Turn up a silly holiday tune, pour some eggnog, and enjoy a few festive photos from around our home. First up: the tree. You may remember that we once placed it in the office the first year we lived here, and after trying a new location this year we’re definitely happy with the change.
While we loved how the lights reflected in the bay window, moving the tree gave the living room a cozier, more traditional feel for Christmas morning. It’s much nicer to open presents in a warm living room instead of a home office.
We still decorate with a mix of sentimental ornaments instead of limiting ourselves to a strict color palette. Our tree is a collection of shiny, glittery, and whimsical pieces that make us smile — from a popsicle-stick Rudolph to a chihuahua in a sweater, plus an actual burger ornament (every tree needs at least one).
Some of my favorite ornaments are the handmade ones. We have silhouettes of the kids (C’s on the left and T’s on the right), and tiny round ornaments with their traced handprints from when they were small enough to fit. Those handmade touches carry years of memories and always feel special.
The mantel is intentionally simple this year: not fussy but still cheerful. A few ceramic houses sit alongside small decorative trees, and our snowflake stockings (the same ones we’ve used for years) got a little update with elephant chain accents. I clipped a few elephant links to fancy up two stockings and used the extras as tiny ornaments.
In the foyer, our console table features “Old Faithful,” a favorite feather tree, and a glass cloche filled with ornaments for an easy, gleaming display. It’s a simple trick that adds instant polish without much effort.
Christmas Moose has returned to the foyer, and this year we taped our holiday cards to the nearby closet door with thin navy ribbon looped over the top. Pro tip: leave extra ribbon hanging behind the door where you tape it so you can lower the front ribbons and make room for more cards as they arrive.
Our outdoor decorations are mostly the same as past years, except for one new addition: a pair of rubber boots staged with a tree — a visual pun we could not resist. I found the boots secondhand for a few dollars. They live under the awning so they don’t collect water or bugs, and they add a playful touch to the porch.
That magnolia wreath you may have seen on Instagram was made during a local wine-and-wreath event at a vineyard called Rassawek. We spent about an hour assembling small leaf bunches on wire and inserting them into a large wreath form, which the hosts then clamped to hold everything in place. The process is simple, social, and satisfying — and the finished wreath has a beautiful glossy look during the day.
I’m tempted to try a magnolia garland for the mantel next year, depending on how the wreath holds up. Natural greenery can be so elegant when it’s fresh.
For a quick, thoughtful gift idea for grandparents, we found black-and-white mug kits that come with porcelain pens. Clara enjoyed doodling coffee mugs for her grandmas, and those hand-drawn designs are a sweet, personal keepsake — a simple craft with a lot of heart.
We’re excited to celebrate our first Christmas in the finished living room. Last year the room was still mid-renovation — unfinished fireplace, an old rug, and a tiny Tedster — so it’s rewarding to see the progress. This year feels more settled and ready for holiday memories.
This year we’re keeping holiday plans low-key because major home updates are in progress — a familiar holiday tradition for us. We’ll share more about those renovations as they come together. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy family time, good food, and plenty of festive cheer as the year wraps up.
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