Growing up, our house at Christmastime was in a word, incredible. My mom had every decoration one could imagine and everything got a bit of the Christmas touch...and I mean everything. There were Christmas dishtowels, and soap dispensers, and dinnerware, and snowmen, oh my! There were candles in the windows and bows on the tree; there were stockings filled to the brim and presents wrapped weeks before the big day. It was a big deal.
The first year in my own apartment, I did exactly what mom did, the way she did it. I changed out everything from our area rugs to the place-mats and everything in between. What I didn't have, I borrowed from her. After all, she had enough to decorate her entire house and mine! I thought that was how it should be done. I decorated and decorated and didn't look back.
Last year, however, I got a little overwhelmed at the thought of changing EVERYTHING out. I didn't want our place to look like Christmas had exploded as it had in years past. So this year I decided I wanted to put my own spin on my mom's Christmas extravaganza. I toned it down a bit and infused Christmas in little ways, adding some red and green to our existing pieces and switching out a few things here and there. As it turns out, a few simple changes really go a long way.
My favorite part of our decor is, of course, the tree. It was a yard-sale find the summer before we moved into our apartment. I mixed in red and gold ornaments from Target with meaningful ones. We make it a point every vacation to bring home an ornament from our travels. Our tree is filled with souvenirs from Alaska, Baltimore, and Disney among others. We also have some ornaments from our childhoods like one from the hubby's very first Christmas and my beloved Bruins and Eeyore ornaments. It's a nice mix of old and new.
Since I had just put up and decorated the shelves and didn't want to change the pieces out completely, I replaced just a few items and added in my new serving tray from Pier 1. Our stockings have yet to find a home, and each year, the table they hang from is moved. While I hate that we don't have a mantle (Note to Self: Get house with fireplace), I love the stockings themselves. I searched high and low to find stockings with our names or initials on them with no luck. But one day at Kohl's, I found these adorable stockings with the words "I Believe" on the bottom and bells on the top. I then found monogram pins at Target, and they were complete.
I had always wanted something to contain the countless cards that come in every year and this photo holder from Pier 1 was the solution. And finally, the table centerpiece is a new addition. I removed the Christmas runner and replaced it with a bamboo one. The center vase is from Home Goods and is filled with more red and gold ornaments. The candles that surround it are from all over - on sale at Yankee Candle, the Dollar Store, and gifts. I think it's simple, yet sophisticated.
While I loved the way my mom put so much time and effort into making our house a Christmas palace, and will definitely be using a few of her tips and tricks as I decorate each year, I needed to put a little Kristyn into our place. Our decorating styles may be different, but mom truly taught me that Christmas starts at home. I am still filled with the Christmas spirit every time I walk into my childhood home and I hope one day, my kids will look at our house with the awe and admiration that I always looked at ours.
Be well,
No comments:
Post a Comment