Did any of you see that Big Lots commercial where the woman is dancing around her house and singing about how she nailed it this Christmas?
I so wanted to be that woman this year.
And my plan was to be the first link up at my friend Jenn Rizzo’s annual Holiday House Walk Link Party …
but I think I might be the last one to link up!
Honestly, I truly tried this year. I got off to a very promising start …
Shortly after Thanksgiving, the front door was decorated.
And waaaaaay back in October, I ordered these adorable red and white striped knit stockings from an Etsy store in Latvia.
You read that right. Latvia!
I loved how much they looked, so my motivation was high to get that entry set up for the holidays.
I was even on top of asking the generous folks at OnlineFabricStore.net for some new fabrics to create a red, white, and burlap-themed Christmas home this year …
Fabrics Sources & Links:
Covington Red Woven Ticking Fabric | Premier Prints Fynn Timberwolf Red Macon Fabric | Natural Color Burlap Fabric | Red Cotton Canvas Fabric
And then …
then …
it all came crashing down around me.
I was no longer singing about how I nailed Christmas. But how Christmas had somehow nailed me.
Between the pillow-making and ornament-making and tree-skirt-making and groupon-gift-giving-making, I came to realize I was racing against the clock.
And the clock was winning.
I started to think I should just rename the blog, It All Ended With Christmas …
… and bid you all a fond farewell!
But I mustered through. And as I was drowning in a sea of mason jar and pillow Etsy shop orders, I managed to finally … finally … put those finishing touches on the house this week.
After a quick vacuum run … and displacing the kids and the dog … I took some pictures to share with you here.
Spoiler alert: There are lots of photos in this post. So take a moment and refill that cup of coffee, or grab a Diet Coke, before you start scrolling …
The Living Room
When I look at these pictures, I see a ton of navy and white.
But in real life, I see a lot of this …
Red and white and canvas …
which I love, love, love …
and red and white stripes.
And red thrift store sweaters wrapped around mason jars.
And vases.
And burlap …
with felt. And a handmade tree skirt that I’ll share the tutorial later in the week. Once I recover from all the picture taking and editing for this post.
And some spindly green.
Which, by the way, I found at IKEA months ago when I was still singing about how I nailed Christmas.
But the long shot still reads navy & white.
Ah well …
The Dining Room
The red and white theme continues.
And wreaths.
And wreaths.
Lots and lots of wreaths!
I made that table runner from my new favorite fabric from OnlineFabricStore.net: red ticking.
And another spindly tree from Ikea keeps the table décor simple and easy.
The fantel radiator cover mantel was decorated with mini trees …
covered in felt and burlap and left over scraps of fabric.
The Family Room
The red and white theme continues …
paired with bottle brush trees on toy cars. And a splash of blue …
The kids are thrilled I put out the Department 56 Christmas in the City village this year.
It adds a nice sparkle to the room at night.
Along with lighted garland along the stair bannister.
And the tree, of course.
Decorated with my handmade ornaments from the 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments event.
I brought the OnlineFabricStore.net fabrics into the family room too. With pillow covers …
And finished it all off with candy canes in a mason jar …
and cars with bottle brush trees tied to the top.
Phew. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted!
And while I didn’t exactly “nail it” with getting my holiday home tour up in a timely fashion, I certainly am enjoying how my home is decorated this year!
Happy Holidays!
Linda
You might also like:
Car in Mason Jar Snow Globe (click here)
2014 Holiday Home Tour (click here)
Handmade Christmas Ornaments (click here)
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your home looks so beautiful and happy!!! love it, linda! especially that dining room!
Thanks Cassie! It makes me so happy too. Especially happy to have it all done finally!!! 😉
I love everything little thing you have done to your rooms for Christmas. Isn’t the ikea tree too cute. Great job!
Thank you Diane! And, yes, I just adore that Ikea tree! They are all over my house this year! 🙂 Linda
It looks perfect! And,you lucky dog, it’s all so clean! Are those Ikea trees live or fake? If they’re fake I might have to make the dreaded trip out there.
Thank you so much Karen! And those Ikea trees are fake. But I found them back in October. Not sure if they have any left in stock! 🙂
I love love love everything. So pretty!
I LOVE your home! It looks absolutely gorgeous! You definitely nailed Christmas! Thank you for sharing 🙂
It all looks lovely! I got my dining room and living room done for last week’s party, then stopped. Glad you kept going!
Your home is gorgeous! I love every single detail, from the cute stockings from Latvia to the pillows and little cars with bottle brush trees, everything is perfection!
I say the same thing every year… I want to have the home tour ready on the first week of December. It’s never happened :/ hmmm maybe next year 😉
Happy-Happy Christmas to you Linda! Love your home… even MORE at the holidays. The navy is so rich, and extra gorgeous. ~Shannon
Absolutely stunning! Love it!
Your home looks just beautiful! I wish my home looked half as good.
Your home is beautiful. Merry Christmas to you and your family
Your home is a delight! Fun, pretty, and welcoming! Happy Holidays! 😉
Oh, I love love love your home… and now to see it in all its Christmas finery! What a joy! NOT overdone, NOT underdone… perfection!
You did a gorgeous job! I love all the wreaths and the beautiful color scheme! I’m STILL decorating;)
In my pre-blogging life, we would have started decorating this weekend! But then we would leave it up until after the New Year! 🙂
I’m loving the red and green with the blue and white. I also love that you did just enough without going over the top with everything. You did a lovely job.
Love every thing about your home Linda. You did nail Christmas. these days my favorite color is Navy of course after Red. So I’m going to be on a Pinning spree!
Your home is so cheerful and I love that you are not afraid of color! I see the pops of red and the wreaths along with the navy blue. It’s gorgeous!
Jo
Yes, I’ve seen that Big Lots commercial, and I am mesmerized by the woman’s sweater. She wears a sparkly buckle, but there’s no belt on the outside of her sweater, and yet her sweater is form fitting. Did they glue the sweater to her? Does anyone else notice this?
I’m too busy trying to figure out her sweater to take notice of the subject of the commercial, but if it’s about being ready for the season, I believe you have that covered.
Your home looks very festive and inviting.
You may not have nailed it time wise, Linda, but you definitely nailed it pretty wise! Everything is just gorgeous. I love how you’ve carried the red and white them throughout your home. I passed on some of those trees at Ikea a few weeks back (wasn’t in the Christmas spirit yet), but now I wish that I hadn’t!
Your home decorating and your Christmas decor are so wonderful. The colors are fabulous. I must say your home is the best of the best of all of the bloggers home Christmas tours. Good job !!
Debbie – you are too sweet!!!! Thank you for making my day! 🙂 Linda
and you should. love how the reds just pop against the gorgeous navy and white backdrop. how clever to use the leftover fabrics to also cover the trees. i just love your festive holiday home. I bet you and totally into sitting in that family room right now reading this, ugh? Merry Christmas sweet Linda. I hope we will get a chance to catch up for real in 2015.
Thank you so much Laura for your sweet, sweet comment! I have to fight the kids for a space in that family room! And happy holidays to you and your family!
🙂 Linda
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, but this is the first post I’ve seen that had so many of your rooms and their details in one place. LOVE. All your Christmas decorating is awesome, but I love all the “year round” details even more. Loved both of those rugs, the black ottoman coffee table, the red and white Moroccan print fabric, the bead board (not sure if that’s the right word). And for some reason, I thought your big clock really set off that city village. It was the perfect backdrop for it.
You definitely nailed it! I am not really a Christmas person and hadn’t decorated in years. But I did manage to do a tiny bit this year. http://stacyrocks.com/christmas-decorating-for-the-lazy/
Stacy – thank you so much for your lovely compliments on my home! After three years of blogging, I finally feel like I’m getting things accomplished in my house. So each new holiday I can decorate and share even more rooms! Next up are some big DIY changes in the kitchen … and then I can dress it up for Christmas next year too!
Thanks again! 🙂 Linda
I enjoyed the tour, as well. Seems like no matter how hard I try to be on time for Christmas, it’s always a rush in the end. Some people complain about Christmas music and adverts starting in October. Frankly, I need the time to get ready! You did good!
Thank you for all your lovely comments today! You’ve made my day!!! 🙂 Linda
So beautiful and festive and homey. So many things to admire. Can you share where you got the snowflakes on the front door???
Dianne,
The snowflakes on the front door came from the Dollar Store. They were $1 for a multi-pack (I can’t remember how many, I picked them up last year. but I think I saw some again this year).
Thanks so much for you lovely comment!!! 🙂 Linda