We are so incredibly blessed to be spending our first Christmas in our own home!
We bought our house in May of this year and have since been investing in renovations, enhancements and upkeep.
- The laundry closet was our first major undertaking, and I still love the striped walls and porcelain tiles.
- During a hot and balmy summer, we built a pergola over the patio for some much needed shade and replaced the 20+ year-old A/C and heating unit. We constructed a playset for the kids to enjoy in our own backyard, too.
- And even though I haven’t blogged about it yet, we gutted and completely renovated the downstairs half bathroom and applied a beautiful board and batten in my daughter’s room with the help of my mother-in-law.
It has been a busy {and expensive} year.
That said, I tried to capture the Christmas spirit this year without busting the budget. I focused on simple, DIY decorating that created a cozy feeling with lots of good cheer and a touch of sparkle. It all started with this classic boxwood wreath made from clippings of bushes in our front yard. From there, I went with lots of festive red and green for the kiddos.
In order to make room for the tree, we had to get rid of the entertainment center, which entailed mounting the television to the wall and building a floating shelf for the amenities. {It was something we wanted to do anyway; the tree just served as an impetus.}
Growing up with an artificial tree, I swore I would only have a real one once I was on my own. This one is a beaut, but I may need to rethink that after all the mess and maintenance. I do relish the fresh pine scent in the air.
We’ve collected ornaments over the years — some sentimental, others just fillers. I like to get a family ornament each year, and the kids each receive a special ornament based on their current interests. This year my daughter received Elsa from Frozen and my son received Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…
Our new home has a natural gas fireplace, so I had the pleasure of decorating my first mantel. I used artificial pine garland and berries and supplemented with trimmings from the tree to make it fuller. I used the same garland and berries to decorate the staircases.
The wood block stocking holders were a fun and easy DIY project. The glitter stags, red birds and Jolly sign are from the dollar store.
We displayed our cards in a frame I found at the thrift store, repainted, distressed and added wire. I really like how it came out and will be using it to display photos, kids’ artwork and other knick knacks throughout the year.
I used craft paper with gorgeous ribbon and fun bows to wrap our presents. {If you can’t tell, I have a slight addiction to ribbon…}
Last, but certainly not least, the holidays would not be complete without a picture of the kids with Santa.
Many blessings to you and yours this Christmas! We wish you peace, love and prosperity in the New Year! — v.
