Christmas Tour 2008

I've never participated in the Christmas Home Tour before, so this is all new for me. This is so exciting to share my home during my most FAVORITE time of the year.....

WELCOME and Merry Christmas!!

As you stroll through my home, you'll see that I have a little bit of an addiction to greenery & white lights. If there's a flat surface, I like to brighten it up with some needles & lights.

I also have a an addiction to snowmen. My brother-in-law comes into our house every year and counts my snowmen because he can't stand them. I think they're cute AND they can be left up through February without feeling like a lazy lump who didn't take their Christmas decorations down in a timely manner ~ he-he :)

{Please don't mind the toy mess on the hearth...can't seem to escape that around here}

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care.....and yes, they are handmade by me. I made my hubby's and mine as a Christmas present before we were ever married. Followed a pattern and my mom helped me. The kids' stockings are my own design and I'm quite proud of them. I've helped my friends make stockings for their families, too. It's getting to be quite the tradition to have to get together and make another stocking every time one of us has another baby.

You'll notice that we don't have many Santa decorations. You'll find 3 nesting Santas in this arrangement, but they were a gift and I think they're adorable. I don't buy Santa decorations.

We want to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas around here.

Which you may be thinking is a celebration of snowmen.....however, I think it might be a little over the top if I decorated my entire mantle with Jesus figurines.

Instead, I prefer my simple nativity scene that stands in our kitchen (where we spend a majority of our lives). I bought it at a craft show a while back. Mary with Baby Jesus and the wise man had to be replaced about 3 years ago. Found them chewed up under the dishwasher....LONG story. I'm just glad I was able to replace them!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my dining room fireplace mantle.

No, we don't live in an old house (8 1/2 years old) and no, the fireplace isn't real.

I bought the mantle at a yard sale pretty soon after we moved in here and it seems like the dining room has been a work in progress ever since. Mark mounted it to the wall and cut out the wall behind it. Eventually, the "inside" will be painted black and we'll get a slate hearth put in, but for now, it's fine.

This is our FAKE tree. Got it about 2 years ago. Used to go out and chop down a tree every year, but the last time we did that, I ended up sitting in the car with 2 sleeping children while Mark went out on the hunt for the perfect [$80!!!!] tree in the freezing cold and snow. Figured maybe we'll do it again when the kids can actually enjoy it. :)

Notice the bottom 2 feet of the tree is NOT decorated. House full of boys under 5....

I hope you enjoyed the tour. If you'd like to see more homes, you can click here.