Christmas Home Tour Part I

I just love this time of year, don't y'all? This year is perhaps a little more exciting for me than previous years because it's the first year in our house for the holidays since we renovated. Not only does that mean we're working with different room layouts and color schemes, but we're also working with some new places to set-up our decor. It has been super fun but not without a few challenges. 

In fact, we kicked off the season back in October when we bought our faux tree from Home Depot. During our renovation, we tossed our other trees (yes, I have multiple), so I wanted to be on top of things. I insisted that we grab it before they all sold out. Last week when we went to put it up, we discovered that it was enormous...as in, it took up our entire dining room. I was not only disappointed but concerned because the tree selection goes downhill fast. Thankfully, I was able to find a suitable replacement, for $100 less that I might like 100x better. Win win! 

Of course, I've added a few new items - mostly tree decor like navy striped ribbon & faux magnolias (which are a little trick... ;) - but I've also just enjoyed using what we already have in a new way. In today's post, you'll get a peek at our holiday decor, but you'll also get to see a few of the other rooms in the house that I've almost completed. There's a pinch of Christmas in just about every space, and I hope the tour helps you get a better idea of the house in general. Enjoy!

Confession: my living room/dining room is far from done. We're missing an additional rug under the dining table (eventually going for a layered look!). We definitely need some art above the dining room tables. I have about 8 pillows picked out for our sectional that I haven't had the funds to buy yet. But, I love how FULL the room looks right now. 

I went with a navy, white, red, silver, and gold theme this year. Mostly because that's what I had. Both garlands are from Frontgate, and the one over the mantle is battery operated on a timer, so I never have to turn it off or on. Brilliant. 

My mom and grandmother started a Department 56 Dickens Christmas Village for me when I was in college, and then my MIL generously gifted me a few more pieces a few years ago. I was an English major in college, and A Christmas Carol is one of my all-time favorite stories. This village is a little homage to my love for reading. I hope to keep expanding it over the years starting with pieces directly related to the story. 

Also seen in the living room is my Fontanini nativity set, my wedding gift from my grandmother. I have a special affinity for nativities, and I am hoping to start a collection of those as well. You'll see my second nativity later in the tour. 

The dining room is next. I have big plans for my dining room table, but since I work there every day (long story), I have to keep it functional. The mercury glass trees are from Target many years ago, and I sprinkled in a few votives and some scraps that fell off of our Christmas card garland. 

For our Christmas cards this year, I hung garland around the door to our kitchen. As we get a card, I'm punching it with a hole and tying it to the garland with navy blue satin ribbon. I'll keep the ribbon to reuse next year and get new fresh garland. I'm pretty proud of myself. 

The bar cart gets festive, too...because where else in your home is more worthy than some Christmas spirit than the bar?! The red Santa wine glasses were a gift from an annual Christmas swap from my friends from teaching. We do it every year, and I'm so glad I snagged these a few years ago! I also have a pretty dish from Vietri from my MIL along with some cute cocktail napkins and a felt tree. 

Since this is getting a little long-winded, I'm going to break the tour in half. Come back later to see the upstairs!