Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Holiday Home Tour

Today I'm taking part in the 2009 Holiday Home Tour hosted by the lovely Tracey of Notes from a Cottage Industry. Please be sure to visit Tracey as she has posted links to many other bloggers who are sharing their Christmas decor! Thank you, Tracey!!

(click any photos to enlarge)

We took advantage of our daughters being home for Thanksgiving to trim the tree. It's definitely more fun when everybody is here to decorate... We bit the bullet a few years ago and bought an artificial tree (I'm not sure either girl has quite gotten over this yet, but when the last 'real' tree we had dropped every needle the day after Christmas, which meant we were still vacuuming up remnants of it the following summer, we decided it was time to go artificial.)


I wasn't able to download all of my photos, so I'm just going to share a bit of the living room for now... In future posts I'll show you the fireplace & mantel, the vintage birdcage all decked out for the holidays, the dining room, and much, much more.


Our living room is quite small so every year, in order to make room for the tree, the furniture has to be rearranged.


The tree definitely takes up quite a bit of the room, but it's well worth it - especially at night when the room is illuminated by just the tree lights...


In a future post I'll share the sentiment behind this year's window decorations.


I'll also show you more of my "Night Before Christmas" collection (I never get tired of looking at the beautiful illustrations in these books... The artwork is amazing, with each individual artist depicting this Christmas classic in a style that is unique to them)...


I often take advantage of after-Christmas sales to pick up heavily discounted bottlebrush trees in all styles and sizes. I've used them in several of my groupings around the house this year...


...including on the pie safe, where I plunked them down on top of my small collection of button vases. The glitter reindeer are from Target last year - can you ever have too much sparkle at Christmastime? I don't think so!

Now I'm off to finish downloading more Christmas photos! Thank you for stopping by to see the first of my holiday decorating posts! I wish you all a joyous holiday season...
Donna

21 comments:

Old Time Cindy said...

Donna,
Your decorating and photography looks like it came right out of a magazine!!!
Living it up at Lakewood,
Cindy

V I N T A G E O L O G I E said...

Oh my ... what a charming home you have, so sweet and cozy ... not to mention inviting ... I love the soft faded colors and of course white is always a favorite! I'll be back to see more ...

I'm also on the tour ... stop by for a visit when you can ... you can also meet 'Mac' our rescued/adopted pup in the last pic!

Thanks for the tour!

xo
Jill

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Everything looks wonderful in your living room...enchanting! Btw, I want to congratulate you on your weight loss! It is not an easy thing to to and keep motivated everyday but it looks like you have been very successful!~Patti

Claudia said...

Good morning, Donna,

First of all, I am in awe that you have already decorated! I haven't even begun.

Your home is so lovely and the colors in the living room are just beautiful. Everything is perfect - my favorite thing might be your idea of 'button vases' (Wow) and then topping them with bottle brush trees! Inspired, my friend. (I may have to steal that idea when I get enough buttons!)

I so look forward to seeing more.

xoxo
Claudia

Country Wings in Phoenix said...

Oh Donna...
I absolutely love the tree. It is so beautiful. Artificials are really much more safe than the dangers associated with the real ones. (I have no regrets) I have 9 artificial trees throughout my house. No regrets at all.

I love the bottle brush trees in the vases filled with white buttons. What a clever idea. I love it.

I also love your Night Before Christmas collection. That is absolutely precious. I too love to look at the different artists. They always see things in such a different eye don't they?

Thank you for sharing sweetie. Country hugs...Sherry

KarenB said...

Love your idea of the bottle brush trees in button vases. That's adorable!

Karen @ Elderberry Street

Lisa said...

Well you have the best white button collection! I love your The Night Before Christmas books. I have a collection but you have some really great old ones! Your home is lovely!
Hugs, Lisa

Sunnysidesue said...

I love the bottle brush trees in the jars full of buttons. Great idea!Sue

luvtoquilt said...

Love your cottage style -- I felt right at home. I especially loved the white buttons -- I recently went through some of my mom's things, as she is in the last stages of Alzheimers and is now living in a senior care facility. My six-year-old granddaughter and I spent a memorable afternoon sorting through her buttons and I am going to use your idea with the white buttons -- what a great way to have a little memory of both my mom and granddaughter in my quilt studio!

Stacey said...

Your home looks beautiful! I love all the white and soft colors. It's very cozy. :)

Cottage Rose said...

OH Donna; Your Christmas tree is so beautiful, as is the rest of your home. I can't wait to see more.. Have a great week.

Hugs;
Alaura

Sweet Bee Cottage said...

Your home looks so peaceful and serene. The whites are just beautiful. Your bottlebrush tree display is especially lovely.

Kathy's Red Door Welcome said...

I love your charming feminine style.

GwendolynKay said...

Your tree is charming and beautiful! I also love those trees atop the buttons, darling! Have a blessed day!
Gwen

Sharon@Sharon at Home said...

Very pretty and serene.

I LOVE how you filled the vases with white buttons and then put the trees on top .... too cute.

Unknown said...

Your home looks so lovely all ready for the holiday! I'd love to spend some time in that inviting room! Warm hugs, Esther

Betsy said...

How pretty everything is. I like how you filled the jars with buttons. Beautiful tree, I know what you mean about needles from the tree, that happened to me one year and I thought we would never get rid of them from the carpet.
I can't wait to see more when you finish downloading them.
Cheers,
Betsy

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Simply enchanting.....I love it all....but those bottle brush trees are my absolute favorite thing. What a clever, clever idea. I'm going to be remembering that one. :-)

Warm blessings,
Spencer

PS....congrats on that weight loss. Sure wish it were me.

Lisa said...

What a spectacular tree, your decor is so lovely and inviting. Makes me wish to curl up in that cozy chair and stare at the lights.

You must find a Robert Sambuda book to add to your collection, genuine art!

Anonymous said...

Oh my, Donna! I just love your home and decor! This is my style for sure! Oh how I'd love to settle down some day and *really* decorate!

This is my first year to have an artificial tree but we'll still have a real Charlie Brown one, too! ♥

Victorian Lady said...

I absolutely love your tree! I am a big fan of artificial, as our first and ever live one died in a week. I'm not that great at watering things! lol My husband is determined to go live this year. I'm afraid of keeping the lights on like I like to, so I got a white one at Goodwill to put in our bedroom. Big Lots has a snowman tree topper that is adorable...it is just the top head...like a giant pom pom. :)

Enjoy!

Mere