite part of the house right now - the token chalkboard "merry and bright" sign I chalked last year with Kate's nativity from her uncle Michael nestled right in front. I have grand plans and some sketches outlined to redo the chalk again this year, but we'll see if I squeeze that in at any point. The gold leaf branches (from David's grandma) are in old quart-sized mason jars, and the garland is the 50 ft, $10 bunch from Target. Pinecones from...outside, maybe my parents' house last year? Not sure.
A close-up of our Christmas tree. It's a Hobby Lobby tree, decorated primarily with the jumbo pack of ornaments from Target we bought our first year of marriage. The little fluff ball is actually an owl on a stick which doesn't gel at all with the general "theme" of this tree but they were so cute, I couldn't pass them up. I'll share a full-shot of the tree sometime later when it's not super bright outside -- Christmas tree pics are just way better in the dark.
This stair-step cabinet (a hand-me-down from David's grandpa) is one of my favorite pieces of furniture, and one of the most fun to decorate. Problem is, these Ho-Ho-Ho signs keep falling off, so then it just says "Ho"......not the most Christmas-y of sentiments. But we don't have another good place for em, so here they'll stay.
Our liquor & glassware cabinet (which we got at a steal for $50 on Craigslist, and was one of the first pieces of furniture we had in the house) decorated simply by a red bow. I kind of threw it up there on a whim because I didn't know where else to put it, and now I really really love it -- we hardly ever open the doors so it is very festive and suuuper easy (I'm pretty sure I bought the bow itself for $1 at Menards last year).
Advent wreath (gold solid wreath underneath from Amazon here) and mini gold Christmas tree from Target for $8. When the dining room table is clear, the wreath is in the middle there, but right now it's about the only place Kate can't reach so it's a catch-all for junk/current projects...see below...
Very messy non-Christmasy dining room table including: laundry to be folded, fabric for some quilts that needs to be ironed and cut, a random fox I started embroidering like two months ago, Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, the contents of my purse and Kate's shoes that all got soaked with juice last night during Mass, my sewing basket, fabric for the stockings David and I are working on...you get the picture.
Just wanted to keep it real around here.
How are you decorating for Christmas? Do you have more willpower than me and wait longer to get it all set up? (David was clamoring for us to put it all up before Thanksgiving and I just cannot get on board with that.)
HG
Each year I get really excited to decorate our house for Christmas (well, the last 3 years, not a super long time) and then I get kinda bummed because it's never quite as gorgeous as I predict it will be in my head. I keep forgetting that we don't have the years and years of built up Christmas decorations like our parents, so I have to kind of sigh and accept it's not going to be as great as I imagined.
But during our Christmas party on Saturday, we got a ton of compliments on our Christmas decorations - and it totally threw me off. I just have too high of standards for myself, I suppose - but then again, I have a feeling everyone does. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, I decided I'd write a post so I can remember what we did this year for decorations AND to remind myself to be grateful that we even have the opportunity and the budget to decorate for Christmas every year - not everyone has a beautifully cozy home or the disposable income to buy decorations.
So! House Christmas-y tour, here we go!
First of all, my favorite part of the house right now - the token chalkboard "merry and bright" sign I chalked last year with Kate's nativity from her uncle Michael nestled right in front. I have grand plans and some sketches outlined to redo the chalk again this year, but we'll see if I squeeze that in at any point. The gold leaf branches (from David's grandma) are in old quart-sized mason jars, and the garland is the 50 ft, $10 bunch from Target. Pinecones from...outside, maybe my parents' house last year? Not sure.
A close-up of our Christmas tree. It's a Hobby Lobby tree, decorated primarily with the jumbo pack of ornaments from Target we bought our first year of marriage. The little fluff ball is actually an owl on a stick which doesn't gel at all with the general "theme" of this tree but they were so cute, I couldn't pass them up. I'll share a full-shot of the tree sometime later when it's not super bright outside -- Christmas tree pics are just way better in the dark.
This stair-step cabinet (a hand-me-down from David's grandpa) is one of my favorite pieces of furniture, and one of the most fun to decorate. Problem is, these Ho-Ho-Ho signs keep falling off, so then it just says "Ho"......not the most Christmas-y of sentiments. But we don't have another good place for em, so here they'll stay.
Our liquor & glassware cabinet (which we got at a steal for $50 on Craigslist, and was one of the first pieces of furniture we had in the house) decorated simply by a red bow. I kind of threw it up there on a whim because I didn't know where else to put it, and now I really really love it -- we hardly ever open the doors so it is very festive and suuuper easy (I'm pretty sure I bought the bow itself for $1 at Menards last year).
Advent wreath (gold solid wreath underneath from Amazon here) and mini gold Christmas tree from Target for $8. When the dining room table is clear, the wreath is in the middle there, but right now it's about the only place Kate can't reach so it's a catch-all for junk/current projects...see below...
Very messy non-Christmasy dining room table including: laundry to be folded, fabric for some quilts that needs to be ironed and cut, a random fox I started embroidering like two months ago, Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, the contents of my purse and Kate's shoes that all got soaked with juice last night during Mass, my sewing basket, fabric for the stockings David and I are working on...you get the picture.
Just wanted to keep it real around here.
How are you decorating for Christmas? Do you have more willpower than me and wait longer to get it all set up? (David was clamoring for us to put it all up before Thanksgiving and I just cannot get on board with that.)
HG
I took pictures of some of my Christmas decor last night for this very purpose! Haha. You'll see that blog post soon :) Also, your house is adorbs and that liquor cabinet is amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteOne handed phone comment so forgive but just had to say - LOVE IT
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