Christmas Home Tour 2016

Christmas wreath frosted glassWelcome to my home.

I love this brick house - cozy and bright, warm and charming - in all seasons.

We have white double doors with frosted glass windows, adorned with a festive wreath.

This year, Tim went out and brought home a tree that I immediately dubbed the "Charlie Brown" tree. The poor baby is absolutely pathetic. Pitiable, really. He and the girls heartily added ornaments and strung golden ribbon around it, but it remained quite the ugly duckling. Neither of us had the heart to take it back though so here we are.

He bought the tree because it is "live" in every sense of the word, meaning it is in a pot and he plans to plant it in our yard on Christmas morning. I actually love that he thinks sustainably and one day I know I'll look up into its towering branches and be happy for his foresight.

Our six stockings (from Pottery Barn Kids - so gorgeous and on-sale right now!) hang cheerfully over the fireplace. It's like a dream come true to have four children. Their names are embroidered on the top of each stocking. I'd show you a picture of them all strung across our mantle, but I am still woefully undecided about using my children's names on the web. Even after more than a decade of blogging, I still consider their privacy very seriously and tread carefully in this arena.

pottery barn kids angel stockings

Swan Stocking Pottery Barn Kids

Almost every night of winter, Tim stokes a tremendous fire and we sit in the library with books wide open on our laps. I'm reading aloud from the final Mysterious Benedict book (so good!) and we typically read 1-2 chapters before bedtime.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Other than that, our decorations mostly consist of mountains of books (Christmas and otherwise) - usually taking up every available seat, much to Tim's consternation. Our favorite five - Jonathan Toomey, The Grinch, Papa Panov's Special Day, A Doll for Navidades, and Apple Tree Christmas.

Favorite Christmas Picture Books

We also have a nativity set on the mantle, reminding us of the marvel of God becoming man to live among us. Having a baby boy in the house this Christmas makes the story all the more real - and all the more mysterious.

nativity set

angel and nativity set

Christmas babyHow do you decorate for Christmas? What are your favorite Christmas picture books? Do you use your children's names on Facebook, Instagram, and/or on your blogs? Chime in! I cherish every comment.

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2 comments on “Christmas Home Tour 2016”

  1. Merry Christmas! Love seeing your home!
    We decorate in various ways each year. Sometimes I have gone all out and put puffy snow on the counters and put our decorations "in the snow" and things like that... but this year I scaled back - we have a wooden nativity from Melissa & Doug, and greenery and lights around the house, plus our tree. Our stockings are white and gold, but I always wished we had some personalized ones.
    I also like to hang up all the Christmas cards we receive around our kitchen mirror or doorway.
    Our favorite Christmas picture books this year have been Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (well, that is the KIDS' favorite, not mine!), and Song of the Stars. I also love illustrated Christmas Carol books like from Mary Englebreit.
    I don't use my kids' names on the blog or social media on purpose, but probably they have slipped out when I am chatting with a real-life friend on Instagram... :/ And I've done a few TV spots where they are mentioned so, I know they are "out there" but I just avoid it when I can.

    Have a very Merry Christmas!

    1. I forgot to post a picture of our photo card display! We create one out of ribbon and mini clothespins every year. It always makes me smile to see photos of family & friends from near and far.

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