The holiday craziness has begun around here. I actually started decorating before Thanksgiving! Yes, yes, I know it was early, but I had to get it done. It takes me weeks to do all of this, my annual cookie party is right around the corner, and there is a whole lot going on in this house. Decorating the house is a big undertaking when you're doing it mostly by yourself, and I am my own worst enemy. I put things up, don't like it and change things around, A LOT! So here it all is, not completely done, but getting there.
Family room tree and mantle. This room needs a big tree, it has 18 foot ceilings, this is a 15 foot artificial tree. I alternate years with artificial and real trees. This tree has 3500 lights on it, I love a lot of lights! Sometimes I use both colored and white lights on the tree.
I used 2 potted pre-lit artificial trees on either side of the mantle, found them at Big Lots. The sticks are from IKEA, two 9 foot garlands across the front of the mantle, the window I made, a 6 foot garland across the top of the window, I folded it in half. I also used 300 hundred lights strung across the garland on the bottom, behind the window to light it up and across the garland on top of the window. I stuffed the garland with artificial antlers and pine cones, across the top of the window are small glittered white snowflakes. All bows handmade by yours truly.
The window was hand worded by me, but I have terrible handwriting so my sister, bless her heart, found me a stencil. I placed it over the glass and used a window writing paint marker to emboss it with the words "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year". The paint is washable so I can change the wording year after year.
Plaid, red truck, burlap, birch, deer, sleds, antlers, lumberjack and everything woodland is the theme this year, they all go together.
There is the window with my horrible handwriting! The stencil and red paint look so much better! The antlers are fake, I used four large ones across the mantle.
Covered some books in red and black buffalo check wrapping paper to boost up the wood JOY sign, another antler, pine sprig with birch wood and pine cones, and a Christmas scented candle in a galvanized tray on the trunk/table in the family room.
Silver deer, burlap wrapped pine sprigs and pine cones decorate a shelf.
Canvas wall art, buffalo check fabric reindeer, plaid fabric looped tree and fresh cedar greens on another shelf. Old Santa propped up on covered books, red tin star, fabric tree on the other shelf.
And there is always a cat or two on the burlap tree skirt!
I always line the front stairs with wrapped gift boxes, lanterns and poinsettias. To brighten it up a bit this year, I added a double strand of white lights behind everything on both sides.
Added a new green metal lantern to the sled set up this year. I would love to put all fresh poinsettias around, but the kitties prevent me from from doing that.
This table and the chairs are new this year. I decorated the bottom of the table with 3 pre-lit wreaths, added the wood box full of winter greens, a bow and pine cones, my favorite little vintage metal car with a tree in the back and a tray with a red glittered tree and reindeer.
This cute little red truck I found at the grocery store, goes with my woodland theme this year. I added the tree to the back, then laid it on some fresh cedar branches on top of the foyer table. The felted snowmen I have had for a long time. The electric flickering candle is also one of my favorites.
This is also new this year, my brother-in-law and my sister gave this to me. We think it's from around the 1930's, judging by the serial number on the back. He was cleaning out his parents house and found a couple of these vintage typewriters. I decorated it with sprigs of pine, pine cones and snowflakes. This truly is a treasure!
I haven't put this out in years, my Dickens Village. They all light up including the big tree.
Pillow covers are from IKEA. And a red tin bucket with bow for my Christmas cards.
Another little truck from the grocery store. The plastic glittered church ornament is from the dollar store, just sat it on a wood slice and under a cloche with some fake snow.
The entertainment center in the living room. Decorations in this room are white, silver, teal and a little bit of red.
Tree off and tree on! 4 1/2 foot white tree is from Big Lots, $20.
Antlers and pine cones carried through to the living room with the woodland theme.
He is my favorite snowman, about 18 inches tall.
Tall wood lantern with flannel bow, pine cone sprig and galvanized metal reindeer, sit on fresh cedar on another small entry table right at the font door.
Dining room chandelier with wreaths, antlers, berry sprigs, flannel bows and tails ribbon, and a double ribbon at the top of the light.
Retro bell lights I found on clearance at Walmart a few years ago, I love the look of them. The lumberjack nutcracker my sister bought for me.
Dining room tree is also decorated with the woodland/lumberjack theme including trapper hats, flannel shirts, red trucks, deer, sleds, oil lanterns and decorated wood slices.
Every year I treat myself to some new ornaments. This year was a box of flocked Shiny Brites and this paper mache reindeer.
I was in ALDI yesterday and picked up these cute black and white pictures, saw them in other stores for a lot more than $6.99, bought the 2 of them to rest on my foyer shelves. Added some cedar greens and glittered pine cones. The swag and bow I made myself from cedar greens.
I shop and browse quite often and find cute little things everywhere. These I found at the grocery store. Buffalo check flannel covered wood ice skates with rusty jungle bell laces, just added some juniper branches to them.
Vintage red truck is part of the woodland/lumberjack theme this year, found both of these at Hobby Lobby. I added the swag with berries, pine cone and felt stars that hangs above the picture.
There are two long wood/iron shutters in the dining room, they hang on either side of the china cabinet. I wired together cedar greens and attached the to the wood, plaid and burlap covered, glittered large gift tag shaped signs from the dollar store, for you guessed it $1.00!
Everything is baking themed in the kitchen for the Crazy Cookie Party that's coming up, stayed tuned for that. Happy Decorating and Baking my friends!
