Christmas Home Tour 2021

 

Merry Christmas!

I know I don't post much now that I'm a mother, but I'm always consistent with one thing:

The Christmas Home Tour!

So, here we go...

I forgot to take pictures of the entry way, so we'll just jump right inside.

First up: Vintage Christmas display! 

This hutch is right in our entry way, and with little hands around I'm thankful to have this safe area to put my old little lovelies. We're not huge about the modern "Santa" story around here, but there's just something about a cute little vintage Santa that makes me happy and nostalgic. 

This area is the only pop of true red I have. 

Everything else is very neutral or with a bit of maroon. 

But I feel like I need a little bit of red at Christmas - the one time of year I really love it.

This Santa is new to the crew this year! I think he was 25 cents at my local "Recycled Christmas". 

I removed the old greenery in his sleigh and added a bottle brush tree - now he fits right in.

The nativity is safely up on the buffet again this year. 

I added the little fairy lights, which I really like in the evenings to bring more attention to this area.

The tiny flocked tree is also "new" this year - found at Recycled Christmas.

"a Savior which is Christ the Lord." :) 

The beautiful reindeer painting from my sweet sister is in the bay window - with my snowflake collection hanging above, but it's always impossible to get a picture of them with all the light of the window.

This little kitchen counter display kind of came about with me plopping more things down randomly that I didn't want the kids to touch, and I ended up really loving it!

The cuteness of that little angel gets me every year. 

I didn't put a whole lot of effort into the open shelving this year. 

I got a new (thrifted) Currier and Ives tin cookie platter that I propped up. 
The little snowman was made at a mom's craft time.

 I'm going to give him as a Christmas gift, but enjoying him for now.

Vintage style bottle brush trees back in the kitchen window because they just go so well with the kitchen curtain and my kitchen in general.

The white kitchen tree is also always hard to get a good picture of with the sliding glass door right next to it. 

New to the white tree this year are the gold horn ornaments.

I added gold bells to the wreath above our advent pouches.

Also, new couch and coffee table in the living room! 

Since this photo I've added little wooden numbers and rusty bells for each bag.

 

A pretty good photo (lighting wise) for the white tree! 

And our beloved real tree, right from the woods. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I've come to like them more than the super full trees! 

I enjoy how well they show off the ornaments.

Each year I do a little something different on the real tree. 

Last year it had the trendy dried citrus... 

this year I added the vintage maroon velvet ribbon tied into bows. 

I think it gives it a bit of a country Victorian feel  - if that's a thing.

I like the little pops of maroon to match our stockings, advent pouches, and couch throw pillows.

 

And now, too many pictures of the dining area. :)

Probably because I'm just still tickled to finally have a crystal chandelier hanging, and I still smile every time I look at it.

It made this area so much more classier. 

This little display was another thing that got plopped down and never moved because I ended up liking it. I got the mirror for $1 at the church garage sale this year and thrifted the brass horn candle holders this year as well.

I added the faux white pine wreath to match the faux white pine in the chandelier above.

White pine and cedar are some of my very favorite Christmas time greens, but it gets so dry around here that I'm thankful to get higher quality - someone realistic - looking faux stuff so I don't have to deal with shedding needles. 

And a couple more shots of my precious chandy because I will always be a "sparkles" kind of gal. 

I always love to decorate for the most wonderful time of the year!

It's our favorite birthday party to celebrate, so it gets lots of decorations around here, even though I may be the only one that really cares or appreciates them, I have fun with the "work" of it.

And hopefully my little people feel that there is something set apart and special about this time of year. 

From my family to yours... Merry Christmas!

Blessings, 

Olivia 
 

Play House Makeover: Fixer Upper Mini Edition

Here's a bit of a throw back post!

A few years ago, when my son was just about to turn 1, our neighbor dropped of a Little Tikes playhouse that his grandkids had outgrown.

So... Like I do with just about anything, I decided to give it a little makeover!

I scrubbed it up and used Rustoleum spray paint to paint the door, shutters, and roof.

I also spray painted an old door mat dark blue and put that out front of the door.

Just wasn't feeling the bright orange. Thankfully a little spray paint does the trick.

On the back side I spray painted the orange "fire place" with a dark brown textured spray paint to make it feel a bit more like brick.

I found the cute little fencing pieces at Dollar Tree.

And of course I had to add some "decor" with a garage sale watering can and side-of-the-road free shepherd's hook. The tiny hanging basket is also from Dollar Tree.

And here's my little love enjoying it! 

When he was this little he mostly just wanted to open and close the door.

Now he and his sister use it to "cook". It also makes a great place to store balls and other outdoor toys.

Hope you're having a great spring and getting lots of little outdoor projects done!

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

Olivia

Christmas Home Tour 2020

 

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a wonderful season...

Here is a little peak at my Christmas home. 

I was able to get a bit of fresh cedar this year which was so nice to add into the pine and white pine.

My old sled from when I was little...

I love having my new front entry porch to decorate.

The beams got wrapped in the white wood which makes it.... ALMOST complete.

Just need a doorbell!

I ended up adding in some sumac for a little extra color.

I think the bottle brush wreath that I made last year stands out nicely with the new door color.

I put my vintage display in the "new" cabinet that was my quarantine project for this lovely year...

It's perfect because little hands leave it all alone up there.

Santa mugs, carolers, my faux white pine, + jadeite! 

Plus the old tool box and scale for some rusty vintage charm as well :)

In the other hutch I put my nativity... which definitely needs to go up higher next year. 

The little lamb has already lost an ear.

Some sad Christmas decor news is that I missed "recycled Christmas" this year! But I have so much stuff already that it's probably okay. So what I did was take the money I didn't spend there and got the new plaid pillow covers for a touch of red in the living room.

Above the couch hangs my project this year - an advent calendar filled with a "name of Jesus", reading plan, and activity for each day. (Coming up with all that is the part that took so long!)

 Thank you to my mom for sewing all the tiny pouches! 

I still need to add numbers and little bells for each day, but we've been having fun with it. 

And the fabric matches our stockings!

The other plaid pillow + all of the snowflakes that always hang in this window...along with some icicle lights this year. Maybe someday there will be window trim. ;) 

The stocking were hung....

on the buffet this year!

I like how the maroon stands out on the white.

Every other year I have hung them off of the TV stand. But I figured my one year old would just be getting into them there.

On our real tree this year we added some dried grapefruit ornaments for some pops of colors...which I don't usually do, but I'm liking it for this year. I know just about every decorator has done dried citrus, and I'm usually not a fan of trendy things, but I think this is more something "classic" that is making a comeback so it's okay! :)

And a crate of our kid's Christmas books under the tree until presents show up on Christmas eve night!

TA-DA!!! Isn't it beautiful!! I finally got my husband to hang my antique crystal chandelier in the dining area!!! And it makes me love my house so much more. 

I've only been waiting for this moment to happen for 3 years...

Things just look so much classier in there now.

Our white tree in the kitchen got a few extra strands of gold garland this year plus the vintage pink cardinal ornaments I got at recycled Christmas last year.

Touches of tartan plaid on the table because that just always feels Christmasy to me!

The kitchen shelves stayed more neutral this year,

I put a wreath above the sink which I really like and will probably do again since I have so many wreaths and am always trying to figure out where to put them all!

And that's about it!

Thank you for taking my little Christmas home tour! 

I also decorated the bathroom and my son wanted to decorate his room this year as well, but I never got pictures of that. Oops!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

"For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." ~ Luke 2:11

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I always say it's my favorite birthday party to decorate for! :) 

Blessings,

Olivia