Christmas Home Tour 2014

Finally! All the Christmas decorations are up and I can share them with you! I feel like I am the last blogger out there who still hasn't done a Christmas post yet. Mostly, it's due to the fact that I am constantly adding a little something more, or breaking out the paint for a whole new project. Add that to the fact that it has been overcast here for like the last week, no sunny days = super hard to take good pictures indoors. 

I will try to keep the commentary to a minimum and just let you enjoy the overload of pictures! This year I went with more of the traditional red. green and gold colors, and I really tried to keep the decorative touches simple and not overdone, with lots of vintage love thrown in. We still have to be able to use our spaces everyday, and with two boys who like to throw footballs in the house, I don't want to have to worry about something getting broken.

Please, come on in! (But, watch out for the little escape artists who think they need to be outside anytime the door is open!)

This "Be Merry" sign would be one of the last minute painting projects that I was finishing up last week. I knew I wanted something big for the front porch, but also something simple.

The entryway table is one of my favorite little areas to decorate, but it has to be the hardest place to photograph!

The piano is also a fun place to decorate. I really need to start playing it more...maybe in my free time I will do that. The chalkboard got a festive update, and I am loving my new yarn tassel garland!

My yarn trees from last year are making an appearance along with a bright red bowl full of ornaments resting on a stack of little vintage books I picked up at an auction this year.

Since the tree takes up our usual extra seating area, I moved one of the chairs over to the fireplace, and added a basket of gold ornaments. 

I could never get those little stocking hangers to stay on mantle without falling off, so the hubby and I made this perfect little stand for the boys' stockings with some scrap wood and a couple of wrought iron hooks.

The coffee table stayed very simple, since that is the place the kids use the most for games and drawing on a daily basis. A little holiday greenery (these are just pieces cut from a not-so-pretty garland I had in the basement) with a couple ornaments, and one of my copper bowls filled with some of my very favorite vintage ornaments.

I wanted the dining area to be festive, but since we host a large family gathering on Christmas Eve, I didn't want a lot of things on the table and countertops. I am really liking how these ornaments bring some fun and color to the windows!

My grandma's ceramic Christmas tree has a perfect spot in the kitchen where everyone can see it. I always remember it sitting on top of the console TV in her living room every Christmas.

Again, simple touches that are not overdone. A basket full of ornaments (see a theme there?), vintage thermoses, a tiny tree, little dashes of blue for fun, and a "joyful" chalkboard and wreath message on the wall.

Digging through a box of vintage Christmas cards led me to these that my great grandparents had hads printed with a holiday message and their names inside. They are dressing up the thrift store baskets that hang on the wall in kitchen.

And last, but not least, our Christmas tree. We don't do themes, just the ornaments we have collected over the years, ones the boys' have made in school and of course, candy canes! I stuck that basket under the tree to fill the space, and I must say, I really like how it looks and best of all, it is the perfect spot to corral all those little gifts.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look around our home, and picked up inspiration for your holiday decorating too!