Why Should Mantles Have All the Fun?!?

December has flown by!!  I knew it would, but I can't believe Christmas is this week already!  I always have this long list of things to do during December it seems -- shopping, wrapping gifts, decorating, work, blog posts, baking, entertaining, shopping, wrapping!  :)

So I am crossing a few things off my list!  Not because I finished them, but  because I am not going to finish them!  I think my sanity is a little more important than a DIY wreath tutorial post that I didn't get to!!  Thanks for understanding!

DIY Front Door Wreath 
Decorating my Office
Christmas Decorating {Part 3}
DIY Christmas Artwork

But maybe I can get a few more Christmas posts out....before Christmas.............

I don't know about you, but I don't have a mantle.  Or a fireplace for that matter!  So, during the holidays, especially for Christmas, I kind of treat my entry way table as my "mantle" because you can style it in kind of the same way!

I start with something tall in the middle -- for me it's a tall antique, gold mirror from the den.  Then I layer in a table runner, an artificial garland of greenery, add in some pine cones and some Christmas decor.

{sources}

"December 25" sign is from end of the year 2013 discount at Meijer

Silver Deer Head also end of year discount at Meijer

Red & Black Buffalo Check table runner is actually a scarf from Goodwill

Red Yarn Tree is a DIY from a couple years back

Paper Tree is DIY a couple years back from dictionary pages

I will be entertaining and hosting family on Christmas Eve at my house.  I love having a decorated entry way to greet my guests.

Only 3 more days till Christmas!!!

2014 Christmas Home Tour {Part 2}

It's amazing what a little sunshine can do.  There was finally some sunshine here in Indiana after about a week of gray skies and rain.  So I ran for my camera and starting snapping more Christmas photos.

My dining room isn't huge.  Really it is just a extension of my living room because it is all one big space.  We eat all of our meals here, it is occasionally my work space, my craft space, and now my wrapping station during the holidays.  So it does get used a lot!  My favorite part of my dining room is definitely the buffet table I refurbished a few years back.  It is also one of my favorite areas to decorate for the holidays because it is such a focal point of the space!

I love how the neutral Christmas decor pops off the bright, cheery yellow antique buffet table!

A great tip is to use your everyday items in new ways with your Christmas decor.  Here, I used my West Elm white honeycomb vase with my Christmas decor and just filled it with some artificial greenery and some fresh magnolia leaves.

My chalkboard (made from an old window) gets moved around the house.  I love it leaned against the wall here, with a simple wreath hanging on it with just some simple ribbon.  It is the same ribbon I used to decorate my Christmas tree, so that all the decor is coordinating.

That's my dining room!  There is more to show in my home soon.  You know every room needs a little touch of Christmas throughout......

See {Part 1} of my 2014 Christmas Home Tour here!

2014 Christmas Home Tour {Part 1}

What's black and white and green all over?!?

My Holiday Home tour!!!

Welcome to my holiday home tour {part 1} because there are just too many pretty photos of Christmas decorating inspiration to show all of them in just one post!

Last year, I went with the traditional rustic red Christmas decor.  Which I loved!  But if you know me, I can't decorate my home for Christmas exactly the same every year.  That would just be way too easy.  

I love all things black & white.  So this year I have tried to add in a bit more of a simple color pallet with black & white & lots of green!  And of course a little red thrown in there too because I didn't go out and buy all new decorations.  I use the things I have in new ways and maybe not use everything every year. And lots of gold and sparkle too!! 

 Okay, so I have to admit, I did buy a few new things to add into my holiday decorating this year!!!  I fell in love with this Pottery Barn "All is Calm All is Bright" Pillow Cover but I couldn't justify the $30 price tag.  So when GroopDealz offered it online for $10.99 I was SOLD!   And it totes-adorbs!

 I also bought this For The Love of Letters sign .  It was $5 at Home Goods so I couldn't pass it up!  She is my all time FAVORITE local artist and it doesn't hurt that she is the sweetest person ever!  So I always buy her artwork when I see it.  I posted more about it here. 

I also bought this deer head to add to my collection of holiday deer head decor from World Market!  I am obsessed with it!!!  I also may be a little obsessed with deer heads in general right now!! I just have to figure out where I am going to hang this guy after the holidays.  He is too handsome to hide away in a box for 48 weeks of the year.

I also purchased this Smith & Hawken boxwood wreath from Target.  I have been eyeing this wreath for my front door for quite some time.  So when the sales rolled around and coupons came in, I snagged it up!  I have shopped around for a natural, dried boxwood wreath for a while, so I knew I was getting a great deal on this one.

 I do a lot of DIY projects for my Christmas decor.  Which saves me a lot of money -- not so much time.  But that is okay!  I think that is what Christmas is for -- fun crafts and homemade decor!!  It just makes it that much more meaningful!

My "NOEL" banner was made last year out of burlap and white ribbon.  I hand-lettered the artwork on craft paper and stapled it to the back of these rustic frames that I already had hanging here.  More on that later.

And now for the tree...

I have to admit....decorating the tree is my least favorite thing to decorate in my house.  I always leave it for last.  And this year I left it up with just the lights on it for over a week!  I was really dreading decorating it.  I don't know if it is because I am such a control freak and the thought of not being able to control the placement of each limb and each little light gives me anxiety or the fact that I know how long it takes just to decorate this little tree of mine, but I always leave it for last!

 Once the tree is finally decorated, I love how it looks!!  The twinkling lights, every special ornament hanging on the branches.  At night, it is definitely my favorite thing to see my glowing Christmas tree in the corner of our home.

What's up next on the Christmas home tour..........dining room, kitchen, entry way, guest room, and all the fun little areas in between!  

You can see how I made these DIY tree vases here.

All of the details of the DIY tree slice ornaments are here from my craft day.