Christmas Home 2021

It has been a very long time since I have posted images for the Advent and Christmas season.

Today, I will be sharing some of my Advent & Christmas decor.

We moved from our previous home several months ago into a new home. This is our first Christmas season in the new home. Let's begin our short tour with Advent.

This year, I changed my Advent wreath center piece. I used a plain pine wreath that I purchased a few years ago and placed a candle holder within it. I purchased beeswax candles and decorated the wreath with pinecones and lamb's ear branches. Then I placed the Holy Family in the center for now.  

I love how simple it is and that the Family is very visible. This week, we lit the Third Advent candle, which is the rose candle, and it represents Joy. We await the light of the world, which is the Christ child, Jesus. We light a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas.  Technically, it is currently the Advent season, but the majority of people are not aware of this since, over the decades, commercialism has distorted the celebration of the season.  I won't get into that, though.  But we are in the season of Advent, the season of waiting for the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.  It is then the first day of the Christmas season, and it lasts 12 days; hence, if you are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," now you know why they sing about it. Again, the song has great meaning, but again, I will not get into that now, but you may look it up.  This year's Advent wreath is on our dining table.

As you enter our home, you will see our favorite Hobby Lobby table that I purchased a couple of years ago.  You may have seen it on the previous Instagram account if you followed.

I have the Nativity displayed on top. I purchased it at Kirkland's. 

On each side, I placed a little pine tree with lights and of course my diffuser sits on a corner to give the essence of the season since I do not have real tree.

On the bottom, I have placed houses and a church that all light up to make the evening luminous.

There are pom poms and decorative branches to make it look festive. I'll change it up next year.

 I do not have a cocoa bar this year, but instead have this lovely tier trey displaying some of our festive mugs. It looks like the shape of a Christmas tree and so I placed a small Nativity on the very top. We have a snowman family, St. Nicholas and other festive pieces.

Moving along, you then walk over to the breakfast area. 

Above, I had a little snowman with flowers and no tablecloth.  Since this picture was taken, I have changed it to what it is below.  I placed a tablecloth and added a rosemary plant. Of the two, which do you like better?

And finally, we have our tree. 

This is the Kennedy Fir Narrow tree from Tree Classics.  

Tree Classics has now merged with Balsam Hill. This tree was the perfect size for this space so if you need something narrow, I recommend this one. It looks very real, and it is easy to assemble.

My theme is somewhat country, but I added pieces from when my son was little, snow, pinecones, and other ornaments. My favorite is the cotton stems on the top of the tree. 

I hope that you enjoyed this very simple Christmas tour and hope that you will link yours below in the comment area so we can all visit your home tour. 

I hope that you enjoy the rest of the season.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Happy Advent and

Merry Christmas!

Bring on the Merry: Gift Ideas

I have been missing from here for quite a while, and it has been due to life-changing circumstances, friends.  I want to thank you for sticking around. Life is certainly different, but I trust that along this difficult road, my family & I are not alone. Getting back on track here will be a process as I try to figure out how to manage it. I know many of you have had difficulties in the last couple of years, too.  It seems that everyone I meet now has gone through or is going through something difficult.

I find myself writing in journals and bible study books instead of online. It's easier and it feels rewarding somehow. I don't have to log on to anything, I can open my book and begin writing.

It's a healthier way to work with your talents, ideas and creativity. This book in particular helps bring in some peace of mind especially during the coming season.

The season is almost upon us, friends, and while we are preparing for Thanksgiving, which will be very soon, I think one of the best places to shop is Dayspring online.

 One of the items available is this lovely journal. I think it will make either a great gift for someone or for yourself.  During this time, I think it is greatly needed to bring on the joy and cheer. Candace Bure is the author and if you are familiar with her then you know that you will get something good. Shop the Exclusive Candace Cameron Bure Collection now!  

There are daily devotionals in this book that point to life changing words from the Bible and encourage to focus on living in a relationship with Jesus- especially during this busy time of the year.  I love that there are interactive activities that guide me in reflecting more deeply on my readings. 

This book has lovely stories, poems, and song lyrics to keep the season alive as you read through.

I find that the best time for me is in the morning in order to keep all the goodness of it within and share with others like I am doing with you now. 

There are so many lovely items on Dayspring to get us ready for the season, gifts for friends, family, and neighbors. I have chosen this lovely set of greeting cards to share with friends as a reminder of what Christmas is really about. 

This illustration is so simple yet so lovely. There are many to choose from, though, and you can't go wrong. There are also sweet gifts to share, like the honey pot below.  It is simply adorable.

I love this honey jar, if you are interested in getting one just visit DaySpring Cards Inc before they are gone. This is definitely one to have. Lastly, I wanted to share my new mug with you, I will get some of these items as gifts for friends as well because they are beautiful.

The mug has a message on both sides, and I love that it is not heavy, it is well made and comfortable to hold. My morning coffee is extra special with the reminder written on it.

These make lovely gifts.  Visit Dayspring!

Thank you for stopping by and reading my post today. You are appreciated!

* This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase.

Antique Farmhouse Home Decor Ideas

(Antique Farmhouse)

Hello friends, it's been a minute since I have posted.  Now that we are getting close to the holiday season and people are already decorating their homes, I thought I'd share some finds. I was browsing over at the Antique Farmhouse and they have so many wonderful pieces for the Holidays. I want to share it with you before they are all gone. They are so beautiful and yet subtle. Take, for instance, this beautiful wreath.

Christmas Tree Storage Solution

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. We have enjoyed our Christmas celebration this year.

With family and friends as we have sung songs, played games, and feasted on sweets. As

we move into the twelve days of Christmas, it is our tradition to keep our Nativity set out until

the Epiphany, which falls on January 6th. The rest of our Christmas decoration is

put away until next Christmas. This year, I have partnered with Tree Classics to share

our storage tips.

For this campaign, I received a Deluxe Upright Tree storage bag from Tree Classics to
put away the Christmas tree and decorations with ease as we transition into the New Year.
When I received the Deluxe Upright Tree storage bag, I unpacked the bag from the box and laid
it out on the floor to get a better look.  My Tree Classics Christmas tree is 7.5 feet tall, so this
storage bag is a perfect storage solution.


To store your tree, make sure to unplug it, then remove all of the ornaments and decorations.
At our home, we usually start from the bottom of the tree and work our way up
to the top until everything is removed. I lay the ornaments on the table and then store them
away after the tree is in the storage bag. Here’s a tip to help make your transition
a bit easier. Purchase one to three ornament storage containers so that your
ornaments are all in one place when you need them.  This makes storing and decorating so
much easier year after year. Many places offer storage containers for
ornaments, including online. You may be creative and use anything around your home as well.
I am currently using one of these storage boxes for my glass ornaments, and store my other
ornaments in bags to store them inside the tree bag, inside the bottom pocket.



Once all the decorations have been removed from the tree, I unplug each section of my Kennedy
Fir Narrow Christmas Tree from the center.  This will make it easy to move the tree sections if
they need to be moved.

The storage bag that I received is a tough canvas-like material.  It feels thick and sturdy, plus
it looks like it will keep out dust and dirt from the tree. The bag has sturdy compression straps
that provide the tree with maximum support, which I love.  This bag accommodates fully
assembled trees that measure up to 7.5 feet tall and features an extra pocket for storing away
extra ornaments and accessories.






The side handles make moving the tree easy. A clear tag holder allows you to identify the bag’s
contents conveniently.



The bag measures 30” long x 30” wide x 89” high and is made of heavy-duty 100% polyester
fabric.  The storage bag attaches to your tree stand and may be used as a simple tree skirt
during the Christmas season.

(Below is the image of the top opening of the Tree Bag.)


When it is time to put your tree away, you will open the bag, lay it flat on the ground, and put
your arm through to the bag until you reach the bottom, where you will place your tree stand.
Then align the bag with your tree base and slide the bag over it.  Tip the bag over to fasten the
straps to your tree stand with the buckles provided, then flip the stand back over.  Place your tree
on the stand, and make sure that there are no ornaments on your tree.  Have two people pull the bag
upwards like a funnel; it compresses the branches upwards as you move it. Once you reach the
top of the tree, gather the bag and pull the string tight. If you have a tree that is taller than
7.5 feet, you may have to remove the top of the tree and place it in the bottom pocket.
When the tree is in the bag, fasten the buckles on the sides to further compress it into place.
To store it, carefully tilt it a bit and carry the tree into storage until next year.

When it is that time of the year again, grab your tree from storage, unfasten the top zippers &
straps, pull them down and gather them on the inside of the bag’s base to hide the rest of the
bag forming a tree skirt.

I love my Tree Classics Christmas Tree Storage Bag; it is easier for me to put away my tree as
well as carry it out to get it ready for the Holidays. I think it is a great quality bag, I do not see
any negatives, but only the convenience of this bag. If you want a Tree Storage bag, head over
to Tree Classics; they are having a sale right now!

Thank you, Tree Classics, for hosting the Deluxe Upright Storage Bag campaign.

Be sure to visit  Laura from Pet Scribbles for more creative ideas on how to store your
Christmas decorations and ornaments, and visit the Tree Classics Facebook page live at
7:30 EST as the campaign closes with Jennifer Lutz from Tree Classics.

*Disclosure: Tree Classics sponsored the item in this post. I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. There may be affiliate links in this post. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

Christmas House Walk 2017

(*Some products were compensation of honest reviews.  All opinions are mine.)

Welcome to our home! It has been a couple of years since I posted a Christmas home tour.
I mean, who can compete with those amazing Christmas homes around the web?
I usually decorate with handmade pieces, old pieces, and perhaps with a couple of new ones
when possible.
We begin our little tour at our front doo,r where you are met with our grapevine snowman
and our semi-handmade wreath.  Come in!

As you enter, you may encounter the scent of Northern Lights Black Spruce Essential Oil or
Christmas Spirit from Young Living is diffusing in the next room. It is so fragrant and brings forth
the coziness of Christmas.
As you continue to walk in, you will encounter our kitchen, and you will see my little hot cocoa
section, set up on the counter.

Our living room is decked out with the Nativity scene on the mantel and our Tree Classics
Christmas tree.  In the evening, when the Christmas lights are all on, it just has a magical
ambiance, and I love it. There are also hidden lights on the Nativity Scene.



Every year, I place our Advent Wreath on our kitchen table, and this year, I am using the same
wreath that I made last year, but with new candles.  I also added a Christmas sign above the chalkboard.





We end the tour in our dining room with a simple festive plaid tablecloth and red candles.
I really wanted to add red here. I hope that you enjoyed our very simple and short Christmas tour.
I would have posted more, but with all the rain here and darkness, it makes it hard to capture everything.
I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and festive Holidays ahead.

DIY: Christmas Tree in a Bottle Ornament

Bring a unique Christmas style to your home with this handmade ornament!  Add this bottle
brush tree decoration to your collection of Christmas ornaments and look forward to hanging 
it up on your tree every holiday season. Hang it up in the center of a wreath on your front door. 
You can even simply set it on a table or shelf to add a bit of festive holiday spirit wherever 
you need it. You may even tie several together to create a fun garland for your decor needs.

This ornament contains a tiny winter scene that will perfectly complement the rest of the 
festive ornaments on your life-size tree! It's been partially filled with artificial snow, 
making it look like a winter weather scene. 

To make an ornament like this, you will need the following:

• artificial snowflakes/flurries
• small glass bottles with cork tops (four inches or smaller)
• small bottle brush Christmas trees (different sizes optional, but those that fit inside bottles)
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• string for hanging (your choice of string)
• looped hooks to place the string

To begin, you may cut the amount of string that you need and tie it through the looped hooks
as seen below.



Screw the hook into the cork making sure it is tight and snug.  You may twist it into the cork
with your hands.



Next, add a drop of hot glue to the bottom of the bottle brush tree and place it into the glass
bottle.



For the wintry effect, add the snowflakes into the bottle, pushing it gently with a thin stick,
coffee straw, or kabob stick so it stay at the bottom. Then add the cork to the top gently,
but tightly to close it.  Make sure it is not loose. Some may feel more comfortable by adding glue
to secure it, but I did not add glue to mine, and it is fine.

You may make several of these for your Christmas Tree or home decor. They will be great
for an ornament exchange party; the ideas are endless. Aren't they adorable? I love it!




These are just too cute and so easy to make, you may be able to find the supplies at any craft
store.
Let me know your thoughts, and thank you for stopping by for some Christmas inspiration
today.
Happy crafting!