Cozy Christmas

 

to daddy from Courtney
At 5 months old, in a Lake George Xmas shop, 
my first baby girl reached out and touched this ornament
Thus began the tradition of giving Daddy an ornament each year
from 5 months old to age 21 (graduating from college)
Each ornament each year represents something significant that happened or that they shared that year.

I've decorated the house in three days.  I've taken my time. I've lingered over ornaments, fondly remembering the times when the girls were little. I've not yet  taken out all the Christmas mugs.  I did take out the Christmas/Winter wine glasses. They're on the dining room hutch open shelf.  They're so pretty and we've had them since 1990! I decided to not display all of my Christmas and Winter decor together this year, opting instead for some simple, cozy spaces.  Here's what I've accomplished so far: 

Our dining room corner hutch/cupboard
this is Shaker Farm style....
  I  stained it many years ago!
The open shelf contains the large glass water pitcher from the beach house,
a green and cream iced tea pitcher,
 the small vintage (1960s) nativity my mom passed on to me,
and 2 1940s French Country dessert plates I found in an antique shop in central NYS; 
along with the 4 Xmas wine glasses and a small wooden "Merry Christmas" sign 

 simple red runner on the dining room table
with a glass bowl of large decorative nature themed balls
and pinecones.  We use cloth napkins for every meal
 and this week we are using green and white checked
We don't have an eat-in kitchen so this is it, folks1
When we have company, the dining room table opens up via a leaf in the middle
It is Shaker/Farm style








This is a little farm style cabinet I ordered many years ago
I keep various odds and ends in there or off season decor
On the top there is the simple mason jar of artificial cranberries
along with  some artificial twigs, the country peace sign,
a cinnmon stick candle, and the winter cardinal snowglobe.
It lights up via battery and "snow" falls (glitter) swirling all around while on
Next to the cabinet is a small snow-covered artificial spruce tree....
...i may put a small strand of white lights around it....not sure yet.....
this is on the wall connecting our dining room to living room

This is the dry sink cupboard I inherited from my parents when they died. 

For this month, it features
the "Most Wonderful time of the year" artificial greens box, 
my mom's 1940s creamer and sugar bowl
a country style navy blue trivet and the 
navy blue cloth basket holding our Christmas/Winter cloth napkins
The painting is Norman Rockwell's only still life 
and the wall sconce is classic country style with
a wreath of cranberries, branches, and little metal white snowflakes.  

Now let's walk from the dining room, through the kitchen, down a step, and into the family room......

my shaker style wall shelf.....
this changes with the season as well:
I have the Xmas blocks given to me as a gift
from our dear friends Mindy and George in 1993,
and the wooden reindeer holding a  small candle I light in the evenings
the hooks contain country style metal stars and a metal sign that says 'peace" 

This is our TV/Entertainment cabinet
in a Shaker Country style
Top shelf has a Vermont pottery pitcher holding pine branches and white berries
the girls' high school graduation photos
an old Shaker style picnic basket given to us as a wedding gift in 1990
and yes we still use it.....
and the small country style lamp
that turns on with a switch on the wall coming into the room 

a corner of the family room on the outside walls
This rocking chair is one I stained when I was pregnant with our oldest girl
Next the chair is our little artificial "palm" tree
and the snowflake pillow sits out all winter
The cozy fleece blanket was a gift to me from hubby.
the end table contains a large black and white box full of photo books I've made
2 Christmas fabric coffee coasters,
a small candy dish, the Shaker style lamp and a small box of extra coasters

The family room comfy couch which really should be replaced....but we love it.....
it's actually called a Cottage Country Couch..we've had it for about 20 years now
 and it is well loved
I change up the pillows depending on the season. 
 These will stay at least until February.  I love them! 
the middle pillow was a gift from our oldest daughter's best friend Nathanael 

This chair was a gift many years me ago by my parents.  
the Peace pillow is one I found years ago in some shop in Saratoga.  It's fleece and super cozy
I often leave my devotional journal on this chair as you can see......I like to sit here in the early morning to watch dawn break open and to spend time in the Word.  

Gifts for extended family are under our new tree

the wreath is one I bought many years ago at some craft fair

This is actually our living room so is out of order in this post. hahaha

I have a nativity in each room of the downstairs
(And a little ceramic one in the upstairs bathroom) 
This is a traditional wooden nativity set I actually bought at Target!
It's on an old Xmas placemat and I added to the wooden tray, a wooden star birdhouse
there is also a ceramic star shaped votive candle holder not pictured here. 
The Red glass Candle holder has a balsam and cedar scented candle. 
I light it in the evenings for that "christmas smell"  

Now let's walk back through the kitchen and into the living room which is the front of the house......Our home is a side hall colonial so just to the left of the front door (Which we rarely use) is the coat closet and just to the right as you come in through the door are the stairs leading to our 3 bedrooms, walk-in closet, and master bathroom. Our hallway upstairs is lined with photos of the girls in their first year of life along with senior HS photos (or jr high) of all of our nieces and nephews (3 boys, 5 girls). I also have an artificial pine tree (very small...like 2 feet tall) in the hallway corner.  It's very natural looking so sits there all year round. 

Here is how I decorated the living room this year. This room is mainly used by me although we do gather here when opening gifts or when I have friends over and Dave is home using the family room. 

The living room bookcase (Mission Style) holds another nativity set.
I love that it spells out "JOY" 
I bought this from Crate and Barrel years ago!

The top photo of these two is where our piano used to be.....that's an outside wall. I had Dave move it to the inside wall to the left of the corner chair and ottoman (your left).  The little bookcase holds all of my hiking guidebooks/trail books/topographical maps and Adirondack history books.  The 2 Santa gnomes are so whimsical in their Xmas plaid, aren't they?  On top of the piano I have put another cranberry wreath around the electrical oil lamp and that little sign is from my dear friend Anita G as a birthday gift one year. 

This ornament (below) is the oldest one I own. I believe I got it from my parents when I was a music major (Piano/Voice) in college.  It's in the shape of a hymn book and is "O little town of Bethlehem. " It's leaning against Claire's first pair of pointe shoes when she was just 11 yrs old and on top of the Free Methodist hymnal I grew up with. 

This (below)  shows the living room couch....I only have one Christmas pillow on here along with my navy blue which I love to pair with the yellow walls and of course my Adirondack Pillow that features all of the badges I have earned so far from the various hiking challenges I've completed.  When people come over, it makes for a great conversation piece! On the coffee table I have a Christmas themed box that  contains things like phone charger, markers, pens, a note pad, a small devo.....little things I use daily but if left out makes a room look messy.  I use these type of boxes all year round and have ones for each season. You can buy them cheap at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or Home Goods. 

We hang our stockings on the staircase banister as we don't own a fireplace. The only one missing right now is Claire's as she forgot to bring it back here last year. that grey fleece one on the end is in the shape of a fish for her cat Karma, that Courtney bought for Claire. The girls' stockings were handknit by my mother in law (grammy T) and presented to them on their first birthday. they are works of art and she made one for all of her grandchildren. Each one is a different theme. Courtney's is basically the story of Jesus' birth with the various symbols of that, and Claire's is various Christmas carols, both secular and sacred.  Dave and I just have our initials on ours. 

Now let's go back to the family room as I forgot to show the new Santa gnome we found at Ikea in MA on Saturday.  He's adorable, isn't he?! 

AND..... on the main level of the house, we have a touch of Christmas in the guest half bath.  The candle is in the style of an 18th century candle and holder with my third cranberry wreath and some evergreens inside; the sign hangs above the toilet and the cross hangs beneath the wicker medicine cabinet. 

Back to the kitchen for this room's nativity display: 

The nativity is also a snow globe similar to the cardinal in the dining room: turn it on and glitter spins and spins around the holy family. The bottom shelf contains part of my Christmas tins collection (there's also one on the stove top) and that little red Christmas tree is new this year. The star tile was made by Claire when she was in preschool. 

I'm glad you were able to take a walk through my house for a Christmas tour of simple but cozy. Hopefully that is the vibe you got!  

How do you decorate your home??

Do you have a theme or any special pieces?? 

Share in the comment section!

Have a blessed end to November!!