Wow, the most wonderful time of the year is now over. Did the time fly by for anyone else?
I had so much more planned for this holiday season, but in the final days leading up to Christmas, I decided to stop, relax and just enjoy. And it truly was joyful. I hope yours was, too.
The Chief returned home from an underway on the 21st to kick-start our holiday excitement. There’s no merrier Christmas in my book than when family is all together.
On Christmas Eve, we visited with friends over a fabulous feast and played The Voting Game and Trivial Pursuit 2000s. I must have been living under a rock for much of this era as I was short on answers, but there were still plenty of laughs and good times to go around.
On Christmas morning, the kids pounced on the presents Santa left under the tree. The elves used traditional gift wrap with ready-to-stick bows this year. Easy peasy and still pretty. I ditched gift tags and used The Little Mermaid paper for my daughter’s gifts and Spider-Man for my son. The Chief got a handsome plaid print with a texture almost like leather and fancy ribbon.
It’s been said that Christmas is for children, and seeing the pure awe and excitement on their faces as they ripped through the wrapping was truly a sight. It was innocent and joyful and full of wonder and curiosity. It was fun to watch and bask in vicariously.
But, I don’t know, the Chief seemed pretty happy with his Christmas surprises, too!
My sister and her girls came over in the afternoon and we opened a few more presents together.
Slowing down and enjoying the moment allowed me to fully embrace what the season means for me: family, friends, gathering, blessings, love, happiness… all for which I am eternally grateful.
And you know I can’t let the holiday go by without sharing how I got the house all holiday ready. I hope you’ll find some decorating inspiration to deck your halls in the seasons to come.
A Rustic Christmas Mantel
I love that we have a mantel to decorate each season. The highlights this year were the rustic wood block stocking holders featuring each family member’s black and white photo. The mantel was further accented with fresh white fir garland, pinecones, faux berries and white lights. A pair of gold stags and poinsettia candle holders added a gilded modern touch to the rustic decor.
A Festive Welcome
This red ruffle wreath welcomed our guests and was a joy to come home to each day. I think it’s just stunning against the stark white door, and it’s perfectly set off by the faux pine garland, berries and poinsettia.
In our entryway, I updated our family photos and added a few choice pieces for the holidays. Can you believe the burlap sack tree is about 15 years old? My sister mailed it to me when I moved into my first studio apartment in NYC. It is much beloved.
My kids helped gather pinecones from our neighborhood. To ensure they were dry and pest-free before using them for holiday decor, we baked them at 200 degrees F for about 30 minutes. A few went on the mantel, but the majority filled a lovely basket.
The Tree
We bought a 7-to-under-8-foot Fraser fir from Lowe’s the day after Thanksgiving. I love having a real tree, and this is our biggest so far.
Here’s a tip: Don’t throw away your tree trimmings. Instead, use them to fill out the mantel, accent other holiday decor throughout the house, or garnish a gift.
As much as I admire trees bursting with decorations and the trendy snow-flocked beauties, my tree decorating style is incredibly simplistic. I like that our tree tells a bit of our story with hand-picked and handmade ornaments that have special meaning. This year we added a beautiful Capiz Star tree topper and a T-Rex and Fluttershy ornament for the kids’ respective newfound interests. The popsicle stick tree was a craft my son made in his preschool class last year.
But the best tree accessories are these three, by far. Aren’t they cute?
I hope you had a very merry Christmas!
I look forward to seeing you here in the New Year! — v.
Your tree will probably continue to add its decorating as the kids grow up and every year brings more school ornaments (that’s a pretty snazzy popsicle stick tree!). The favored decorations were always the paper straw star, ceramic handprint, painted clothespin ballerina, and so on, that we made as kids so very many years ago. Those are what made our tree beautiful.