Holiday House Tour

Hey there. I'm so glad to be able to show you our house, decorated for the holidays. Earlier this week I was standing in the middle of all of the boxes of decorations, looking a bit lost. Tom said, "Just make it cozy, we don't need it to look like a store." So that's what I did - keeping it simple, with some of the usual suspects from past years, and a few newbies thrown in, too.

Let's start on the front porch. I did end up switching out the embroidery hoop snowman for a burlap and pinecone wreath I've hung above the fireplace in the past. Tom helped me hang the garland around the door. We were going to put it around the window as well but there was no way to attach it (he wouldn't let me use hot glue.) A mixed planter adds some much needed colour.

And we have our very own guard elf. She was so good about sitting for pictures. It was a damp, crappy day but she stayed for as long as I needed. Good elf!

The living room tree is decorated in red and gold ornaments this year. With gold ribbon and pinecones. Along the window sill behind, I scattered pine branches, gold ornaments, and candles.

I like to hang something different over the fireplace each year. I've done wreaths, miniature stockings, and even songs. This year I went with a pinecone wreath hanging on an antique window frame. I've had that window frame for about 12 years - I think it's the first thing I ever refinished. I draped the top with greenery and a pinecone garland, then hung some snowball ornaments at different levels.

We have new stockings for us all this year. We've always had mismatched ones in the past - my left-brained analytical self likes that now they all go together.

Across the mantel I arranged flameless candles, with more greenery and pinecone garland woven in between. I think I'm a pinecone addict.

Nearly every other surface in the living room is decorated as well. I tried to stay with the red/gold/natural theme that's the tree.

These little trees were made from scrap wood from another project. I cut the pieces from an old board (intentionally imperfect), hot glued the pieces together, and then gave them a taupey-grey paint wash. I like to believe that Tom is showing his approval in the background.

We bought some tiny reindeer when we were at Blue Mountain in September and I almost forgot to dig them out. That would have been tragic because they are just adorable.

We spend a lot of time in the basement TV room, so I decorated the bar area a little bit. Just some simple garland and a bark tree. I love that tree. We also have one on the dining room table with birch bark snowmen.

And there you have it. I'm spending the rest of my free time this week wrapping gifts and preparing Christmas Eve dinner. Though I might get bogged down at work as it's month end, again. I'm looking forward to a few days away from the office. 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and New Year! Thanks for hanging out with us!