Beginning the Decorating

I feel as if we just moved in and finished unpacking and organizing. Now it is time to decorate for Christmas!

After being in the former home for 39 years I was in a comfortable position of knowing how and what I would do. Now with the new home I am a newbie!

The open spaces do give a bit of freedom of not feeling closed in by too many items.

I began in the dining room and put up my "woodlands" skinny tree. Since it has a bit of autumn colors it seems only proper that this tree gets to be the leader.

The ribbons were from Hobby Lobby and most of the other decor have been in my stash from previous years of Walmart. Nothing can beat the burlap poinsettias!  A few pine cone picks and birds add to the woodland theme.

A country and East Tennessee Christmas seems to bring back memories of cutting an evergreen pine to be used as I was growing up. In the first years of our marriage we tried the purchase of live trees that could be planted in the yard after the holidays. The trees became a bright Tennessee orange--meaning that they promptly died.  

The Farm Fresh sign was this year's find at TJMaxx during our last Florida visit. A couple of Target dollar spot trees add to the buffet. 

Now on to the next tree that welcomed our first Christmas at 151.

After all, these skinny trees become a quick addition. Using red ornaments, plaid ribbons, and several memories from my teacher gifts has brightened up even the cloudiest of days!

What would Christmas be without a little cooking and baking? This nook area is definitely one that I enjoy. The World Market everett sofa table is a joy to display items from Rae Dunn, Possible Dreams Santa, and more things I have collected over the years.

A quick peek into the living area reveals I have more time to enjoy exploring new options in sharing my Christmas decor.

Christmas Kitchen and Dining Room

Christmas will be here before I snap pictures of 2016 Christmas at Home Front Thoughts.  The days are cloudy so I have decided to give the camera a try. It has been a year since we updated our kitchen with hardwood flooring and white painted cabinets. I can absolutely say that I haven't regretted that decision for a second.

The pop of color really seems to stand out against a white background (as well as fingerprints and smudges).

The kitchen and dining room are all part of an open space concept. We have removed a wall between the spaces to open it up.

The kitchen cabinets were originally oak and were painted a Sherwin Williams color--WestHighland. It is a creamy white. On the cabinets and island it appears much more white than the buffet.

I painted the buffet with the same color paint but used chalk additives. That may explain the more creamy appearance than traditional white.

The dishes on the shelves were my mom's. She loved decorating also and would have many plates in her kitchen and dining room. These are some of those that I will treasure forever!

The JOY candlesticks came from a department store about twenty years ago. She had a set and gave me this set. I have used them ever since. The plates are some from her visits to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

May Peace be more than a season. I can imagine that of all years our nation needs a little bit of this! These were from Cracker Barrel a few years ago.

My recent addiction to Rae Dunn dinnerware is overtaking my space. I admit, I have a problem! The hunt for the next piece is keeping me busy and entertained!

The dining area is somewhat of a mismatch to me this year. The tree is decorated in a winter theme--complete with top hat, white and blue ornaments, and snowflake ribbon. I couldn't find a table runner that suited the decor so I placed some silk flowers in a white vase to transition the many Christmas colors. I always say I am going to leave this tree up through January but I also seek a fresh start with the new year. That means I am usually stripping decor and simplifying.

Merry Christmas at Home Front Thoughts 2016!

Christmas in the Family Room

December. Time to change the decor. Instagram is igniting the beauty of the season. But...can I even attempt to make my home resemble those I see?

I sit back and take a breath--time to think gratitude. Thankful that I have a home to call my own. Thankful to have made changes this year to it.

I am loving all the white I've added since last Christmas--the white bookcases that flank the fireplace and the white sofa. It certainly gives me the ability to create color combinations of any I can imagine. Red, white, and black are the dominant colors. I have added buffalo check ribbons to the tree and the fireplace.

Target dollar spot had several buffalo check items this year and I purchased the tree garland. I like the way it plays off the fireplace.

Gingham pillows were an easy addition and I found those on Amazon. I like that they have zippers so I can easily store the covers. The other pillows I found at TJMaxx. Seems like buffalo check is in style as Old Navy even had blanket/throws so I grabbed one of those. My puppy loves the cozy flannel feel of it. I do too!

Seeing the red truck decor does bring back memories of searching for that perfect REAL tree. This pillow cover was a steal from Decor Steal! I found the truck and tree at Hobby Lobby and with the 50% off it was quite a reasonable purchase.

Next year I may move to a more neutral decor. But this year I need the brightness!

I did pick up a few Santa Clauses to place around the room. Some belonged to my mother and others I found on EBAY. These are the Possible Dreams Santas that are released each year. 

My favorite is this one with the American flag! Proud to be an American!

Merry Christmas from my family room to you!