Friday, December 18, 2009

Holiday Home Tour

So many blogs have Holiday Home Tours where you can go and look at other people's decorations. I just love it! I find myself spending way to much time looking inside of stranger's homes! So I decided to give the Holiday Home Tour a whirl. If I can't visit your home this year for the holidays, why don't you do the same so I can see your decorations?

The holidays brings special smells, "limited edition" items, special dishes, etc.
These are some of my favorites:

Portmeirion Holly and Ivy China...I like to use it well into February.
Williams-Sonoma Winter Forest hand and dish soap
Exposures Holiday Picture Frames
Any yummy smelling holiday candles


My friend, Holly, and I made these neat advent calendars for our children this summer. I really like ours! I had fun filling it with trinkets, names of Christmas books to read and holiday outings to do.
My paper house collection is one of my favorite things. They look so vintage.



This year I added some new paper houses to the mantle in the den. They are a lot bigger and much more whimsical.


Decorating the tree is so special for me. My mom started collecting Christopher Radko ornaments for me back in the late 1980's. I just love opening the boxes and thinking of when I got that ornament. I have had to cut back on my Radko collection because they have just gotten way too expensive.
My tree is very similar to my mom's tree. Mostly all of my ornaments are old world glass type ornaments. I love glass clip-on birds with feather tails and at last count had about 70 on the tree! Glass bead garland and white lights make the whole room twinkle. The more ornaments the better!!



I always love framing the Santa picture from that year and finding a special place for it.

The is our mantle in the living room. The lighted garland is a new addition.
I like the festiveness of lights!




Ribbon candy is so fun...




I love to fill jars and bowls up with old ornaments.

Don't you just love what AnnaKate and I whipped up!! HA
A dear friend's mother-in-law always makes a gingerbread house for AnnaKate. It is just amazing. The details are perfect.
I have a little tree and some decorations in AnnaKate's room too. She loves turning on her tree every morning. Her nativity figurines are a gift from her grandmother each year at Christmas.


It was so fun to have you over! Please invite me to see your decorations...

12 comments:

Melissa said...

GEORGEOUS!!!! I love your house year round, but it feels even warmer at Christmas. Love all the details. I am so glad you did this. I love the paper house behind Santa. What a unique roof. The tree looks great. I think you are right about the more is more theory. I need to beef it up next year. I was looking at your post and realized that I never pulled out my Christmas china. I am so slack this year.
Big comment, but the tour deserves it.
We are looking forward to a play date after Christmas!

Holly said...

It looks lovely. More is better. it's Christmas. You can always go minimal the other 11 months of the year-yeah right!

Anonymous said...

Loved the house tour but you forgot to tell the story of the stockings. Yes Kelly your tree is just like your mothers but maybe better.....Mom

Angelica mom to JesusRTS said...

wow! i love your house! I will try and decorate some more next year this year we just have our tree. we just moved here, and my hubby just got back from a deployment so no decorations. but you have inspired me to decorate more next year! Thank you for having us over!:)

Anonymous said...

I love your holiday tour! Your decorations/decor are fabulous! Thanks for letting us take a peek into your holiday home.

Cindy said...

Beautiful, Kelly! I love your touches. I was going to post a few holiday pictures...will try to do so today, but we are much more minimalist, and we have fewer places that are out of reach of inquisitive hands.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful ideas!

Myssie@PendletonMarket said...

LOVE IT!!!! I'm coming to spend Christmas with you!!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea! I love the tour. Maybe I will get ambitious and do the same. Everything looks beautiful!

Cassie

Anna said...

Of course everything is gorgeous! The paper houses are wonderful! I just love Christmas decorations, they just make a house sparkle and shine. Do you remember when your tree fell over??? I will never forget that and all your beautiful (glass) ornaments! I can't remember if many broke?

I've posted some holiday decorations but maybe a can do a round-up. We'd love to have you (virtual and in real life!).

Anxious AF said...

Perfect!

Anonymous said...

Can I move in???!! ; ) Cat

Christine said...

YOU really are Martha aren't you???? I can't even begin to decorate like that!!! I'm afraid the grabber would have everything down in 2 seconds flat. I'm lucky I still have ornaments on my tree.
Thanks for having us over Kelly- You have a beautiful home!