Christmas Home Tour Episode One




Link party holiday house walk tag
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Christmas is coming- can you feel it?  Or did it just sneak up and bash you on the back of the head like it did to me?  I'm telling you, in my head, it's still June.  This last half of the year has gone by SO QUICKLY.  I can't even believe it.  Since my last post- I did get it together (somewhat) and get a little old Christmas house tour done.  Yup, I'm ushering you in- while covertly kicking the toys and socks under the couch- to our humble abode.  It's a little rustic, a little glitter-y, a little vintage and a lot home-y.

Today I'm sharing the mud room and our living room.  Later in the week, I'll post the rest of the house (most of it)

This is going to be a pretty photo heavy post- you've been warned.  So grab a cup of something and turn on the old fireplace channel and away we go.....

Mud Room

No mud in here- today, just a fluffy red dog.



When we moved in, there was nothing in this back room for storage.  We hung up a rack of hooks, and had a standing coat rack.  That was a mess and a half with just the two of us.  I drew up the storage "lockers" and Tim built them.  Yes, there are some things I would change about it now, but all in all, I like how it looks.... when it is not vomiting coats and mitts and hats and boots and shoes all over the place.  (We have another idea in mind for in here- but it's just in the baby stages of brainstorming.)  Those canvases are the kids' hand and foot prints from waaaaay back when they were small enough that their feet would fit on there.  Cheap and easy, but I love looking at them.

My old metal tool box holds some of our favourite hats and mitts.  Easier access for the peeps to get them out, and (hopefully) put them away.  I'm still waiting for the putting away...


On the opposite wall we have a rack for the shorties.  It's usually full of snowpants and coats.  Right now it's sporting quite the stylish fur vest.  The owner also owns the silver furry boots.



On my mirror is a diy I put together last week.  I saw something similar a few years back in a magazine and it's been on my to do list ever since.  I'm going to put up a quick how to on it later in the week.  The big paper snowflakes are from Target and this furry little Santa is from Superstore last year.  I like how he's not your typical red and white ho ho ho Santa.  And he doesn't creep me out as most doll-like things do.  I know, I have issues.




Living Room

This is the room where we spend the majority of our time.  Watching tv, playing games, reading, writing blog posts, hanging out as a fam.  It's not a huge space, but it's the room that made me fall in love with the house on our first walk through.



We got our sectional 2 years ago at the Sears Whole Home store, it's really comfy and I love it.  All four of us fit on it to watch a movie or Lego Ninjago or Sophia the First.  My coffee table is planked with old barnboard from our old barn that was damaged in a tornado.  I had it in my head, and my dear old dad cranked it out for me.

Up on top of my window, I have edison bulb lights from Target.  They are so cool.  I got some last year, but I did see them there this year as well.


Above that is a little ledge where I put our nativity set.  It's super special, especially to Tim.  His mom made it in ceramics years ago.  I told the kids the Christmas story as I was putting it up this year.  As I took out each figure, I talked about who they are and what they did.  I'm totally doing that every year from now on.  It gave it so much more meaning.





The sidetable is an old metal stool I picked up at a barn sale this past summer.  It got a good cleaning and it fit right in.  (See my W pillow, that's from my friend Bonnie at Seacliffe Cottage!)


Yes, that's a chalk painted globe you saw on my "desk"  Decked out with a glittered Joy to the World banner.  I'll share the gong show that one was in the new year....


Since we don't have a mantle, or a whole lot of table top space to display my treasures, I do lots of little vignettes on my bookcase.  I change it up all the time.  I love styling them.  Hate dusting them.


Here are some of my Putz houses.  I love these things.  I actually just picked up a few more smaller ones today.  I don't really have anything I collect, except for these and old glass Christmas ornaments.


Um, I also like design books.



This is one of our fish, Mishy the Fishy- or Mish for short.  Poor Sully didn't make the cut.


Here's our tree.  I love it.  As you can see we have really high ceilings and not a lot of floor space, so when I had to get a new tree (after the basement flooded, grrr) I got a tall skinny beauty.  It's not a pre-lit.  I put the lights on myself, that was an exercise in patience this year....I almost cancelled Christmas.  Just sayin'.


(The 'Twas the Night before Christmas sign is one of  the signs I make at Walls and Words.)



I love putting up my tree.  Unwrapping ornaments and remembering who gave them to us- I can get a little misty, I really can.  This year especially, as Tim's aunt, who was very close to us, passed away. She has been adding ornaments to our tree for a long time.  This is one of my absolute favourites.  I don't know why, but it just is, and so was she.


I also like to make new ornaments.  If you've been following along on here, Instagram and Facebook, you'll know I have a glitter obsession problem.  I  don't care.  I love it.



My little wood slices and our initials.  My mom hinted, not too subtly, that she wanted one too.  I guess we'll have to see if Laura Claus can crank some more out....


I don't have a skirt for our tree.  I did, but I found it to be a dog hair catcher.  Gross.  Now I put the tree inside this old crate.  I picked it up a few years ago at one of my favourite local shops and  it moves all over the house.  My little stool in front I got there too.  I thought it was just too cute with my little vintage tin toy sitting on it.




As you could see in the earlier pictures, this is the set up I have on my coffee table.  Yes.  I totally have a disco ball on it.  It's nestled in my grandma's vintage silver rose bowl with some vintage glass ornaments I picked up at the thrift store last week.  It's sitting on a silver tray that I got a couple years ago at the thrift store too.  I have my candles burning- that reflection is so gorgeous.  My friend Leslie, got me hooked on the White Barn candles from Bath and Body Works a few years ago.  My parents have always had a real tree, and I love that smell.  I burn the fresh balsam candles from BBW and it smells pretty darn close to the real thing.


My favourite time of day.  I love twinkly lights.  Almost more than I love glitter.


I love that stupid fireplace channel too.
(That lighted up star is from Target.)


 Hope you enjoyed yourself and will come back to see the rest later in the week.  Have a glitter-tastic day!

ps. Episode 2 is now up- click on over.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Laura your captions make me smile...you do have some really good ideas....makes your home look so comfortable ,,,M Jewell