Dear Ones,
Welcome to The Blended Blog’s second annual “Holiday Home Tour”. You may have hopped here from Deena’s blog, Shoes to Shiraz or maybe you just hopped here accidentally. Whatever the case, I am so glad you are here!
I have to say that the thought of having people into my home is terrifying to me. Not at all the social butterfly. And most of the decorating I do, or heck, cleaning for that matter, is just for my little PC and me. For the kids when they come to visit. But if this was a real holidays home tour, I would be hiding under my bed.
But it’s not, and I’m not. Yay! I can do this virtual stuff all day long.
Want to begin by saying, my decorating isn’t finished. So this is most likely a Part I of II. But if Part II never gets written, you will know that I didn’t get the rest of my decorating done.
Outside
Let’s start outside. I have always, always, always wanted lighted reindeer at Christmas (and a Ken for my Barbies and a Chatty-Cathy doll). When I was a single-mommy, it seemed frivolous to buy lighted reindeer. As my mom liked to say…”you can’t cut up those reindeer and eat them”. There never seemed to be extra money for inedible deer.
But I decided this was the year for deer. Still waiting for a Ken and Chatty-Cathy.
For Halloween, Lucia was a piggie.
I think my PC felt sorry for me this year, knowing I struggled to put up the tree and decorate the house last week while I was sick and he was out of town. So this weekend, he offered to help decorate outside. And he picked out these adorable piggies to go along with my prized reindeer.
Our holiday ham-lets. Kinda think he likes that Lucia (and Cady) a little bit. And this sow and her piglet were just almost as cute as Lucia in her costume.
Although Christmas – every aspect – is not PC’s cup of tea, he was so sweet to patiently put together our menagerie. While he did that, I dressed up my wheelbarrow for the holidays.
Here are our collective efforts, all lit up last night.
Makes me happy. Brrr! It’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.
Inside
Here, warm up by the fireplace a minute. Ooops, except I forgot to build a fire! We can pretend. Cause actually it isn’t really cold outside in El Paso to begin with! High in the 60s today.
I made this little garland after having fun and some success with the garland I made for fall. Going to do a quickie how-to post tomorrow for the garland, so please come back.
My favorite room to decorate seems to be a rather unlikely one. The kitchen. Our den and kitchen are really one big space so decorating in the kitchen is like decorating an extension of the den.
Decided to add more snow-related pieces so that I can leave them up after Christmas! They don’t call me lazy for nothing. Actually, I would be devastated if any one called me lazy. Love snow, though, so will be glad to have some inside my house for a month or two, even if we don’t get any outside.
We rarely eat in the dining room and I don’t have real china or fancy silverware. I do have gold-plated flatware that we were given in a trade for one of our Siberian Husky pups. Long story, long time ago. We break it out and dust it off for holidays. Along with my “fancy” place settings and plastic chargers.
Guess if no one ever comes to your house, there’s no real need for fancy stuff. I’m not a fancy gal, anyway. This year, though, I did want a real centerpiece. So I went to my friend Anne from Anne’s Adoorables on Etsy, to order a custom-made centerpiece to go with my place settings. She created the perfect piece.
Isn’t that just spot-on? I love it. Love it. Can’t wait to have my sweet family gathered around the table for Christmas dinner.
And from the dining room, you can see our tree. I was mid-sinus infection when I put it up. Toward the end, I was just throwing ornaments in the general decoration of the tree. Just hoping they would hook themselves onto the branches.
My Prince was relieved to know the tree was up and decorated when he came home from his trip to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He even complimented me saying he liked that the tree wasn’t weighed down with loads of ornaments. I didn’t tell him that I ran out of steam or it would have been.
Finally, my Lizzie High nativity scene. Or as my daughter Brennyn likes to say the “Jesus set”.
I have talked about our Lizzie High dolls before. I think in last year’s home tour post. You can read it here. We bought our Lizzie Highs on layaway at a collectibles store when my girls were little. I loved Lizzie Highs from the first time I saw them because they have no faces to speak of. When I was little, I never drew faces on the people in my drawings. My dad always tried to get me to add them but somehow they seemed unimportant.
I see one of the wise men is being a wise guy and blocking view of Joseph. Will put him in time-out and correct that right away. Sometimes you see things more clearly in a photo than with your own eyes.
So, that’s the grand tour. To this point anyway. It was around Christmas ten years ago when my PC and I were first talking about getting married, combining our families and buying our own castle. We fell in love with the model home of our current floor plan. It was decorated for the holidays, from top to bottom, with a huge tree in the living room and lighted garland wound around the wrought iron banister.
I have never really decorated our banister except to hang our stockings there. Which I haven’t done yet this year. Found this pin on Pinterest of exactly what I want to do.
Now to find time between midnight and 3:00 one night to do it. Love me some snowflakes.
Hope you will come back tomorrow for my quick-quick DIM (Did it Myself) post on making my winter garland. And from here, hop over to check out Lana’s lovely home at My New Happy.
Is your home all decked out? Would love to see a picture! Share with me in a comment below or on Facebook or Instagram.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your day with me. Always glad to see you.
Hugs and kisses (now germ-free and with signature!)
Oh Leslie…so enchanting, I have the same snowman welcome sign you’ll see on my hop today. LOVE your table scape and cozy touches!!
Ooo, ooo, I love that word enchanting!! Thank you. Heading your way now!
I love the mantel…so simple and elegant!
Thank you! Even my Prince commented on it, Grinch that he is.
Leslie! I love the outside that you and PC worked on together, but I think the kitchen is my favorite! So inviting…like I wanna come over so so hot cocoa and chit chat in that kitchen! xoxoxo
Thank you, Katie. I like my kitchen, too. I sit from my recliner in the den and look over my shoulder at my snowmen in the kitchen. I hope we get at least one snowfall this year. Would love to have you over for a chat and cup of cocoa. We would have a good time!!
Beautiful! We went with a simply decorated tree this year too. Didn’t want ALL the ornaments on it. Less is more, right? Your kitchen is lovely. I don’t have space above my cabinets so my kitchen doesn’t get decorated at all. I *love* the snowflakes on the staircase! I hope you do that!
Thank you, sweet Sheila. I really want to do my staircase. I thought I had bought some new pewter colored snowflakes just for that purpose and can’t find them now. Maybe I dreamed it. Means another trip to the Dollar Tree.
I have seen where a lot of gals are going with the “less is more” philosophy this year. I adopted it because I was so tired but I kind of like the end result.
Hope you enjoyed good times with everyone home.
I do believe in the less is more! I downsized the amount of stuff if I have and the number of spaces I decorate! I thought you were going to make the snowflakes since you are so crafty! But don’t be pressured by me!!
Everything is so pretty and inviting. I can just picture all of you around the table on Christmas day! Love your outside display too!
I’m excited for your tutorial tomorrow because my favorite part of your whole holiday tour is the mantle! So pretty in neutrals and shades of evergreen! I think you can keep it up beyond Christmas too since it’s wintery!
Going to throw that garland tutorial together real quick right now. I was thinking the same thing…I can leave this garland up til Valentine’s Day!!! Thank you, love, for your sweet words.
The christmas pigs are perfect!
OINK! Kind of fun, huh? Thank you!
I love your home decorations. And, you crack me up – it looks like your ornaments “stuck”. Hope you are feeling better.
Lisa
Daily Style Finds
Thank goodness, the ornaments did stick on my tree. Now to keep Purrsimmony and Purrsnickitty from knocking them off. Lil devils! Thank you, Lisa.
I think we have the sleigh if you got yours from Target’s Dollar Spot this year! I love how you decorated the tops of your cabinets in your kitchen. I always wonder what to do with the tops of mine (all year, not just Christmas), but it really looks adorable! I also love that garland on your fireplace. And, where in the world did he find light up piglets?! Oh, so cute yet I had to chuckle when I saw them! 🙂
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Target sleigh, all the way. Thought it was so cute. Bought my little tree pallet there, too. Want to jazz it up with some pom-poms. Did you get your great pom-pom garland at Target? LOVE it.
PC found the ham-lets or ham-lights (piggies) at Big Lots. Not sure if it is a local chain or nationwide. They had some really cute things at bargain prices. The piggies were $30.
I am not sure how I got started decorating the tops of my cabinets. I did it in my little house before PC. And I had plant shelves in that house that I decorated for the holidays. Kind of fun way to add some holiday fun.
Going to link my garland post to your Creative Corner in just a bit.
XO
I love seeing peoples homes all decked out for Christmas. You did a great job Leslie. I am in live with your warm and welcoming outside entry and that beautiful cozy kitchen. I, luke you have several snowmen and Santas.
I with be sharing part one of my Christmas home tour soon so come take a peek!
Will be anxious to tour your home, too, Ada. Thank you for coming by!
You have a beautiful home, Leslie! Have a wonderful holiday with your family! Xo
Sweet Lyn, thank you for coming by and commenting. I love my home and love being there! Glad you visited and invite you to return any time. XO
So pretty, I love everything that you’ve done. And your tree is just perfect.
Thank you!
Leslie,
Your home and decorations are lovely! I loved all of the pictures and descriptions. Your table centerpiece looks perfect with your tableware, too. Thanks for including me in your blog. Merry Christmas!
Your friend,
Anne
P.S.- Love the new look on your blog, too! ;))
Hey!! Thank you for helping to make my home festive. I love my centerpiece. Found some old linen napkins I had bought years in Panama for my mom and she had given back to me. Going to use those and my gold-plated silverware to finish the table off. Can’t wait to have my family sitting around my table for dinner. Merry Christmas, dear one!
Those piglets are so darn cute! Your home is so cozy and festive! Love all of the decorations on top of your cabinets and your mantel is just perfect!
Jill
Doused In Pink