Christmas Tour of My Humble Abode

I've been so inspired by being voyeuristic and peeking into everyone's home so beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. There are some truly magnificent decorators out there (I'm NOT one of them!) But, I have been decorating and tweaking, and more tweaking, and I'll probably still be tweaking on Christmas Eve (one of the hazards of blog reading!!) For more wonderful holiday decorating, hop on over to Boomama's, Hooked on Houses, and Rhoda's place.

So, we'll start the tour of my home in my family room. This is my slim tree with my silver and family ornaments on it. The tree skirt was one that my grandmother made for my family when I was a baby. Note the creative use of white extension cords, and lack of wrapped gifts.

This was my father's baby cup and shoes.

Continuing in the living room, this is the table behind my sofa, with just a simple bowl of glass ornaments and my little tree vignette. The runner was a garage sale find, and the lamps were purchased for $1.50 each at one of my fave thrift stores.

My sparcely decorated mantle. I would love to have done the Nester's garland idea but, alas, I had no garland. Maybe next year. The red stocking on the left is the stocking I've had all my life. Same grandma made it.





This is one of my kitchen counters (surprisingly uncluttered for the photo shoot!) That little vintage metal Christmas tray was a recent thrift store find.




The reason.

A small tree on my kitchen island filled with ornaments from a friend of mine who had a garage sale and got rid of them. I snagged them. This is the kitchen looking into my keeping room, which doubles as a daycare room, and triples as a playroom for my kids.

Goofy little snowman bell wreath.

My dining room, as you enter through the front door.

My entry hall, standing in the dining room. The spray hanging haphazardly on the door was yet another thrift store find (I'll have to take a bigger photo...it's loaded with "sugared" pomegranates and apples). The little chair on the left was a recent garage sale purchase. I painted it and recovered the seat. The little snowman on the entry table was made by my oldest daughter when she was in Brownies. The little black chair is the "time out" chair.

This is my idea for displaying my photos from Christmases past, as well as photos from my daycare kiddos and Christmas cards. It's an old screen door piece, again, purchased at a thrift store. Note the full baskets on the stairs...one for each child, and in an ideal world, they would be emptied daily. This is not an ideal world.

My personalized ornament tree sitting at the bottom of the staircase, looking into the family room. It has lights on it, but they don't work any longer and I haven't replaced them. It's really cute when it's lit up, though.

My powder/half-bath off the entry hall. Gotta have some Christmas spirit in each room!

My jar o'beaded garland.

My lighted Christmas block that I received last year from a Sunday School class. I think it's probably my favorite gift....I love it!

My dining room, with ornaments hanging on the chandelier. Want to take a guess as to where I purchased them??

One of two sconces on either side of the french doors in my dining room. I change the candles out seasonally.

And it's cold, cold, cold here today. Yesterday, it was 78 and I had the windows open. Today, it's like 35 with a very strong north gale blowing. Don't like the weather here? Wait a minute. It literally changed that quick last night.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed Holiday season!