Our first Christmas in the new house!

This is our third Christmas as a married couple.  The first two we used a small 4’ pre-lit Christmas tree and I was accused more than once of being a Grinch.

But I did get us stockings our first Christmas so I can’t be all that bad…

Well this year, I wouldn’t even recognize myself!  In my house, we always had a real tree.  I grew up in a home built in the late 1800’s with 11-12 ft ceilings throughout.  We always got MONSTER trees.

So, now that we have a house of our own with tall ceilings, I wanted to share the joy of real trees with Trey!  My main argument, however silly, was that real trees smell like Christmas.  Trey agreed and we went on a hunt (technically we went to one place where the trees were already cut and just pointed).  We ended up getting a beautiful 9 footer.  The guys at the place we bought it bagged it and tied it to the roof of Trey’s car and off we went. 

Once we got home, Trey manhandled the tree off his car and into the sunroom.  We got it steadied and straight in the tree stand before Trey cut the mesh bag off. 

Even Cooper helped out!

After it spread its glorious limbs, Trey agreed….it smelled like Christmas!

We decorated it with white lights, a collection of green, gold, copper, and silver metallic ornaments (from Sam’s – 100 shatter-proof ornaments for $35!), a gold-pearlescent star (from Target), and a couple of homemade treats. 

I couldn’t find gold garland that I liked at all so I bought this decorative mesh stuff from Sam’s ($12 for all of it) and wound it so that it looked like a mix between ribbon and non-fuzzy garland.  I feel that if I were craftier, it might have turned out a little better, but overall I like the look of it.  The tree skirt is another non-creation creation.  I purchased 2 yards of this really cozy looking fabric and “swaddled” the tree stand to make this skirt.  Again, I like the overall look even though it will be covered with presents soon.

Outside, we put a wreath (from Target) on the front door,

poinsettias (from Home Depot) on the front stairs,

and a Reindeer crossing sign in the front yard that Debbie gave us! 

In case you can't see, our names are on the bulbs and Cooper's is on the bone.  Doesn't the front of our house look festive?

Inside, we hung stockings (one of the few treasures I have from Pottery Barn) and garland (a steal at Michael's) on the mantle,

and put up a few other things around the house.  In the hall we put up some red votives (a gift from Debbie), a Christmas canvas from Celeste, and a small tree with my collection of snowflake ornaments - every year for Christmas my mom gets me a Swarovski crystal snowflake and my grandmother gets me a Lenox snowflake...it's like a Christmas tradition.

I'll leave you with the photo from our Christmas card.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Come on in!

I’ve been meaning to write this post for some time.  With Cooper and the holidays coming up, I’ve just been too busy!

I wrote in an earlier entry that the blank wall to your right as you enter my house needed something in order to make that area feel more like an official entryway.  Especially since the back of my love seat is facing that area.  So, we rummaged through the stuff we had and were able to come up with this cute little area for very little moolah!

 The gorgeous gold mirror was the $20 Craigslist find I posted about a few months ago.  I finally had somewhere to hang it, and with the yellow accents I’m trying to bring into the room, it just seemed perfect.

  

The antique table was a wedding gift from Aunt Donna McInnish and was the perfect size, height, and style for this nook.  I looked FOREVER in stores and online for a table that was, more or less, hip height that was narrow enough to fit between the door frames.  While Alexa was staying with us, she saw the table in one of the bedrooms and suggested we use it there.  Perfect fit, thanks Alexa!

The magnolia flower arrangement is not only a tribute to Sugar Magnolia (aka Maggie Canady) but was also a gift from my mother after it was used as decor at my wedding reception.  It is from NDI, which, if you don’t know, is this place in Brewton that sells fabulous artificial flower arrangements.  They look SO real.  I actually have another on my dining room table and another wrapped at my parents’ house as a Christmas gift!  Can’t wait to open that present!

The Domino book, which you have seen in an earlier post, just provided a bit of pretty color for the table and a little height for the flower arrangement.

The wrought iron and glass tray was also a wedding gift - from Terece Shehan.  It had been used as a catch-all in one of the bedrooms, but makes the perfect place for mail and/or keys.

So there you go…an entryway for less than $50 thanks to lots of wedding gifts and a few fab finds!