Sunday, December 24, 2017

My Home Christmas Decorations and A Holiday Break Announcement

Merry Christmas!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful time celebrating with their family and friends!  So far, our Christmas has been blessed beyond measure with family and friends and Christmas Day hasn't even arrived yet.  My son arrived last night;  it was so good to welcome him home again.  My husband had an awesome Christmas work party and received some generous gift cards from his employers.  And I just threw a ladies Christmas tea for some friends yesterday that went so well.  I really felt the presence of the Lord during our visit, and we promised to get together more often.  Ashley, Jason, and our new grand baby Alethea will arrive tomorrow.  Jason's father will be visiting us later in the week.  And New Year's Day we will be throwing our annual New Years Day party with our oldest friends.  Fun, fun, fun!  

I will be taking a two week blogging break starting today.  One week just to have fun, and one week to have time to write blog posts for the next week.  If I only took the holiday week off, I would have to write blog posts during the holiday week, and I don't want to do that.  I want to cherish every minute of my time with my family and friends.  I will return to a regular blogging schedule on January 8, 2018!

In the meantime, I wanted to show you a few pictures of my home decorated for Christmas.  Last year I went all out and made many videos of my Christmas Decorations.  You can check out my YouTube Channel HERE if your interested in seeing those.  This year, I decided to simplify my Christmas Decorations.  One reason was to be easier for me and another reason was to follow current Christmas decorations trends.  I've noticed as I perused the web that flocking, greenery, undecorated rustic trees and garland with lights are trending, so I tried to incorporate some of those new ideas with my own Christmas decor.  

My son gave me this sleigh as my Christmas gift last year.  I placed it in my entry way and filled it with presents and greenery.  I placed three little lit green trees around the sleigh and left them undecorated.


On the entry way table next to the sleigh I placed a Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus statue surrounded by greenery and a "Merry Christmas" sign.  I want everyone to know when they enter my house that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season".



To keep up with my simpler Christmas decorating theme, I only decorated one tree this year instead of two or more.  I put it in my family room.  In previous years, I've always done this room in red and gold colors.  This year, I decided to go with a monochromatic theme and decorate the entire tree and entertainment center garland in gold.



I put gold snowflakes on the tree, in the garland, and on the windows!


I tried a new technique this year and I absolutely love it!  My cat in previous years always destroyed my Christmas Tree so I wanted to figure out another way to put ribbon on my tree where he wouldn't be able to pull it off.  It's called the Octopus Technique.  You cut three strands of ribbon and tie them to the tree.  It not only keeps the ribbon secure, but it makes the tree look so full and lush as well.  I made a video explaining this technique and I put it on my Facebook Page HERE.


In the living room, I put up a simple garland of greenery, gold bulbs, and bows on my staircase, and I added a tall ceramic angel to my end table.


For the dining room I put up my usual Christmas plates and added a simple lighted garland with a few gold bows to the opening of the dining room/office area.


I did decorate the chandelier and add some greenery to the top of other furnishings as well.


 I had a lot of fun with the sun room this year.  I decorated the shelf behind the wood stove with garland, some Victorian characters, and a wreath.  I put a small wreath in every window and added a festive touch to each table.




I added more garland to the staircase, putting a gold bell with red bows at each post.  A large green and red wreath is above the exit door.


 I used a gold sleigh for the dining room centerpiece table.  I put some reindeer in front of the sleigh and added some greenery inside the sleigh.



Normally I put greenery on top of the upper balcony, but this year in keeping with my simpler theme, I just tied red bows to each support beam.



I added just a touch of Christmas in our master bedroom by putting a silver metallic tree on one nightstand and a silver vase filled with Christmas greenery on another.



For the kitchen, I just decorated with more Christmas greenery and Christmas Cookie Cook Books.


 Have a Wonderful Christmas and A Happy New Year, and I'll See You Next Year!

Amy



22 comments:

  1. I love all your holiday decor! Your house is beautiful! Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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  2. Omg your home is beautiful! Love all the festive decor!

    <3 Shannon 
    Upbeat Soles

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    1. Thanks Shannon! Even though it feels like yesterday we just remodeled it ceiling to floor, it feels dated already to me. :( so it's nice to hear that!

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  3. Love all your Holiday decoration! Enjoy your time off!

    http://www.mylittlenest.org

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  4. You decorate so beautifully Amy!!
    Enjoy your break and see you in the New Year!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  5. Love your decor! Hope you enjoy your break. Well deserved!

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

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  6. WOW!!! Your decor turned out absolutely amazing - in love with the sleighs and tree:) I'm so sad at just the thought of putting my Christmas things away - I'm holding out until I absolutely have to, haha. Hope you enjoy your time off!

    Laura
    Black Coffee Beautiful

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    1. Thanks Laura! I'm with you, I'm never in a hurry to take down the Christmas decor. I never understood people who take it down before New Years.

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  7. You have such a beautiful home! I always love seeing how you decorate inside and also your garden outside! I just love that sleigh, especially how you decorated it and the size of it! I also love that octopus method for the ribbon on your tree, I definitely need to do something different next year for mine (I have 2 cats!). Enjoy your blogging break!

    Carre
    curlycraftymom.com

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    1. Thanks Carrie! The sleigh was a gift from my son and hopefully next year Alethea will be old enough to sit up and we can take her Christmas picture in it. I can't recommend the octopus ribbon method enough if you have cats. Last year was so frustrating because I was literally redecorating my tree every single morning. This year, my cat was unable to ruin it! It was wonderful!

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  8. You have such a beautiful home and you have decorated it so nicely! So cheerful and perfect for Christmas! I hope you are enjoying your time off from the blog and with your family :)

    Happy new year! Hope that 2018 is off to an amazing start for you, and you had a wonderful Christmas time.

    Away From The Blue Blog

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    1. Thanks Mica! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too!

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  9. Hi Amy, your home looks lovely - what care and attention you have given to your decorations. I hope you've had a great festive break with your family.

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    1. Thanks so much! I did have a wonderful holiday with family and friends, though it ended with me getting sick. Oh well, at least I didn't get sick till after the holidays were over! Hope you had a great holiday a well!

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  10. Beautiful Christmas decorations! Happy 2018!

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  11. our home is gorgeous! I love those soaring ceilings.

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