Our Christmas Home

I've been trying real hard to pretty up our home for Christmas.  I know I planned to do this much sooner, but well, you know how it goes.  Better late than never.  As tradition would have it at our house, we bought our first tub of Toll House cookie dough and so the house smells like cookies all the time.  We do cook real food from recipes, but not until school is out and the schedule settles.  Moms & Dads, Toll House cookies are your friend.  So anyway, grab a cookie and some hot cocoa and relax while I walk you through our little Christmas cottage.

I really like to keep Christmas decor simple with a tree, a few evergreens in the rooms where we spend the most time, a few extra candles, and a wreath on the front door. 

The black table (above) acts as our entry table.  Our yard has plenty of evergreens, so I usually grab my pruners and start clipping.

I found these metal baskets at Rejuventation and change them out with the seasons.  They fit perfectly under the entry table - I even love them empty!

I shared a peek of the lanterns last week on instagram.

I'm crazy for this black and white ribbon that I mentioned here.

The lanterns have been here almost a year - thanks to my friends at Kirklands.  (I even used them in the Homestretch Home - great buy!)

I used cypress and pine cones on the mantel.  Cypress is a great evergreen to use for the holidays.  It holds its color and works in so many places.  The pine cones are ones we have collected over the years on walks both here and in the mountains.  I smile every time I pull them out to decorate.

The only artificial greenery we used this year is this garland.  It's pretty convincing though!

We took the path of least resistance this year and put the tree in the dining room.  I do enjoy seeing it from the living room while we all flop on the couch at night.

We keep our kitchen pretty simple year round because it is the busiest room in the house.

I brought in a few brass candlesticks and added cypress to the dough bowl.  Done!

I pull out our Christmas mugs every year for morning coffee and hot cocoa.  The boys have come to expect that.  I do love that they ask for certain things each year.  Traditions are so important!

Our card hanger fills up in December.  I love seeing the faces every single time I walk by.  We keep them up until the next family birthday which is in February.

There you have it!  I hope you enjoyed your tour.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  For more tours, go here.