Christmas Tour of Homes 2010

Both Kelly's Korner and the Nesting Place are doing their Christmas Tour of Homes this year. I'm a little late in the game, but I figured why not join in on the fun? My friend Laura just did a post about her home yesterday (so pretty, btw), and I decided that if she can wait a few days, well then so can I! :)

For some of my regular readers, a couple of these pictures are going to be repeats, but my friends are so nice, I doubt they'll care.

At the top of the Nesting Place's blog, she has a quote that says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". I love this, because it really does encompass my Christmas decor... and really, my entire home. I don't really have the luxury of buying new Christmas decorations every year or coming up with a cool theme. Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be fun. I've seen so many beautiful and different ideas lately. I actually did a little blog stalking and kept seeing a reoccurring design... that earthy, simple look. I toyed with the idea of trying it out, and then decided I didn't have the funds nor the energy to pull it off.
And then I realized something... as much as I liked the look, it wasn't me. Christmas for me is sparkly and full of color, yet still homey. It's the one time of year that you can throw red and green glitter on everything and call it "festive". Christmas for me is allowing myself to get creative and go over-the-top in some areas and simple in others.
But mostly? It's pulling out my gold engraved ornament that my parents got me when I was born, with my name and the year. It's getting my great-grandmother's old tacky Belk box out, full of homemade ornaments that she and her sisters knit or crocheted together. My grandmother's snow village sits in our foyer, and it's not the fancy Dept 56 kind, but it's ok. It was hers. Decorations that are handed down mean the most to me. They have a story. I love pulling out my Lenox nativity scene my mom gave me and the matching church that sits next to it. I get those swirly (I call them "ting-a-lings") thingys that stick in the tree. We have a massive bow that goes on top (because my husband can't find an angel that he likes). So yeah, my home may not stay updated with the latest trends, but that's ok. And sure, every year, I add something new here and there. But for the most part, I just stick to what I like. Maybe one day I'll have a massive home with maids to do all the work for me and then I'll try out different themes in different rooms or something. :) But as long as we still feel like it's Christmas in our home, then I've done my job, right? At night, our livingroom glows and sparkles. Our tree smells heavenly, and guests sit down and say, "This is really cozy". And that's what I want. For people to hang out in our house at Christmas time and it feel like home.

(please ignore the magazines on the floor... I have a toddler. that's my excuse, anyway)

("Flash" is one of our dogs, hence the Flash ornament... also, there's one of the "ting-a-lings")

(I found these candy canes at Target, a box of 4 for $2, and figured I'd find a spot for them somewhere... turned out, they added a little somethin' to our garland).

(the grandma's snow village there in the corner)

(the mistletoe and the clock above it that chimes a little Christmas tune every hour, except at night of course)

(who doesn't love some Southern Living Christmas?)

(this was my new crafty attempt this year. just fake snow and fake pine)

(our advent wreath I made last year)

(the advent calendar)

Thanks for stopping by (especially since I was so late)!