Part I: Virtual Christmas Tour

It's that time of year! You are cordially invited to my virtual Christmas Open House! (Not that you don't know how, but I thought I'd throw out a few decorating pointers as we tour...)

Decorating your home for the holidays can be exhausting... because our house is small and there's not lots of storage, I've stored all the decorations in the attic in marked storage containers. The day before I begin the task at hand, the "hubster" cleans off the carport area, brings out several folding tables, and then hauls all 12 or 14 boxes down the stairs. We set the boxes on the tables and I begin the "sort". I keep all boxes on the carport except THE ribbon box. This keeps the house relatively straight as I progress from room to room.

I know that this will horrify some of you, but I change my decorations yearly. As much as I love some of my things, sometimes it's just nice to play outside the sand pile and do it up differently. I do NOT use every decoration every year. (12-14 boxes? Are you kidding?)

This year, my woodland themed animals wandered into the living room rather than hanging out in the dining room. With that change, came some color changes...even though I am a traditional green and red girl through and through, this year, I used turquoise in the living room area.

My foyer is Annie Sloan duckegg blue, so this color selection blended nicely.

I love birds and through the years I've collected bird ornaments, many, many nests (many) and bottle brush ornaments. I have a special place in my heart for the little owl fellow below. I buy most of my Christmas items AFTER Christmas..love those sales!



Pictured below is just one of many (nests)...
you know the old legend...
If you have a nest in your Christmas tree,
you will have good fortune in the new year.
Well, I'm not superstitious, but it never hurts to
have a few nests in the old tree.

 

I bring in a huge box of ribbon. I have kept every scrap of ribbon I've ever used at Christmas through the years. Speaking of bang for your buck...that's wired ribbon. And at 50-75% off....it's a steal. And yes,

I untie each bow every year, wrap the ribbon and put each type ribbon in a zip loc bag.

I work out of the ribbon box every day that I decorate...did I mention that while my house is small, decorating it is a labor of love and takes as long as the White House to decorate?

I know, I know...when are we going to lose the brass fireplace screen?

Well, let me tell you a little secret, while I love birds, I have a horror of them swooping down my chimney. So the answer is...never.

(Something to do with seeing Hitchcock's The Birds when I was younger.)

My garland is laced with mushroom hummingbirds, blue birds, nests and a butterfly.

The Peter's pottery vase was an anniversary present and holds feathers, seed pods and glittered curly twirly things...the "hubster" is a glitter hater. Can you imagine?

I made and beaded the crazy quilt stockings several years ago.

My sister gave me brush deer...ever one to help me along with the "annual theme".

Also, notice the large containers of Christmas ornaments. Speaking of a thrifty way to decorate!

They add pops of color everywhere. You will see them throughout the house.

So you don't like themes?

Let me explain. Sometimes they are overdone and I don't like that either.

But themed decorating, if it's used correctly, can be a wonderful "jumping off" point when you are having decorator's block.

So don't frown so when I mention the "T" word!

I am not a purist in the purest sense of the word.

This vignette has absolutely nothing to do with woodland animals,

but every woodland needs a gnome with red underwear.

This was my mother's secretary and some years I gussie her up and some years I don't do as much.

This year I just added a chickadee tassel, some greenery, and a checked bow.

The mercury glass heart says "Faith" and I think that's a guiding principle..so Faith it is!

Here we go again...when are we going to let go of the oak entertainment center?

It's too great for storage...again, never.

It houses my redware plate collection, my salt glaze pottery, books and on the top in the middle is the "hubster's" grandmother's dough bowl...no, it stays.

I have a thing for Mackenzie Childs...however, due to champagne taste and a beer budget...this bird box

(on deep sale) is the only thing in the whole catalog I could afford...but look at that detail!

She sits by my chair in the living room..oh, the stories she can tell about the rich and the famous.

More of those ornaments!

Because this is such an involved process, I decided to invite you back tomorrow for the dining room and kitchen tour. I think you've really had quite enough of me tonight..

We will tour and talk about editing tomorrow.

Thanks for coming along...

BTW: pardon the autumn blog header...it was the tour or the header...I went with the tour!