Yup…. I’m guessing everyone has already decorated to the fullest – or nothing at since Christmas is a week away. For those looking to put the finishing touches and a little inspiration, perhaps for after Christmas sales and new years ideas….life’s been busy but I had a plan, does that count?
It takes me loads of Pinterest scanning, walking through a bunch of stores and picking up and returning a ton of decoration ideas before I actually get down to using what I picked up. Then it’s really just all about finding the right combination for me and my family. Ok, it’s really just all about me. Our family consists of two sons and my hubby. The sons now live away and well…. It really it about what I’m feeling.
I have been using the last two years to weed out the old, refresh with some new and incorporate several pieces that have come down through the generations. Our home is not a perfect show piece. I don’t shop at the top name brand stores. This year things came together and I thought I would branch out of my usual food and fitness and share …. so here it goes!
Milk and Cookies for Santa
HoHoHo – you knew there would be milk and cookies for Santa in my home, right? What better place to put those yummy sugar cookies I make every year? All the Rae Dunn pieces were this year finds at various stores that I will link to below. I really like the cleanliness of the look of her pieces so it was quite easy to incorporate it into my seasonal decorating this year. They are trending and not always easy to get. Life is too busy to hit the stores hoping to get #allthingsraedunn so if I was able to find a piece, great. If not, I was ok with it. I liked it not for the trendiness, but more because it was a fresh look that blends nicely with my eclectic tastes.
My cake plate is from HomeGoods. Santa’s Milk jug and peppermint candies you’ll see throughout the house are from Walmart. The steel serving tray, plaid napkin I used to line it and Santa hat are TJMaxx finds. The cute garland lights I forgot to turn on for the photo are from Michael’s. The dish with the candies is an old flower vase and the snowglobe was a gift years ago. My favorite thing this year was finding ways of combining the old with the new and bringing new life to things I’ve had for years.
Cuddle Zone
We have a large picture window with a double-sided chase lounge that I love to snuggle up on all year-round. This makes the perfect place for a hot cocoa or muled cider during a snowfall. The blanket covering the chase is from our recent trip to Mexico. The throws and pillows are recent finds from Kohl’s and HomeGoods.
Coffee Table Displays
Simple decorations are the easiest to put together. Across from my favorite reading spot is a coffee table we have had for 30 years. On it I place a collage of favorites.
I have had the candles and their holders for years. They can be used anywhere in the house, but usually make their place here so that I can light them for a cozy feel. The plaid christmas tree is from the Target Dollar section from two years ago. Picking up pieces that aren’t expensive, but can be used anywhere to add height to your display are great.
The fun coasters were purchased at a local boutique. #shoplocal right? I love the Country Rose for the special touches. They can be found on Facebook at Country Rose. The cute little candy dish was my grandmother’s and I love having her with me. It’s fun to go to Goodwill and ValueVillage and antique stores to find pieces like this. The Santa Stacking Doll? My hubby brought that back from a recent business trip and it was a wonderful birthday surprise I have been wanting to use!
I love reading Christmas books even though my kids are grown. I have them here so when littles stop by, I have then ready to snuggle and read. I found the red buffalo check basket at Marshall’s this year. The carolers are from seasons long past. When my grandmother passed away they were one of my requests. I have memories of these guys always being on the stereo cabinet in the entry hall to my grandparents home. Yes, I am old enough to remember what a stereo cabinet is, hehehe. They are actually out all year, but on a bookshelf. They are the first decoration that comes out every year and I smile and say hello to my grandparents every time.
Holiday Dining
Yep! Foodie alert! You know that my favorite place in our home is anywhere food is involved, right? As you may have seen in my Falloween decorating post, our dining table is a huge circle with a large lazy-susan in the middle. I can make finding the right way to decorate a little challenging as so many pieces are for square or rectangular tables. This year I decided to think brunch, cookie decorating and hot cocoa station parties all in one. While life was too busy to have any of these parties with my peeps, I am definitely ready for next year!
I loved when I found this table cloth about 5 years ago at Walmart. If was a perfect combination of decoration and clean lines. I can decorate with rectangle, square or circular placemats. I really liked plaid this year, both regular and buffalo check, so I used both here.
My placemats are from Kohl’s, last year. The snowman tophat at the top of the center display is also Kohl’s, this year. The stacking tray in the middle, the plaid napkins, the wine glasses are all Marshall’s. The tiny ornaments used to decorate the stacking tray are from the Target Dollar section as are the pinecones that I ppicked up last year on clearance. I love bowls and mugs that don’t match and have collected many over the years. I simply picked out ones that went with my theme. The water goblets are from Tuesday Morning and the little sprigs of greenery and “snow” are from Michael’s.
The treats on the table? Yup! You guessed it! Trader Joe’s! Peppermint Cremes, Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars, Peppermint Pretzels. Walker’s Shortbread Gingerbread Men fill the plate.
Now Go Shopping! Click on a photo below to go directly to the stores I had fun adventuring in this year!
Happy Holidays Peeps!
Your decor is so fun! I love festive holiday decorations. They’re hard to resist.