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November 26, 2018 · 18 Comments

Christmas Around the House

Christmas· Home· Seasonal

Are you proud of me?

I waited untilย after Thanksgiving to officially post about our Christmas decor.

I mean, it’s been up for weeks now, but I waited.

You’re welcome.

If you’re new around here (hi! welcome!) you may not know yet that I have a bit of a Buddy the Elf streak. I think I make that comparisonย every single year, but it’s very accurate. As soon as the calendar flips to November I revert back to a childlike state, giddy with delight over all things Christmas and drinking syrup straight out of the bottle.

Kidding on that last part.

Or am I?

Christmas mantel

In all seriousness, there’s just something truly magical about the holiday season, and it fills my soul with joy every year. So, I’m excited to be joining in the Very Merry Christmas Home Tour today – if you’re visiting today from Thrifty and Chic,ย welcome!ย Once you’ve finished scrolling through my tour, be sure to check out the next blog on the list for even more inspiration.

Let’d dive in, shall we?

I was a little nervous to decorate our house for Christmas this year – last year, we moved in right before the holidays so I didn’t really get a chance to take my time with the decor. I threw it all up and called it a day, and while it was happy and bright and Christmas-y, I never really loved it. But now, the house and I have had a full year to get to know one another and I’ve learned a little more about how to decorate this tiny little space.

I’ve learned that less is more. I’ve learned that neutrals are my friend. I’ve learned that layering textures and tones makes the space feel less busy (and therefore bigger).

Basically, I’ve learned that I need to do theย opposite of what I did in our old house to make this home shine for the holidays. I used to be all about more is more andย all the thingsย when it came to Christmas decor, but I need to practice restraint in this home to help it not feel even more cramped and crowded.

That’s why we got a new tree this year – and it’s aย pencil tree!

Pencil Christmas tree

Christmas tour

Christmas mantel and Christmas tree

That’s right, instead of a full, ginormous tree we went for one that’s tall and skinny. Of course, you know I would never be satisfied with just a tiny little tree, so we went for a 9-foot tree to really accentuate our tall ceilings and just kept it nice and skinny. It makes an impact in the room without taking up a large footprint, and I really do like it!

Of course, my inner Buddy the Elf is screaming for something about 8 times as big, but I’m doing my best to quiet him down.

This year, rather than going for aย Christmas Explosion! I stuck to a few pretty touches in key places around the house. It still feels jolly and festive without being too much, and I’ll admit it felt pretty good to donate a good chunk of our old Christmas decor to free up some space in our backyard shed!

shelves decorated for Christmas

Christmas decor on shelves

Of course, our open shelving was probably the most fun piece to decorate. I’m still learning how to fill such a large area without making it over-crowded, but I think I struck a good balance with this display. Jackson loves all of the pretty metallic trees, and I love that I got to use the wooden trees I made last year.

Oh, and before you say it, I’m fully aware that some of you are staunchly against the whole backwards book thing. But it quiets down the display and makes it feel a little more neutral, and I like it gosh darnit.

Deal with it.

Please?

Love you.

Christmas shelf styling

kitchen open shelving decorated for Christmas

letter board with Christmas message

I haven’t done much in the dining room quite yet because I want to change up our Christmas place settings. I kept the centerpieceย much simpler than I have in years past, simply because this table is so tiny that anything else makes you feel like you don’t even have room to eat. I like using a large dough bowl because it looks beautiful but when we sit down to dinner I can easily move it over to the counter and open up some space on the table. When the centerpiece consists of 15 different things, it’s not quite so easy.

I’ll definitely do an update once I figure out how we’ll be setting the table for Christmas morning. I take my Christmas place settings very seriously, and it was time for an update. I still don’t know for sure what we’ll do, but Corey and I have been tossing around a few different ideas, so hopefully we’ll be able to make a decision before Christmas.

Christmas table centerpiece

Mantel with Christmas decor

Christmas ornament and mantel

Couch with Christmas pillows

The last thing I did to decorate in our main living space was to swap out our throw pillows for more festive ones. This is one of my very favorite super simple ways to make a big impact when you’re decorating for the holidays – a few new throw pillows can change the entire look of the room!

Add a snuggly dog and things lookย very cozy, no?

I still have a couple more spaces I want to show you before the season is over – we’re still putting the finishing touches on our bedroom, and I’ll figureย something out in the dining room eventually. But for now, I’m feeling pretty good about how things are looking around the house!

Christmas home tour

If you want even more cozy Christmas inspiration, be sure to head over to Our House Now a Home to continue the tour! And, for evenย more inspiration, check out any of the posts below.

Enjoy!

All Things With Purpose * Lovely Etc. * Love and Renovations * Thrifty & Chic * Up to Date Interiors * Casa Watkins Living

Green With Decor * Boxy Colonial * Bigger Than The Three of Us * Our House Now a Home * The Navage Patch

Chatfield Court * Lehman Lane * Redhead Can Decorate * Designing Vibes * A Brick Home

House by Hoff * Create and Find * Making it in the Mountains * Twelve on Main * What Meegan Makes

Amber Tysl * The Striped House * Houseful of Handmade * Little House of Four * Avenue Laurel

 

Previous Post: « 2018 Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Kids & Babies
Next Post: My Favorite Holiday Scents »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. meegan says

    December 5, 2018 at 10:15 pm

    You have done such a beautiful job with neutrals and holding “Buddy” back. Your home is so welcoming and inviting. I love your pencil tree, the origami reindeer and how you turned the books backwards. Love your style and your blog.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      December 6, 2018 at 11:24 am

      Thank you so much, Meegan!

      Reply
  2. Jason says

    December 2, 2018 at 10:37 pm

    Great ideas ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  3. Kathy says

    December 1, 2018 at 10:22 am

    Your holiday fireplace setting is so pretty and I love those shelves with the blue and wall print next to it. So many great details!!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      December 1, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      Thank you so much, Kathy!

      Reply
  4. Beth says

    December 1, 2018 at 9:11 am

    So pretty! I LOVE that tree! We’ve always been a “Christmas Explosion” type of family, and especially with our tree, Seeing this and the rest of the simple, beautiful trees in the tour really makes me want to try this next year! And your shelf decorating is on point!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      December 1, 2018 at 2:56 pm

      Aw, thank you Beth!

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    November 28, 2018 at 10:49 am

    The mantle and tree situation is so good!!

    Reply
  6. Tara @ Lehman lane says

    November 27, 2018 at 10:45 pm

    Love the new 9 foot tree Amanda! It looks fabulous next to your fireplace mantel!

    Reply
  7. [email protected] says

    November 27, 2018 at 11:24 am

    Love your tall, skinny tree! And open shelves are the best for holiday decorating–so fun!

    Reply
  8. Carrie says

    November 26, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    Everything looks beautiful! I like your less is more approach and I absolutely love those wooden trees! Definitely filing that idea away for the future!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      November 27, 2018 at 4:47 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie Watkins says

    November 26, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    Amanda! Hiya!!!! I love your Christmas decor. You have some serious shelfie game! Each and every one of your shelves look fantastic. Beautiful home tour.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      November 26, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Aw, thanks so much, Stephanie!

      Reply
  10. SARAH LEMP says

    November 26, 2018 at 6:52 pm

    I LOVE your fireplace!! Also, backwards books = genius!!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      November 26, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Thank you! And yeah, I’m a big fan of the backward book thing, haha

      Reply
  11. Erica says

    November 26, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    Your fireplace is absolute perfection, my friend. Such a beautiful tour!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      November 26, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      Thank you so much, Erica!

      Reply

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Overwhelmed by DIY? Let's do it together! I'm Amanda, and I live in the suburbs of Austin, Texas with my husband and two sons. I've taught myself how to make simple updates to help make my house a home, and I want to show you how to do it, too. Click here to learn more about us.

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