It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Holiday Home Tour

Welcome to our home all dolled up for the season! Cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate or in my case a Caramel Brulee Iced Latte and enjoy the mass amount of pictures that are about to ensue on this eve of Christmas. 

This wreath was a last minute decision when I found the lighted wreath for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I just picked up the wood letter "F" and spray painted it gold and threw a bow on and that was it! Simple and Festive! Sorry about the green cord. Thankfully from far away it isn't too noticeable. 

I grabbed this Stag mat from World Market before Thanksgiving because I knew it would get picked over. I think it's one of my favorite things I got this year!

Once inside the door, you see my prized possession, the A Christmas Story leg lamp that Brandon got me this year (after a whole lot of coaxing I might add). How hilarious is it?! I giggled like a school girl the whole time I was setting it up. I mean A Christmas Story is my favorite Christmas movie after all! "Fragiiiile, it must be italian!" 

 This year we got our first real Christmas Tree! I was super excited that we found a family farm nearby where we could pick out our own tree. It was extra special. I even was able to take the bottom slice of the tree home and I plan on making an ornament out of it soon! 

For decorating, I personally like a classic tree with simple silver ball ornaments and a good mix of personal ones so we kept it old school this year. I did have to do a lot of shopping around to get a classic looking tree skirt. I ended up finding this one at Kohl's for about 40% off way before Thanksgiving. It is crazy how early you have to look for Christmas stuff to get it before it's picked over!! I am debating getting it embroidered with our last name before next Christmas. 

Here are a few of my favorite ornaments this year. Top right and bottom right were personalized at a mall kiosk last year. I got the leg lamp ornament this year at Hallmark (with a coupon!) because of my obvious obsession with A Christmas Story. And the flamingo was from World Market and I just think it's adorable. I also love the mix of six ornaments that came directly from my Ma and Pa's Christmas tree, including the angel one below that my Ma gave us individually wrapped as a wedding present. They were one of our most personal and precious wedding gifts by far! 

On to the rest of the living room... 

I had a huge obsession with stags/ deer this year so of course I picked up those white ceramic deer at Target and I'm sure you remember the DIY Anthropologie Inspired Mason Jar Snow Globes that I made earlier. 

I got our stockings with the tree skirt at Kohl's. Again, I was going for a classic look so we won't have to replace them with any fads each year. By the way, how about those grey horizontal striped curtains?! I made them!! I'll be sharing them soon but if you follow me on Instagram I'm sure you saw them in progress.

Can't forget Rhiley's stocking too! It's on the bookshelf on the other side. And look at the good girlie below posing for a picture while I was snapping away trying to finish this post [literally] right before Christmas!

I warmed up the living room with some comfy throws from Target and Ikea, along with that fuax sheepskin on the back of the couch that was only $10 at Ikea! What a steal! I also got that cute knitted pillow at Homegoods.

Before entering the kitchen there is a fun glitter deer canvas I made hanging below a wedding picture I finally got around to framing.

On into the kitchen, I ended up turning our bar into a "hot chocolate bar" with some marshmallows and dark chocolate. If only it were actually cold out and not 70 degrees so I could actually feel like a hot drink! Oh well, we can just pretend. Sorry northern friends! 

Above the sink (and all throughout the downstairs), I fashioned some simple pom pom garland with some textured yarn and hot glue that I used in all of the  "un-festive" corners of the house. 

Love, love, love all of our Christmas greetings from friends and family near and far! 

I updated all of the chalkboards throughout the house with Christmas-y sayings and lyrics. I am actually getting better at making the quotes look more like art and less like a hot mess. Woo, some progress is better than none right? 

And since I could not find mistletoe for the life of me (literally checked at like 5 different stores!) I just drew some onto the top of the chalkboard wall to deck it out completely. How about that little Rudolph at the bottom too? 

I re-purposed our tree slice cake stand from the wedding into a centerpiece stand which makes the kitchen really warm and a little like a cabin. 

Can't forget our decked out vintage aluminum tree in the kitchen! This baby is literally the epitome of retro at its finest! It's from my other Grandma's house and even though we got a real tree this year, I just had to set this little guy up too because I always loved its charm and it reminds me of my Grandma who passed away last year. 

Welp, Rhiley the Reindeer has retired her antlers, so I guess it's time to wrap this Christmas tour up! 

But not before sharing a little bit of our outside lights!! We didn't put a ton of lights up this year but just enough to make it look a little special. One year at a time I suppose! 

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year if I don't get to blogging again before the 1st. Can't believe it's already 2014! 

Peace and joy!

Allison and the Fitz's