Quick Christmas Tour || And a Giveaway!

Happy Holidays StyleMutts! Did you catch Chelsea’s Pinch of Merriment Home Tour last week? Seeing her home all decked out got me excited to do a quick Christmas tour of our own - plus you’ll get to see some more of our townhouse that I've admittedly neglected to share (even though we moved in the spring). So here’s a peek of our holiday-clad living room. Making room for the tree meant moving the $10 arm chair (oh yes - you read right ;) over by the fireplace.

Both Caleb and I grew up with candles in the windows this time of year, but apartment living never really seemed conducive to getting them. But our townhouse has finally given us a reason to get some of our own.

Our tree is always a simple one - some hand made garlands and sentimental family ornaments. And of course our vintage-rug-turned-Christmas-tree-skirt that Chelsea made for me a few years back. (Psssst: if you are looking for cute tree skirts, Chelsea recently compiled this dynamite round up)

Behind our living room sofa, you can spy some cedar garlands trickling up the bannister.

And some more around the threshold leading to the kitchen. I like to take apart my garlands smack-dab in the middle and reattach the other end to make a symmetrical frame over whichever entryway I’m decking with boughs.

If you look closely into the kitchen, you can see our Nativity sitting on the window sill.

For holiday cheer upstairs, we added a simple banner above the bed where we have been enjoying some new favorite finds from Bedsure:

This luxurious Sherpa blanket in Santa Claus red (how fitting) with it’s ever-so-soft (and reversible!) fluffy sherpa and velvety microfiber flannel.

And their 3-in-1 pillow - with 3 layers of goose down, memory foam (which you can remove if you want a softer landing), and down alternative. Plus these pillows are treated with anti-bacteria, odor, and dust mite protection!

In the spirit of the holiday, Bedsure is giving away a blanket and a pillow to two lucky winners!

Simply visit my Instagram page and look for the giveaway post to find out how to enter. Giveaway runs today only and our TWO winners will be announced tomorrow!

This concludes my quick Christmas tour - I hope you StyleMutts are remembering to not just get presents, but to be present this bustling season.

Merry Christmas to all you StyleMutts and to all a good night!

Cozy Holiday Home Tour

Hi friends! We're all decked out for this special holiday season and I've been so excited to show you around! First, we have had such a fun time checking out all of the inspiring and lovely decor that you have shared on Instagram and Facebook! Everyone has such a unique style and I just love the personal touches people create in their homes. On that note, design blogger and author, Jennifer Rizzo, has once again kindly opened up her 'blog doors' for all to share their decorated homes for a big ol' holiday 'link' party! This tour is linked there today, among so many beautifully cozy and festive homes. This isn't a voting thing, just a fun way to peek inside other peoples homes. You know you want to. (I totally do!!!) Follow the link below if you'd like to check it out!

We're kind of big on birthdays in our family, blowing up balloons and hanging streamers and banners. It's a lot of fun to decorate our home as a reflection of our celebrating the birthday person. Decorating our home for the holidays is just one of the ways we celebrate Jesus' humble birth. His birth was anticipated for 400 years before He even arrived, and still today, we celebrate. We celebrate the hope that our loving Father sent His children through the birth of this baby. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

Alright, here goes! I hope you're comfy and enjoy the 'tour'! I'm so glad you've stopped by. I thought it appropriate to start in the dining room, as this is the one room we always come together as a family most days.

Dining Room

With Fall passing us by so quickly, I wanted to use some Fall-ish elements, like pinecones, to connect the seasons together. I've had them out since October!

I was going to wait until after the holidays to share our newest build, but here it is! Our industrial pipe shelves! These were really fun to design and put together, (and surprisingly easy!), and I'll share all the deets very soon! Styling them for Christmas was a real treat.

Since we've got a decent collection of Christmas décor, accumulated over 8 years of marriage, I didn't buy hardly a thing this year. But this kissing ball? Well that was a no brainer. :)

 While our metal chairs are great for dining with little ones, (super easy to clean), they're a little chilly on the toosh in the winter! I found a really thick faux fur bath rug from HomeGoods on clearance, cut it four ways, and placed quarters over the seats. An inexpensive answer to an icy situation!

Living Room

A few small sprigs of fresh Christmas tree, (grab them from the tree lots!), replace the tea lights I usually keep in these small brass hangers.

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I spy a StyleMutt Holiday DIY project!

This magazine tree was really fun to make, (and ridiculously easy)! Love this whimsical take on the Christmas tree.

The cute wooden stag came from my Grandma. It looks very homemade, like something you'd find at a craft fair, and I just love it. Aren't the oldest decorations just the best!

On another note, there are the geo painted coasters I shared from a few weeks ago, (another one of our Holiday DIYs)!

Master Bed

A few twiggy branches from the backyard bring a little of the outdoors in. The pom-pom garland from last year and some cheery red touches add some festive warmth.

Oh, look at that - another Holiday DIY project! This pom-pom wreath uses the same steps as the pom-pom garland! Learn how to make pom-poms once and you've got a couple easy projects you could try out!

Front Entrance

The last stop is a quick peek at our front entrance. Our homemade spoon shelf is the perfect spot for hanging coats, while the red toolbox serves as a bench for the little ones to pull their shoes on and off in the winter. The paper wreath is one of my favorite, (and oldest!), DIYs and stays up year round!

I hope you've enjoyed this little holiday tour and please hop over to the Holiday 'House Walk' to see more - so many beautifully decorated homes, all unique and true to their owners. I sure have enjoyed seeing everyone's creativity and personal touches!

Have a wonderful week, friends! Thank you so much for stopping by!