Christmas Magic Home Tour 2011

I'm excited to join in the Holiday Home Tours online for the third year!  This year's focus was on bringing the peaceful, calming, beautiful nature INSIDE.  Last year was creating a magic Christmas wonderland for the boys, and my first year was everything traditional.  The biggest decor element I used this year was PINECONES! So many pinecones in so many ways. ..

The last part of this year I have felt more disorganized and less put together than usual.  It has been unnerving. Typically I am energetic and super excited about everything.  But lately, I have been emotionally burdened by some physical personal hurdles I hold within.  Because of that, I really wanted to focus on bringing peaceful scenes into our home this Christmas.  



The center of our family room has clusters of live winter plants and evergreens...and pinecones of course. ;) 


 
 

A stack of books and a bright white lamp 

balance on our vintage safe.

 

Our front window is filled with snowflakes made of hay straw.  I will be sharing more of these in a future post.  No, I didn't make them.  I bought them in beautiful Aspen, Colorado.  This is why I am unable to be a traditional "crafter".  There is no way I would have the patience to make something so intricate.  But, I love them like crazy.

 Delicate straw snowflakes 

dancing from red ribbon

I couldn't get these pictures just right lol...

This year, I filled our office tree with armfuls of pinecones! 

I brought SO many pinecones into our home this year.  

Our sparse, narrow, little tree, 

strung with cream button garland, 

is juggling lots of pinecones.

I didn't add any ornaments to the tree...on purpose. ;)

Instead of putting a tree top on, 

I snuggled a big gingham bow 

RIGHT in the middle of the tree.

It's as if the bow is giving 

our little tree a giant hug.  

   

Overflowing with pinecones,

the burlap covered basket catches a bucketful more.

Kotah is my number 1 helper.  

He is always there, full of excitement, ready to help! 

It was his idea to sprinkle the tree and pinecones with snow.

A cluster of cinamon sticks over our Burano Italian lace

 is slid in next to pinecone kissing balls.

 More pinecones...

a snow covered pinecone wreath gives a subtle hint 

that December 25th is near.

I'm a new knitter and loving it! 

My handmade Christmas stocking.

love.

Every year our kitchen stays the same.  

The kids enjoy having

an all gingerbread and candy kitchen.  

Our kitchen tree

And my paperbag gingerbread man that I made when I was a little girl gets pulled out every season.  I hope he stays together for another 20 years.

A pitcher full of retro candy garland.  This garland was used on my own bedroom Christmas tree every year when I was a little girl, teenager, and newlywed.  It is now used in the kitchen.

Our stairway got dressed up with REAL, fresh garland this year! Happy girl.  Real beats fake any day in every way.  I was extra excited to use this fresh-smelling goodness...even if it did tear up my hands.

I didn't want to distract from the beauty of fresh pine, so I kept it simple and only added fresh baby's breath bunches to the garland.  

I already posted about our Merry Little Mantel, 

with dried sage garland and a big stick star.

We visited Telluride, Colorado, this fall 

and I found this incredible-smelling potpourri! 

I want to stand next to this spot allll day.  

Mixed in are Christmas carol origami stars.

A sweet pair of Wellies playfully sit 

next to blooming paperwhites.  

{thank you Brandi}

I've shared many times 

how each season I spread season-appropriate books

around the house at the boys' level.  

We have stacks of holiday books that are treasures to my heart and their hearts too.

Our Christmas reading corner, 

with the new knit wrap I recently made, 

a soft Ugg pillow, 

and a wicker chair.  

Hello peace.

Upstairs is the kids' domain and free space to decorate 

with loud, dancing stuffed animals,

bright red-nosed reindeer, 

and blinking ornaments.  

This paper Santa and reindeer introduce our upstair's atmosphere.

It is special to me because I had one

{almost just like this} 

when I was little that hung on my wall and I would fall asleep staring at it, 

literally dreaming of Christmas Eve.

The boys and I made pom pom garland last year.  This year, I took the garland and pushed all the yarn pom poms together in a bunch to create this short garland. 

 stockings of kindness

In our room a baby tree in a basket sits on Chris' nightstand.  

The boys and I surprised him with his own special tree this year.  

More on this in a future post...

Our traditional nativity

My favorite Christmas decor is this little snowman pair.

One says "joyful" and the other says "me too". 

They make me smile and encompass how I feel about this little life we all live.

And that was a LONG virtual tour.  

Thank you for sharing in our lives and our home.  

I wish you a very happy Christmastime!

For more holiday decor:

Home Tour 2009

Home Tour 2010

 
This post is linked to: FOLK MAGAZINE Simply Sweet Home The Nester, Thrifty Decor Chick,  Inspired Room HomeStories Mantels, Holiday Home Link Parties TLC,  Under the Table & Dreamin, Think Pink Sundays, Seasonal Sundays,  Met Monday, Making the World Cuter, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, DIY Design, Works for Me Wednesday, Blue Cricket Design, Transformation Thursday, House of H, Tablescape Thursday, Show off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff,   Show and Share Day, Foodie Friday, Frugal Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Design Dazzle, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up  DIY by Design