No Place Like Home For The Holidays!

The holidays at our home are in full swing. Holly and I, both love decorating our home right after Thanksgiving. In fact, the autumn decor comes down the day after Thanksgiving and we typically can get all our christmas decor up in one day. I love being surrounded by things that remind me of my childhood. Things that remind Holly of her childhood, and things that remind us both of the history we are making together.



You have to have jingle bells on the front door. Traditionally, jingle bells are typically on a black leather strap to represent Santa's belt. At least, that was the way it was in both our childhood homes. We found a modern spin on a wreath in pretty chartreuse and red.



Lots of silver, chartreuse and red make up our color scheme.



Our holiday home is not complete without some reminder of Colonial Williamsburg. Pineapples, the symbol of hospitality existed in colonial times, as well continuing in southern traditions and elsewhere. The crystal pineapple candle holders are a fun thing we picked up a few years ago to decorate with at Christmas time.



Making sure our console is decked for the holidays.



We like to put out candy jars, and were pretty excited to find these chocolate balls in chartreuse foil. The almost match perfectly all the chartreuse bobbles on our Christmas tree.



The reason we celebrate Christmas. The Holy Family with shepherds, sheep and other animals.



The Three Wise Men. I like the detail on the camel that accompanies them.



The holiday table.



Another Colonial Williamsburg tradition, setting out the Raleigh Tavern antique reproduction lantern. Also a few folk Santa's that I have carved, the two on the left. And a purchased Santa that has Amish quilt patterns on it. That Santa reminds Holly and I both of my Mom.



My family likes to do lots of craft projects. My Grandma on my Mom's side had a cookie jar that all us kids remember from years ago. My Mom had one in our house as well. Both painted to their own liking and home surroundings. When I was away on my LDS mission for two years, my oldest sister Shelly and my Mom found the same ceramic Santa Cookie Jar. All my sisters, and my sister-in-law got together and made Santa Cookie Jar's for their own homes. My sister had me that Christmas back in 1994 and made me my own cookie jar for my home someday. Holly and I have enjoyed putting this under our Christmas Trees every year since we've been married.



Shelly also made me a fun elf another year for Christmas. She found a fun pattern and sewed this with my other sisters again. Most of us all have one of these holiday elf's in our homes. He looks fun situated on our new Eames white rocking chair.



The Christmas Tree pattern from Spode China is another holiday tradition from both our childhoods. Growing up, we always ate off the Spode China for the Christmas Eve buffet, and for every Sunday dinner in December. Holly's family also had pieces of Spode China too. We both remember the candy box growing up. This piece of china was discontinued 10-11 years ago. They've been very hard to find. I've been on a waiting list with a china company for years, waiting for one to show up from a store that has gone out of business or an estate that was acquired. I was able to find one in October of this year. I gave it to Holly for her Birthday. It's been a fun addition to our holiday this year, to have the candy box that reminds us both of our childhoods.



No Christmas is complete without decorating the kitchen. In our home, lots of stuff gets made in the kitchen at Christmas time and all year round. We've had fun gathering a few fun holiday tins to put out in the kitchen. I like this one by my KitchenAid stand mixer...