2022 Christmas Home Tour!

 Merry Christmas!

Our "theme" for Christmas at our home this year is SIMPLE. 

With a crawling baby, a three year old that loves to rehome objects, and a five year old that has a hard time being gentle, I thought it was best to leave a whole tote of breakable items in the basement as well as not put up our second tree. 

I still feel like I'm forgetting to "do" something! It's just the feeling of not fully decorating. 

So, Merry {simple} Christmas!

Come on inside... 

This poor porch pot has been blown over several times from one very windy day.

 I just didn't have the time or energy to properly fix it, so it got plopped back in and is doing its own thing. Still nice to have greenery for some color. 

The little "Joy" sign is new this year.

50 cents at the thrift store... hung in a kid safe high place.

I added the faux greenery and twinkle lights around baby Jesus to highlight him a bit more.

In this corner of the living room I hung my cross stitch I made in high school.

I never fully finished decorating under the tv and just have some lights (that were supposed to go outside) and our stockings (shoved up under the tv so the baby doesn't pull them down on his head).

    

    Our cute little Christmas pup - definitely on the naughty list. Again. 

I went with a bit of a vintage pink theme on the tree this year.

One, because I found shiny pink beaded garland at Recycled Christmas this year.

And two, because we put the tree in this corner of the living room that already had a pink floral painting and dried pink roses on the wall. 

So, I tried to make sure some of my vintage pink ornaments were hung in places they would stand out. 

But up high of course ;) 

The hutch that usually gets fully redone in vintage santas only got this {simple} touch of Christmas. 

In the dining area I put faux white pine up in the chandelier again this year, but I also added some glass snowflake and icicle ornaments in with the crystal. 

Cause you can never have too much sparkle at Christmas time, right? 

In the kitchen I really only decorated the open shelving. 

New this year are the glass mugs with a cute little winter scene. 

I've been enjoying using them and feeling christmassy every time I have coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. 

Also, new this year is this "JOY" sign I made at a MOPS (moms of preschoolers) meeting last week. 

I stuck pretty neutral with some little pops of maroon and greenery to match the majority of my Christmas decor. 

And... so exciting for me, I FINALLY have a bathroom windowsill to decorate! 

After 7 years without one, it was time. 

It has come to my attention this year that I really have a thing for these old-timey winter scenes. 

My mugs up above have a similar Currier and Ives type of vibe too. 

And I even got myself and baby some matching Burt's Bees jammies with little winter scenes and sleighs all over them. The little pictures give me such a nostalgic feeling! 

I also have some more plates and tins too that aren't pictured. 

I better keep things in check so I don't end up with piles by the time I'm 40, cause really how many cookie plates and platters can one person use... 

Well, that's all for this year!

Still plenty Christmassy around here. I just keep having to tell myself "it's okay" that things are more simple. The kids are not going to remember that not every snowflake was hung and not every santa mug was put out. IT'S OKAY to simplify when life needs it. No matter how much you love decorating. 

I'm very much looking forward to all the family time and delicious meals ahead. 

Candlelight Christmas eve service, making cookies with my kids, picking out thoughtful presents, having warm, glowey lights to look at every evening. I love it all. 

Very thankful for a loving and merciful God that would send us a much needed savior. 

It definitely deserves to be celebrated 24/7, but going all out a certain time of year to celebrate Jesus' birth is so fun. 

Trying my best to be intentional in it all. 

The most wonderful time of the year!

Praying you have a blessed Christmas!

~Olivia

Christmas Home Tour 2019

Merry Christmas Season!

My theme for this year's Christmas decor was "simple Christmas" because of a new baby coming any day now.

However, I'm not sure it has really happened. 

The only differences were that I didn't put up my big white tree, and I didn't haul up my tote of kitchen Christmas decor/dishes.

 I just grabbed a few of my Vintage Santa mugs out and called it good.

Here's a look at our "new" almost complete entry area...

The garland around the door has white lights strung into it, and that is the only outside lights we have this year. Simple, but it still looks like we tried a bit. ;)

I put out my old sled again with the ice skates off of it. 

New this year is the faux swag I got at Goodwill - half off for $6!

Right inside the door is our living room and view of the Christmas tree.

Again, we harvested one right out of the woods on my parent's land.

Charlie Brownish to some, but we like them like that now.

I had plans to make a dried orange garland for the tree this year, but I never got to it and also noticed that everyone else was doing that so I skipped it.

But then I added some fluffy yarn as garland, which is also what everyone else is doing, 

so I guess I am a sucker for trends after all.

My one Christmas craft for the year was this wreath hanging on the barn door.

I've had some pins on my Christmas Pinterest board (LINK HERE) 

for similar ideas, and I finally took the time to put it together.

I basically just hot glued some bottle brush trees to the bottom of a grape vine wreath I had lying around. Then added a bit of white paint and a few sprinkles of white glitter to the paint.

 It only cost me $6 because I bought the trees after Christmas on clearance, and the wreath was $1 at "Recycled Christmas". It has a nice rustic look that goes with my barn door.

I got a cool bokeh affect on this picture...unplanned of course.

I'm not that good of a photographer.

I only put out a vintage elf and this vintage angel in my corner cabinet this year, because "simple".

The pop of red landed on this wall this year. 

Since the photo I've also added a red and white plaid throw blanket. 

It looks cute, it just doesn't photograph well because it's right in front of the window.

The wreath in the window used to have pine cones hanging off of it all wonky like. 

I could never get them to sit right, so I just took them off this year, and I like it so much better now!

Still dreaming of a mantel to hang stockings under one day, but for now, this will do.

My mom and I made these stockings last year - as you'll see one is still waiting on it's name tag.

We still don't have a for sure baby girl name, but hoping we know when we see her.

I found these little bells at Salvation Army this year and added those for just a little something extra. 

Christmas decorating is all about being extra. Right?

I'm not part of the minimalist movement, if you can't tell. ;) 

In the window is my favorite little Goodwill Nativity, a little vintage angel bell, and some new white bottle brush trees I got this year at Five Below.

Above the window is my sparkly snow flake collection that is always so hard to photograph.

This is the only decor I did in the window this year. I basically just moved the lantern (outside) and plopped this down and called it good. And simple.

I have a few small pops of color on the tree this year as I grow my vintage ornament collection.

I found a bag of vintage ornaments for $1 at Recycled Christmas.

I think I have around 10 vintage ornaments now.

This top ornament I added to be one of the hanging snowflakes, because I thought it seemed big enough. It's one of my favorites and probably stands out more in the window than on the tree.

New vintage ornament next to a favorite - the "just married" car.

A closer look at the fluffy yarn I used as garland, along with the pom-pom garland I've had the last couple years.

The table just got a vintage runner along with this centerpiece I made last year at a craft day for moms and kids. 

You can't tell in the picture, but it does have some little fairy lights in it and looks pretty at night too.

A little baby white tree replaced the big one.

I found this pre - lite one for $2 at "Recycled "Christmas".

The gold garland was $1 and a bag of handmade pink cardinal ornaments was .25 cents. 

Both from my favorite indoor garage sale - "Recycled Christmas"! 

The fancier crystal ornaments were also from there. All were either .25 cents or .50 cents each.

The open shelving got some faux white pine and my favorite vintage Santa mugs.

Last year I went all out with a "hot chocolate bar" where these guys were the star.

This year they are just chillin' out front and center. 

Looking cute and old.

Miniature nativity was .25 at "Recycled Christmas". 

I have a thing for mini stuff.

I put my shabby chic bottle brush trees in the kitchen window in some floral tea cups.

And this blue Santa I've had since I was little - he matches the blue floral curtain above the window.

I love this little silver plated Christmas tree dish I got from "Recycled Christmas" this year for $1.

I think it may be my favorite thing I got there - not sure why, I just really like it and feel like it's one of those things that captures my "Christmas style" well.

I put some vintage carolers and bottle brush trees in the nook above my stove.

I can't remember where I got the sign on the cabinets, but I just love little old time Christmas scenes like that. They give me a nostalgic Christmas feeling.

The entry way console table looks similar to how it did a couple years ago (but simpler). All of the rustic/glam things ended up here.

Chalk painted church next to some silver jingle bells.

My talented sister painted the reindeer for me.

And finally, the "new" display for the year. 

Well, the antique buffet is a new piece of furniture around here, and it just recently got chalk painted.

It has been really nice having such a large space to do displays.

I was excited to put my Nativity up here this year - safe from small hands.

The flocked wreath was a post Christmas purchase from Walmart last year. 

Half off, so $5 for me!

I put white candles on my sconces, because after the buffet got painted the taupe ones just weren't cutting it. Then last minute I added some white tapers to the display because I could tell it just needed a little something else, and ya can't go wrong with candles.

The white sheep skin has a "fluffy white snow" effect. 

Not that there was snow in Bethlehem, but it just makes the vignette feel Christmassy and gives another layer of texture.

And that's all!

Not sure how I got this all done while also trying to get the house ready for a baby, but Christmas is a favorite for me, so I made sure things still happened. 

This is my take on "simple Christmas". ;) 

I hope you all have a great advent season.

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas!

~Olivia