Fresh Faux Greenery and Classic Christmas Decor
We made choosing our holiday decor easy this year by finding everything we need at The Home Depot! We always get a live tree. But didn’t have time to go out to a farm and cut one out this season. Instead we picked out a beautiful fresh Noble fir from our local Home Depot store. And picked up three 15’ fresh cedar garlands there, too!
Tree and Essential Accessories for Christmas Decor
We decked out the tree with other essentials from The Home Depot, like this beautiful light-up tree topper and these glass ornaments in “Smoke”. (HD has a glass ornaments in tons of colors, great way to add a specific color and I love the quality!) We also got this genius waterproof under-tree mat in Khaki (very close to our floor color). It’s covered by the tree skirt, but it protects the floor and provides a great base for the tree stand.
We also bought some new lights. We used to run into the problem of two strings in one color white and another strand in a warmer or cooler color… no good! We bought this roll of 300 lights–it’s over 98’ of LED lights that stay lit even if a bulb gets damaged or missing. Such an upgrade!
Garlands and More Greenery
I like to do a lot of natural elements like evergreen pieces as the foundation for our holiday decor. It’s classic, naturally beautiful, smells great, and goes with everything! I love to start with fresh greenery and add in some faux for fullness and variety. On our mantel, I combined a few old faux garlands that with a couple of the 15’ fresh cedar ones from The Home Depot. Asymmetrical garlands on mantels are trending and I’m so glad I tried this look!
I hung our stockings with these stocking clips this year instead of the weighted stocking hangers we’ve used before. These stocking clips are like magic and stretch to mantel ledges up to 3-in. tall.
I used the other garland to hang over the arched openings in our historic home. I used these medium wire Command hooks so we don’t damage the walls, and they are working great. The wire hook is easier to hook onto than the plastic kind. (Tip: if you hang the garland over an opening low enough, you can see it from both rooms!)
Throughout the House
In our dining room, I brought in this mini Christmas tree on the sideboard. I love adding holiday decor in more than just the living room. This tree comes pre-lit, super easy! I added a few small ornaments and garland for fun. (Side note: the blue-grey paint on this buffet is Dawn Gray by Behr from The Home Depot!
I also accented a large window in our dining room with a 24″ wide mixed greenery wreath with ribbon matching those on garlands. These old windows just scream for a wreath in front!
I added two more of these mixed greenery wreaths on the living room windows for a cohesive look (and LOTS of greenery!). Tip when buying faux greenery: choose pieces with a mix of varieties of faux evergreens. It looks more natural. That way if one of the types isn’t super realistic it blends in and you don’t notice. I hung all these wreaths with these small clear Command hooks.
Going Bigger
You can’t miss the big black chandelier in this large room! We actually just added that this Christmas season. This light fixture connection was capped since we bought the house and I think long before that, too. For such a large room, it’s hard to get enough lighting for certain tasks with accent lighting. Adding a 6-light chandelier has been a huge functional upgrade! Plus, it’s super wide so it has great presence and just enough traditional shape, while still being modern enough for our tastes. If you have a small, basic light fixture in a large room, consider replacing it with a piece that adds to the overall look of the room!
I’m absolutely in love with our holiday decor this season and love our new pieces from The Home Depot!
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Classic Outdoor Holiday Decor
The holidays are here! I can’t believe we are in December and Christmas will be here before we know it! I love decorating our home, and getting it all decked out for the holidays. One of my favorite areas to decorate is the outside of our home. Ever since becoming a homeowner a couple years ago, I have loved having the opportunity to make a festive statement for extra curb appeal.
The Process
Shopping for outdoor decor can be a bit overwhelming thinking about what style to get, how much stuff is too much, and trying to stay in budget. I followed this process to with making my selections.
- Browsed the outdoor holiday decor section on homedepot.com. Browsed each item to see which items caught my eye the most. There are so many products to choose from. You can go the route of inflatables or even nativity scenes.
- Assess your lawn before picking your items. You will want to get decor that will fit the style of your home.
- Start selecting items that will be cohesive. I opted to get a light angel and reindeer as I felt the aesthetic matched the most. I also chose to get white lights to frame the house to match the lawn figurines.
- Shop in store or online. What I love about The Home Depot is they have a huge selection both in store and online. Life can get a bit hectic so I opted to do my shopping online. If I was on a time crunch I would have taken advantage of their buy online, pick up in store option. I had these items delivered to my home and it was a breeze.
- Get to decorating! We hung the garland, put together the lawn figurines, and hung the door wreath. All of the items were easy to assemble. Don’t forget to stake your items because the moment the wind hits it will knock the items over.
Quick tip: I would first designate time to assemble the items, then decorate.
The Review
We absolutely loved the way everything turned out! The boys always love when we decorate our home. Next year, the boys are already making requests to get a giant inflatable Santa! Have fun with decorating and make it a fun family activity. Our boys had so much fun help in any capacity their little hands could!
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Deck the Halls and the Outdoors for the Holidays
Christmas is quickly coming upon us! I don’t know about you but I love making our entire house (tiny yard included) extra festive this time of year! Thanks to The Home Depot, I’ve already made a head start outdoors! I’ve mentioned before that our small yard is an extension of our home, even in December. Although New Mexico isn’t necessarily warm enough to entertain outdoors year round, it isn’t as cold as, say Fargo. 😉 Either way, we utilize this space for our great, big Christmas Eve party and it really is a lifesaver that evening. We have an outdoor fire pit and heater, so everyone is pretty comfortable. It at least allows for our guests to decide where they want to hang out and to move around. Our living space is limited, so we utilize the entire house for this particular party.
Since our patio is very visible throughout our downstairs living spaces, I like for it sparkle extra this time of year too! Taking on The Home Depot’s Holiday Style Challenge this year has been extra fun as I’ve had to think outside of the box (my house) a bit more. I knew I wanted for this space to incorporate several things this holiday season.
Sparkle
I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us want our houses to have that extra sparkle this year and Christmas lights are one of our favorite ways to add that sparkle, am I right?!? I chose these larger incandescent string lights to brighten our tree even more than before! I love these string lights. The glow is warm and the price is right!
Whimsy
I always enjoy a touch of whimsy to any space but especially at Christmastime! I felt a few {or a small family} of LED Lighted White Deer and these amazing birch trees would add just that! Notice the three deer…for our own three daughters. 😉 I could not love these gorgeous LED deer more! They’re from the Serenity Outdoor Collection, which is SO lovely by the way! Thejingle collars and pretty pinecone bows are such beautiful details.
These LED birch trees are gorgeous too and I am sure they may end up inside some time in the future as well. Just look at them! They really would be beautiful anywhere! As you know, I also have a thing for nature so these deer and birch trees check off that category as well. Double win!
Pop
A pop of color {even a neutral or metallic} or plaid in this case always helps to take a space to the next level. I have really been craving a more traditional and organic Christmas this year. This plaid woven throw is perfect outdoors or indoors! We love to bring a cozy blanket out here to cuddle up next to the fire pit with a warm drink and wonderful book. This plaid beauty is absolutely perfect!
I think this space is ready for a Christmas party and every day in between, don’t you? I love that The Home Depot carries so much to choose from and something for everyone! Be sure to check out the rest of their holiday decor for indoors and outdoors. You will not be disappointed!
One more space completed and a cozy space to retreat to in this holiday season! Happy holiday decorating!
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Festive Outdoor Christmas Decorations
One of my favorite Christmas childhood memories is driving around town to look at the homes decked out in Christmas lights. My dad, mom, sisters and I would all pile into the car and our first stop was always for some warm hot chocolate. Then, we would drive all over town looking for the best outdoor Christmas decorations. Sometimes, we would get lucky and find a whole block of houses with tons of twinkling lights.
I remember thinking back then, when I grow up and get a house, I’m going to decorate it with all the lights! So when The Home Depot reached out to me again this year and asked if I would like to participate in the 2019 Holiday Style Challenge, of course I said yes! The Home Depot has all the outdoor Christmas decorations I need to make our home completely festive for the holidays!
Winter Wonderland
If you are looking for creative ways to get your home festive with some fabulous outdoor Christmas decorations, I have a ton of ideas! Here’s my Christmas porch all ready for the holiday season with an added bonus this year. Mother nature joined in on the decorating and gave our home over 19 inches of fresh snow. It’s like a winter wonderland now!
Decorating our front porch for Christmas has always been one of my favorite activities. Every year, I decide to do something completely different, and I always love the finished look.
To keep the whole decorating process simple, I stick with a three step process. So, let’s break it down.
1. Pick Your Festive Color
This year I decided to stick with a pretty neutral color palette. I wanted greenery to be the focus with just a few touches of red and plaid scattered throughout the outdoor Christmas decor.
When I spotted this red braided outdoor area rug, I knew it would be perfect for our front door. I layered it on top of a neutral black and white striped rug. It’s a super fun combination – love it!
Next to the front step rugs, I created two outdoor Christmas planters. I filled the large planters with dirt and then added a red battery operated lantern in the center of each. Then, I inserted some fresh cedar and pine greenery all around the lanterns.
The greenery is really the star of the planters with the lanterns providing a nice red accent. The soft glow they give at night is a perfect way to flank the front door step in style.
2. Go Big with A Focal Point
Our porch has a special addition this year with this gorgeous pre-lit lightly flocked Christmas tree. It was so lovely just by itself, but I didn’t want to keep it totally bare. So I added a few red berry twigs here and there. It was just another way to incorporate that hint of red accent color once again.
The corner right next to the door was the perfect place to set it up. It lights up the corner at night beautifully, and it’s right by the door to welcome our holiday guests!
But that’s not the only tree on our porch! I went big with another mini porch tree placed by our side chair. Can an outdoor porch have too many Christmas trees? I think not!
The other side of the porch seating area got a festive addition with some fun red and plaid pillows. Toss a soft cozy throw on that seating bench, and you have a great place to sit and view the winter wonderland yard.
3. Add all the Twinkle
The front of our house needed some Christmas decor as well, so I simply added two artificial wreaths right on top of our sconce lights. These wreaths are so pretty! I love the plaid ribbon and extra additions of pine cones and berries. They compliment the porch so well!
Plus, these wreaths come with 50 battery-operated lights. So you know what that means? No cords!
The corner flocked Christmas tree definitely lights up the porch. But I just couldn’t stop there. I had to add a snowflake or two! These clear snowflake lights continue the glow from the tree to the rest of the front porch.
To complete the whole lighted look, my hubby and I added some warm led lights around the upper and lower edges of the house. This is the very first year we have ever added lights all the way to the very top of the house. I’m so grateful that my hubby was willing to get on the roof for me to make these outdoor Christmas decorations monumental!
Now all that is left for me to do is get the inside of the house just as decked out as the outside!
I hope these tips gave you some new creative ways to decorate your outdoors for the Christmas holiday! No matter how simple or elaborate you decorate your home this Christmas, remember the best part of the holidays are the treasured memories you will make with family and friends. Merry Christmas to you!
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A Ritzy Family Christmas Gathering
We’re hosting Christmas for the first time in years. I wanted to create an environment that shows the richness of our family bond, but also a space that feels cozy and festive. I like to say that my family and I are casual fancy people. I love this time of year because it gives my family and I a reason to fellowship and take a moment from our busy lives. I’m excited for the new memories we’ll create this Christmas.
For this year’s holiday decor, I decided to go a bit untraditional and do more of a ritzy, modern design. I went with a flocked tree, and absolutely love the fullness and height. We have typical 8-ft. ceilings and I wanted the space to feel grand, so I went with a flocked 7.5-ft. tree. (Here’s a tip: Add larger trees that almost touch your ceiling to get that “Grand Tree Effect”).
I chose brown, black, bronze, silver, white, deep gold, and clear ornaments that varied in size. I played a lot with texture as well. I found matte black ornaments, and shiny black ornaments; velvet ribbon and shiny ribbon; glitter ornaments and glass ornaments. Playing with different textures, shapes and sizes, makes the decor of a tree look more dynamic and visually appealing, giving off that ritzy look that I was going for. All of my ornaments can be found on homedepot.com or at your local store.
I didn’t stop my ritzy decor idea at the tree. I carried that same theme into the dining area. There’s something about setting the table with elegant flatware and glassware! It’s such a personal touch that gets my family excited about dining together, and makes them feel special. I ordered my entire table setting from momedepot.com to save time from running around to different stores. Starting with the center, I knew I wanted taper candles to add height to the table, so I found a matte black candle holder set and candle sticks.
Then, I added in some real pine tree branches that I actually bought in store from The Home Depot Christmas tree lot (they sell them in small bundles). I chose real stems because I wanted the aroma of pine to be throughout the house when my family arrives.
I love a layered plate setting. Online I found these beautiful small plates that say “love, share, enjoy, and gather” that can be used for salad or dessert, and I paired them with gold rim clear plates. I also added in a Christmas tree embroidery napkin between the salad plate and the dinner plate. The gold flatware takes this table setting to the next level. It has matte and polish brass finish that looks great against the shiny black table. I topped off each setting with these wine glasses that have pine cones engraved in them to give a festive touch.
I’m very excited for my family to see the holiday decor on Christmas day! I’m looking forward to playing card games with my sisters and cousins, and all the love and goofiness that happens when we all get together. So this Christmas, consider not only thinking about what colors you’ll choose for decor, but also think about the joy it will bring to everyone that comes to your home. If you’re hosting, set the table and make your guests feel special. Christmas is a time for fellowship with those closest to you. The decor is one way to help make that time most memorable. Check out homedepot.com and conveniently order everything you need for refreshing your home for the holidays!
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Traditional Nostalgic Christmas Tree
Every year as we say goodbye to Thanksgiving, we start to plan our Christmas Decor (or maybe even sooner). I typically decorate multiple trees, but I love nothing more than a fresh, live tree in our home. There’s just something about a real tree that adds a whole new level of coziness to our home.
I decided to let my kids take the wheel this year! I’m more of a neutral kind of person, but the kids all wanted color and fun this year, so we built upon this adorable Christmas Ornament Set.
Choosing the Perfect Christmas Tree
When you head out to look for a Christmas tree there are a few things to keep in mind. Knowing how you want to decorate your tree beforehand can help you determine which tree species to go with. Since I knew we wanted a nostalgic Christmas Tree, I was looking for something imperfect and a little sparse. I love how ornaments look on trees with lots of space between branches.
We used a Christmas Tree stand for trees up to 8’. It’s very important to choose the correct stand. Then we wrapped it with a tree collar instead of the more traditional tree skirt option. I love how this particular tree collar is magnetic, making it very easy to access the tree stand for adding water.
Stringing Lights on a Live Tree
After years of stringing lights on trees, I have determined the best way to do this is to go up and down vertically with the lights versus around. Not only is this easier to do with one person, but it also requires less lights and isn’t as difficult to take down at the end of the season. We used the 300-Light LED Mini Constant-On White String Lights. These came on a spool making it a breeze to unwind as I strung the lights on the tree. The spool also makes it great for storing after Christmas. To make things easier, I also purchased this basic timer so I don’t forget to to turn my lights off.
Decorating a Nostalgic Christmas Tree
Since the kids were in charge of decorating the tree, you can guess what they wanted to start with. Ornaments, of course!
The next step was to use the plain white Christmas balls to accent the decorative ornaments. Followed by these smaller ornaments to provide depth. I always suggest adding either white or black ornaments as an anchor in a tree color scheme. Since we were going with a bright and happy theme, I chose white.
Ornament Hanging Tips
When hanging the ornaments, we hung the mini ornaments and the icicles on the ends of branches. There’s just something nostalgic about ornaments that look like they are about to fall off. Probably because my kids have broken many ornaments this way. However, with all these shatterproof ornaments you won’t need to worry about that!
Add Beaded Garland
Now that the ornaments have been hung, it’s time to add the garland. I know it might seem silly to do these things out of order, but I truly believe these little details are what makes a difference in trying to get something feel a certain way, and layering things so that it is in fact seen in a certain way.
When adding the beaded garland, I started at the top and draped it as it worked with the branches. For a 7’-8’ tree, I used two boxes which gave us three layers across the tree.
Creating Memories
When decorating a tree, it’s important to add those personal touches. It’s not just about choosing the right colors, or the right size to create this perfect blend of everything. It’s ok to step back into childhood for a few minutes and break some decorating rules. Don’t feel like your tree has to look like anyone’s except your own! Every year I buy my kids special ornaments to remember as the years go on, and this ornament set was the inspiration for this year’s tree! We have so many new memories and funny little jokes from decorating our tree this year and I can’t wait to pull these ornaments back out next year and reflect on all the good moments!
Shopping List:
- Sugarplum Knoll Assorted Ornament Gold
- 300-Light LED Mini Constant-On White String Lights
- Winter White Shatterproof 4-Finish Christmas Ball Ornaments (24-Count)
- Resin Tree Stand for Live Trees up to 8 ft. Tall
- Plastic Christmas Collar Skirt Wrap Tree Stand for Trees Up to 15 ft. Tall
- Gold Bead Garland Christmas Ornament
- Red Multi Pack Ornaments in Icicle
- Holiday Traditions 1.5 in. Assorted Ornament Set
- 1875-Watt 15 Amp 24-Hour Indoor Plug-In Mechanical Timer in White
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