I can’t believe how fast time has flown by this December. It seems like I just started decorating the house and then all of a sudden it’s the week before Christmas. How did that happen?

I got my Christmas cards out early, most of my shopping is done, all that is left is baking and a few parties – which will include me making frosted sugar cookies, neighbor gifts and some appetizers.

We were so lucky this year to get a fresh cut tree from Nevada City. Aim’s Dad hooked us up and my brother and Aim delivered it. Nothing beats the smell of a fresh tree – I’ve had smaller artificial trees over the years, but this year – I wanted  a real tree. I also opted for smaller real trees as table top decorations and my Mom and Dad kept my late Aunt’s tradition going by giving us kids a fresh wreath. Higgy is showing off his boot… my little handicapable trooper… (My friend Britt called him that and I love it!)

Dan got to work on the lights and I really wasn’t sure what direction I would go with decorations. Over the years I’ve collected quite the assortment of themed ornaments and tree decor that range in every size and color. I decided to go with more natural items – yarn balls, felt dogs, burlap bows, rustic bells, cloth candy canes and I threw in some glitz with sparkly snowflakes, ball ornaments, rhinestone tassels and monogrammed ornaments.

Put a bird on it… OMG, if you haven’t seen this video – you need to!

Wrapping and decorating are my favorite part of Christmas. I think it’s my mission to makes things look pretty and inviting… some day I will own my own business.

I just love the Santa and ornament themed wrap. I found the perfect snowflake gift tags and striped ribbon to match. The wrap was a HomeGoods special – $1.99 a roll – super thick with the cutting grid on the back… the tags were on sale at Target and I used 1/2 off coupons for the ribbon at Michaels. I blew through all of my wrap last year and had to restock everything – boxes, tissue, wrap, tags, etc. Dan and I still carry on the tradition that my Dad started when I was a kid. Special wrapping paper for my Mom… so Dan wraps my presents in a different paper than family and friend gifts and I do the same for him. It’s fun to see what we choose each year.

Belsnickle Santas are my thing this year. I love the vintage look and they fit in perfectly with my normal every day home decor. Here I have one next to my great aunt’s cookbooks and some Hammond’s old fashioned candy canes I found at Beverages and More. I decorated with Hammond’s candy canes last year too.

More Belsnickle Santas and our stockings jazzed up a bit.

I got out my handy glue gun and added red ribbon to our stockings… I used a lot more red in my decor this year and they needed the added pop of color.

I kept the vintage suitcase out from Halloween and added my new Santas to them. I got two of them at a local antique and home decorating store and I ordered the other ones online from Piper Classics. I also got a bunch of bell ornaments and the cloth candy canes from them this year.

You have to buy early, things sell out pretty fast.

Keeping with the more natural/rustic theme – I had Dan get my wood and iron reindeer down from attic storage. I haven’t used them in a few years, so a little wood polish and more red ribbon and they looked awesome on top of the entertainment center.

I flanked the opposite side with a matching reindeer and some gorgeous red and creme velvet boxes I picked up at HomeGoods. I used more red ribbon to attach the rusted metal star to the top box.

A detail shot of some of the hidden treasures. I brought the roller skate and ice skating ornaments back from last year and added some pine cones, bells and berries.

The wine bar got a simple treatment this year with garland and numbered glass mason jars full of wooden candy canes.

The items that started the look for this year’s decorations were new stockings I found at HomeGoods.

I have shiny glitz stockings, red and white polka dot, fur trimmed, blue, bronze, wine colored… I sort of have an obsession with stockings and no fireplace to hang them. The knitted old fashioned stripes looked fabulous against the black dresser.

My next house WILL have a fireplace.

I picked up some very cool Target – Smith and Hawken felted stars with creme stitching for the entry way niche.

Felted candy ornaments and wooden snowflakes completed the look.

I was excited to put some Christmas touches into my new wood shelves.

I filled them with old family black and white Christmas photos and other ornaments.

More burlap bows… I had 3 spools from Ballard Designs and a huge spindle of wire. Between the wreaths and the Christmas tree, I was a bow making machine. My Mom and I used to have our own holiday craft business and I learned how to tie a good bow because of that.

I picked up two red pots this year for $5.99 each and planted some live trees that I got from a local nursery. I will plant them in the backyard after Christmas. My dining room table scape is one of my favorite areas of the house this season.

My snow people made an appearance in my office this year. They sit on top of a little dresser I found at a garage sale and they share space next to a hat stand with my late grandmother’s favorite black velvet hat.

I framed some childhood Christmas photos of Dan and I and put them on the craft table in my office.

I also kept with the snowman theme in the guest bathroom.

All in all I adore everything about the look and feel I created this year. I think I used “less” decorations – but it feels like just enough. I was able to incorporate the old with the new and I’m happy with the outcome. There is nothing more comforting than being in a room lit by the glow of a Christmas tree.

Happy Holidays from my home to yours.