Christmas Decor 2011

 My Aunt Kristen asked to see some pictures of our new home (the decorated version), and while I don't yet have any good photos of my decor--and, let's be honest, there's a lot of decorating yet to be done--I DO have some pictures of our Christmas decor.

If you've been following along (on Facebook), you might remember that I put up my Christmas tree roughly two months before Christmas. We had just moved into our house, didn't have couches (yet) in the main living room, and heck--we LOVE Christmas! It felt empty, and I figured there wasn't a more cheery way to fill the space than to put up a tree. Before Thanksgiving.

I continued to tweak my Christmas decor almost until the day I took it down... yes, even after Christmas I continued to add/move things until I was happy with it. Then I took it down. *sigh*

Anyway, without further ado, here's how our house looked for Christmas:


























The nativity print next to the tree is from Hobby Lobby--it's one of the things we bought with the HL gift card that Adam's parents gave us for Christmas. (We actually bought it after Christmas, which made it about $30 instead of $100, but I had been eyeing it for weeks!)

This is my homemade tree skirt. I started out thinking I'd do layered red tulle ruffles up the entire length, with the green stripes concealed underneath. After starting, however, I realized that (A) I really liked the green striped fabric, which was FREE at a yard sale last fall, and (B) tulle isn't very fun to work with when you're attaching it with hot glue. Oh yeah, did I mention that this was a no-sew project? Even better, right? You can make your own following the tutorial HERE. I may finish off the top edge of the green ruffle next year, but I really don't mind the roughness of it.

Here's a closer-up look of our nativity print. Is it weird that I want to leave it up all year? I just think the textured mat and the print itself are so gorgeous, and hey--we love the Savior year-round. I may store it if I have something to take its place, but for now, it's here to stay.

Can you spot the funky little turkey that Jack made in nursery?

Here's a closer look at my mantle. It's not as decorated as I'd like it to be, but I was satisfied with how it turned out, considering we spent most of November and December working on White Christmas the musical at the high school. The big framed mirror (which you'll see again in my Valentine-ish mantle, I'm sure) was $8 at a yard sale. I love the shape of it.

My beautiful, satin stockings are from... are you ready for this... THE DOLLAR STORE! I love 'em, and they usually bring them back every year, so you can get some next November. I do plan on spray painting my stocking holders (from a thrift store) gold so they go with the rest of the decor.

And now, for some more close-up looks from around the house...

NATIVITY - The cream-colored nativity was a hand-me-down from my Mom. It's a little beat up (and missing a wise man, too) but it's the nativity I grew up with, and i actually like the chips and cracks--they add to that vintage-y (I hate that word) feel.

STOCKINGS - Here's another look at my Dollar Store (Dollar Tree, to be exact) stockings. I added bows (free, from my mother-in-law), and little frames. The frames are still empty, yes, but I do plan to fill them. My stocking hangers are thrifted.

CORNER SHELF: I got my star corner shelf at Goodwill for about $13. I put our first Christmas tree (the teeny one we got when we were first married and poor college students) to remind me of sweet memories from our first few Christmases. Below it (and a little hard to see) is my Jim Shore Rudolph. I love that little guy. I bought him from the Christmas store in the Yellowstone IMAX Theatre.

TREE: The black "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" tree is also from the IMAX. It was on top of my fridge.

PRINT: The "Seeing is not believing--Believing is seeing" print is from THIS website. It's a free printable, so go get yourself one!

BANISTER: This is the stair banister (hopefully you can see it). I put up a garland and lights, then ran some ribbon through the length of it. You can't see them, but there are also gold-colored balls and glittery snowflakes on it, too.

CARD WREATH: I still have yet to take down this Christmas Card wreath 'cause I love how it looks on the door to the garage. We felt so loved with all the cards we received this year. You can't really see the wreath itself, but it's a metal coil-shaped thing that you just stick the cards into. It's yet another yard sale find--just $1.

DOOR WREATH: This is a giant wreath I borrowed from the High School (we have a lot of stuff laying around in that Theatre Department!) It's not my favorite wreath--I have a thing for wreaths--but it did the job of decorating the door in a pinch. Next year, we'll be a little more festive with our outdoor decor!

That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed your very own tour of our Christmas-y decor... it's all in boxes now, so I had better get cracking on that Valentine stuff. It's so empty without that tree!