Welcome to our cozy home, Shady Cottage, dear ones! I'm so delighted that you've chosen to come by for a Christmastime visit...today I'm going to be taking you on a mini-house tour for Christmas. I've chosen a few favorite things about our home at this time of year to share with you on this December morn. I invite you to grab a cup of something hot and delicious, settle in with your most warm blanket and get comfy, make yourself at home and join me as we ramble through our home...
Wreaths are a must at Christmas at our home, no questions asked. Every window has a bright green wreath with a big red bow and the front door gets a bit of special treatment with a real, evergreen wreath. Oh, it smells heavenly! Our front door is showcased with green garland that twinkles with white lights at night...we think it makes everything come together quite beautifully!
In our completely unbiased opinion {{winks}}, our home looks like an old-fashioned cottage on a Christmas postcard this time of year...if only there was snow it would be really perfect.
(a little video of our mantle complete with a favorite Christmas song)
This is our second Christmas at Shady Cottage and it's even more wonderful than the first. Immediately upon seeing our living room when we were househunting, we knew it was for us. It was so cozy and warm and homey...we aren't a fan of most open floorplans which is the norm with newer homes, thus we ended up with just what we were looking for...an older home, with character and charm, and a more traditional floor plan. We instantly declared this window, which looks out into our sunroom, the designated Christmas tree location...it was perfect. And the fireplace adds the charm and warmth that this time of year just calls out for. Our favorite kinds of evenings are spent with the fire lit, the Christmas tree glowing and my mom, sister and I sitting around either just chatting, working on a crafty project, watching something fun on TV, or playing a game.
Merry be your Christmas,
peaceful be your home,
joyful be your family,
blessed be each one.
Just one of our favorite ornaments...Julia picked out this one.
We don't do a themed Christmas tree. To be honest, I find them a bit impersonal. Our tree is decked out in ornaments that we've collected for years and years and some of which have been handed down from my grandparents and are so old you have to handle them ever so carefully lest they fall and break. Some are handmade, others are store-bought, but they all hold a memory, a story, a part of us. That's what a perfect Christmas tree is, in my opinion, at least.
(the Christmas tree deserved its own video...I think it looks quite magical, if I may say so)
May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.
On an afternoon walk through our back gardens, I spotted bright red berries along the fence. I called out to my mom and we both squealed with delight. We chose just a few bunches to but and bring inside as an added touch to our mantle, but wanted to leave most of them out in nature so we could admire them there. I'm super crazy about these berries...absolute gorgeousness!
Yes, you can imagine the mischevious moments we have witnessed since putting our tree up with our little kitties. Most of them just sit or lay under the tree and are quite content, however, our baby Orla, well she's a different story. She loves putting her front paws up in the tree and swatting the ornaments and trying her absolute hardest to knock one down...she usually succeeds. So you can find us rearranging ornaments and readjusting the garland beads a couple times a day...it sure makes for some hilarious moments, though. {{smiles}}
(just a glimpse into a corner of our kitchen)
I've long admired wreaths on kitchen cupboards...so thanks to Hobby Lobby's half-off all things Christmas sale, I found myself making nine little wreaths for our kitchen. The four small cupboards were just left as it, but oh my, do they add a coziness and cottage-feel to our home. Even more than it already had! I'm obsessed with wreaths, so anytime I can find a new way to use them to decorate, I'm going for it!
This is the corner of our kitchen where our dining table is. The shelves get decorated each season and this is what we have for Christmas and winter...a few things may get switched out after New Year's, but it's otherwise set until springtime.
We have a HUGE Christmas village set. My mom's collected pieces for years and as my sister and I have gotten older, we've helped her add to the collection. Each year, instead of putting the entire village out, my sister chooses a number of select pieces to display in our curio cabinet. It looks especially lovely at night when the lights are turned out and the soft glow from the light in the curio cabinet is all there is.
We've rounded back to the living room by the fire and tree...there's more decorations in here as well as our sunroom and bedrooms, kitchen and outdoors, but these are my most favorite parts of Christmas at our home...
Finally, as you leave, you will see a simple green wreath with "snow" sprinkled over it and a few pinecones nestled in...this is on the side gate of our picket fence...such a festive, cozy, charming greeting to drive up to whenever we pull in from being out in the world and are returning home to our beloved Shady Cottage.
Well, dear friends, my tea is gone and I'm sure your cup is nearing empty too...
I do hope you've enjoyed your visit to our cozy cottage. I know I sure enjoyed having you here!
May your day be merry and bright...
♥