Mini Christmas Home Tour + the Best Christmas Memories…

Some of the best Christmas memories have been made during lean times when there hasn’t been much of a budget to celebrate.
Years ago my daughter and I would load up in our old station wagon, stop at our favorite gas station for their big cups
of hot cocoa, and spend the evening driving through neighborhoods looking at lights.

Another year a co-worker who owned a theater and gave us tickets to see the original Miracle on 34th Street right before
Christmas.  We felt like queens sitting in the huge velvet seats of the old theater, a treat we would not normally have been
able to swing.  

I asked my eight year old what he would like to do this year, and he told me that he wanted to go caroling. I have to admit
his answer surprised me a bit, and little does he know, Mom is planning a night of caroling.
I apologize in advance for our lack of vocal training should it be your house we decide to carol in front of, it’s a new tradition
for us, and I am sure with many years of practice we will improve.

This year I pulled together a different look by tucking white branches and sprays in all over our tree, along with as many
red and white ornaments as I could find.  I found quite a few boxes of Shiny-Brites (YES!) at a nearby Goodwill for
less than $2 a box.  Needless to say I grabbed them all and was a very happy girl.

I have to keep our tree way up since we have a little pup who just loves to pull things over and get into everything right
now.  A white tablecloth edges with a bit of lace became a quick tree skirt, I secured it in back with a few clothespins.

A little trick from my display days at Nordstrom, clothespins are amazing, I wish I could wear them on the back of my clothes
when something doesn’t fit just right.  

A beautiful black and white plaid heavy weight fabric became a throw for the living room, and I used the same fabric in the
dining area for a runner.  

A thrifted tray, and mugs, on top of a furry faux rug (I just used 1 1/2 yards of white faux fur folded in half lengthwise
to make a faux hide, I love how it turned out!)  

My little dining nook has a heavily distressed (that basically means I need to repaint them) set of chairs and table
all decked out and ready for a Christmas dinner with family and friends.  I almost repainted the table and chairs
this fall, they currently have a pup taking his teething out on the rungs so I am very glad I waited.  This will be a
spring project when we are out of the teething zone.  

I used my Mason Jars filled with snowy scenes and candles in the middle,
surrounded that with greenery and glittered pine cones.

Natural woven place mats stand in for chargers, keeping things simple and casual makes entertaining that much easier
this time of year.

A bright red bundle of pretty red cotton napkins, a score while thrifting last year go perfectly with the little heart shaped
unfinished chalkboard ornaments I placed in the center of each plate.

The plates are actually an ivory leaf pattern I use all year, even though they are technically fall plates.  I also use the
woven place mats at different times during the year.  But pulling it all together, topped with a simple glittery pine cone,
a few new things, some home made projects, and collected treasures all came together to create a cozy
cabin feel for our Christmas table.

Our table only seats a few of us, so the rest of us usually grab out plates and head for the family room, with big fluffy
pillows on the sectional and floor we make ourselves comfortable while we eat and enjoy another year together.

Maybe you are planning to stay home and have a quite holiday, or are traveling and catching connecting flights…
no matter where you are, I hope that this season is full of blessings and good memories for you and those you love.

Thank you for reading friend, have a blessed + creative day!