CHRISTMAS AROUND THE HOUSE | 2024
12/26/2024It’s the day after Christmas and, as typical of the rest of my 2024, I’m behind. I never had a chance to post Christmas around the house because I was still decorating up until a few days ago and never got everything fully finished. I’m still going to share because that’s just how my life seems to go lately and who gets tired of seeing Christmas anyway?
Setting up this little retro record player spot, I was inspired to recreate a nostalgic Christmas reminiscent of the ones from my youth.
This blank wall in our entry was a project I was hoping would get done before Thanksgiving but we have yet to start. Maybe 2025 will be the year.
I managed to get up four of five trees this year. The one in the front room sparkles like glitter in the window. I went simple with vintage glass ornaments collected from my mother-in-law and local antique shops, a classic topper found on Etsy, old school tinsel and the tree skirt my mom made and used when I was young.
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My Christmas cactus from last year bloomed just in time for Jesus’s birthday which was a surprise to me because I thought they needed 12 hours of darkness a day this time of year in order to bloom. I definitely didn’t have the time to give it that much attention so it sits 24/7 in the front window yet seems happy as can be.
The living room also has yet to be completed projects but the magic of Christmas made me almost not even care.
I photographed it in all it’s nighttime glowing glory and then realized I had forgotten to hang the stockings from the mantle.
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The tree in here is simply wrapped with old school colored lights and topped with a velvet bow.
Five days before Christmas, the stockings were finally hung with care. Sweet Daisy Mae as cozy as can be by the fire in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
I had planned on adding a second shelf on each side of the fireplace before Christmas went up but that didn’t happen, either. This year has been a season of accepting there just wasn’t enough time in the day for all I hoped to accomplish and I just had to accept that fact.
So stinking cozy. I don’t even want to think of the fact that in only a few more days it will be time to take it all back down again.
My family would kill me but, note to self, this couch needs more holiday pillows next year.
The dining room/only good plant windows in the entire house got a few Christmas touches, as well.
I downloaded several digital prints from Etsy this year for under $5 each, printed at Office Depot and repurposed frames for inexpensive new Christmas art. When it’s time to take down Christmas, I’ll just leave them in the frames and place new seasonal art on top until Christmas rolls around again next year.
Since I wasn’t hosting Christmas dinner this year, the dining table became the puzzle table early so people passing by could add a few pieces here and there.
I love displaying our past Christmas family cards around the house to reminisce of times gone by.
It was fun adding in more than just red and green into my Christmas decor this year. The big blank wall swallows up the 20″x30″ print found on Etsy. Don’t be afraid of large prints when decorating
I brought back my favorite decor hack from last year – a bundle of battery-operated candles in a cute container. Magical.
I swapped out a few of the hallway prints for winter art. A picture of young me reading by the fire and a snow scene both painted by my grandma along with a few free public domain images simply printed on copy paper from my home printer and placed in frames will be perfect beyond Christmas through the winter.
Next is my office. Way too many hours are spent working from home so I’ve filled my office with things that make me happy.
This inexpensive skinny flocked tree is a new addition. Since bows were all the rage this year, I used ribbon I had on hand and disco ball ornaments from previous years to decorate. The tree skirt is a blanket I knitted years ago wrapped around the base.
I even happened to find this old ornament with my name in glitter paint made back in the college days that was perfect for my office tree.
Ignore the picture fame that has been empty for the past 6 months, the cords that are impossible to hide and the ugly computer monitors. Behold the subtle Christmas touches that make work just a bit more enjoyable.
Simple ribbon-turned bows-turned Christmas decor.
Disco balls, Dolly, plants, barrel racing photos of my mom, dad and myself back in the day, and my childhood stocking made by my mom – 🎶 these are a few of my favorite things. ♩♬
Finally, let’s look outside at the barn, AKA Santa’s workshop.
We turned the barnstand into the magical entrance of Santa’s workshop.
The lighted sign is one of the few new projects I did get done this year.
Giant Santa and his mega reindeer greeted guests while his elves could be seen through the windows hard at work inside.
I know for a fact one little girl is convinced Santa made her presents right here in our barn after looking in these windows and that’s the only reason I need to spend all my spare time decorating for the holiday.
Elf break area.
The reindeer herd relaxed in the field in preparation for the big night. I had intentions of adding to this display but again, it just wasn’t in the cards this year.
Despite only getting 2/3 of what I had hoped done this Christmas, there is always next year and believe me, I’ve already got big plans. There can never be too much Christmas magic and I love every second of it.
I hope you had the best of holidays and I thank you for stopping by to read about my decorating madness! Looking forward to a very productive 2025 and somehow finding 24 more hours in each day. 🤞🏻