You're here! I've been expecting you. You are my FAVOURITE kind of holiday visitor; you can't give me your cold and you're physically incapable of eating all of the snacks that I put out which I really want to keep all for myself. Welcome virtual guests to my 2019 Christmas house tour.
If you've ever bought a cartload of food for a party, all of which is appealing to you, you know what I'm talking about. You put the Ruffles & Dip out and begrudge every handful of chips that someone smashes into their mouth.
Who am I kidding. I buy the Ruffles & dip for the party and then don't put them out when people come over rationalizing there's already too much food. But really I just don't want them to eat any of my Ruffles & dip. I want them for me.
Although that could be just me, what with my interest in potato chips. Mind you, I feel the same way when someone eats the Italian blue cheese I put out, the cured meats or the specialty crackers. And the bacon wraps??? I never EVER put out all of the bacon wraps at a party. I hold several back in the freezer and when someone asks if there are any more bacon wraps I emphatically say NO to their face, while whispering "not for you there isn't" under my breath as I walk away.
Like I said, you aren't going to eat my chips or my bacon wraps so you're welcome to take a look around and stay as long as you like.
Welcome to my house and its Christmas decorating for 2019.
Christmas Decorating Ideas.
My collection of Christmas trees (most given to my by my friend Anj) on top of my hardware cabinet in the kitchen along with the famous white truck everyone loves.
On the island I have a live tree that's significantly bigger than I thought it was when I bought it. The top has a bronze glass bird with a feather tail and the rest of the ornaments are a few from my collection of antique ornaments.
If you have leftover greenery, put a few branches in bottles, jars or vases. You really don't need to do anything other than stick them in there. Don't worry about adding anything else. A few evergreen branches in a vase are casually elegant all on their own.
This was the day I was waxing my amaryllis bulbs. You can read my full tutorial on how to make your own waxed amaryllis bulbs here. I started them late this year so these won't bloom until after Christmas. I'm also doing a bit of a trial this year, soaking half of my bulbs in water with fertilizer and the other half with no fertilizer. I'll update my waxed amaryllis post with the results once I know them.
The filthy range of a Christmas cook.
I change things up every year for Christmas, but these wreathes are always here on my cabinet doors. The one thing I did change on the wreaths this year, was to attach 2 antique sleigh bells to each wreath.
Yup, I know. You LOVE deer heads. Yup, I know. You HATE deer heads. Moving onto the dining room ...
I've had a tall white imitation tree in this corner for about a decade now. Possibly more. I still love the white tree but let me tell you, an imitation, completely flocked tree will leave your house looking like you left a room full of puppies and feather pillows together for the day. That flocking gets EVERYWHERE and seems, as far as I can tell, to literally jump off the tree.
Margaret watches over everything because she has nothing else to do on account of the fact that she's a painting. My saddle sits on my rickety saddle stand, with 2 baskets set in front. The baskets are filled with dry beans that I still have to shuck this winter.
I'm also making sleigh bells to hang off of my doorknobs. I bought these antique bells years ago to do this, but never got around to it. This year I'm DOING it.
I mean, I took these photos a week or so ago and the bells are still sitting exactly there on the dining room table, but I'm fairly sure I'm going to do them this year. I think. Once I've watched all the Hallmark movies, I will do them.
For the season I took up all the Turkish scatter rugs I had running down this area because I really like how the floors look leading up to the tree at the back in its wicker basket.
My living room that still hasn't been done over has one peaceful corner. This is it.
The rest of the room is a mishmashdisaster.
First thing in the New Year I'm going to round up all my interior designer friends to ask them why I can't get my house to feel Christmas cozy during the rest of the year. I mean there has to be something we can do to make our homes feel like they do at Christmas without resorting to leaving our lights and garland up.
I know it has to do with lighting and layering. But I want EXPERT advice. I'll pass it on of course, once I get answers.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have antique Christmas ornaments which I've been collecting for years and years. Many of them were broken in the great tree toppling of 2005. One of my readers heard about it and gave me a box of her antique ornaments which she didn't use. The two most noticeable ones are the 2 big balls on the tree below. One light blue and one light pink.
And of course there are dried orange slices. You can read about how to make them here. I made them 3 years ago and they're still perfect. As they age they get darker but they're still beautiful and look like stained glass when they're in front of a light.
Also new this year is the massive antique pot that I have my tree in. I bought it at a flea market this fall knowing this is probably the only thing I'm going to use it for. But I HAD to have it for one reason. The old riveted repair on the bottom of it.
That one thing is what sold me on this pot. That and the patina.
Back to that thing I do where I hoard and hide party food. Of course it only stays hidden for a week before it shows up in my back fat.
But I'm not alone in that, right? Do you do it too?
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Stephanie
Beautiful as always Karen. You always manage to out-do yourself! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.
Katt Hunsaker
As per all of your posts, I see nothing but your fabulous floors. So happy you were brave enough to do that. Decorations are stunning and I would like to borrow that rickety saddle tree for my foyer :)
Karen
The saddle stand has a funny story behind it. When I found out my house was going to be featured in The New York Times, I had one day to get it ready before their photographer Donna Griffith showed up. I called my friend Amos at about 6 o'clock at night in a fit and begged him to come over and build it for me because I was running out of time. I'd had a picture of a similar saddle stand on my computer for years and always wanted to make it for my saddle. So he built it in about an hour while I got the rest of the house ready. I really should add some bracing to it so it isn't so rickity, lol. ~ karen!
Pamela Marshall
Your house is beautiful and inspiring. After seeing your house I feel that I can finish mine. I hung my sleigh bells off the dining room chandelier this year. Have a Merry Christmas!
Bonnie Gutierrez
Gorrrrrgeous!! Looks so cozy and warm.
Merry Christmas, Karen.
Cindy Courtney
I don’t hoard party food. I eat the treats as I am making them.
Loved this post. Your house is beautiful all year round.
Karen
Thanks Cindy! And solidarity for the party food pre-eaters! ~ karen
SBOO
It's your duty as the chef to make sure everything is fit for your guests! Of course, some items require multiple samples in order to determine this...
Sandy
Beautiful and welcoming. Love it!
cottontail farm
Everything looks lovely, especially the deer head although it is lacking a red nose. I assume you bring that out when there are children visiting :) We've been putting oranges on the tree for a couple of years now. They look beautiful and it's kinda nice not to have to pack them away at the end of the season. Merry Christmas!
Karen
OH! I pack mine away! I've kept these particular ones for 3 year. And yes I do have a red nose! Although I always feel like it's a bit humiliating for the deer and sometimes I can't bring myself to put it on, lol. ~ karen!
Carol Odenweller
I can understand not wanting to humiliate the deer by adding the nose. My question though is, what is his name? Surely he must have one. I would not be able to pass through the room without talking to him. Maybe that's just me though. Maybe? Beautiful house and great ideas.
Carol
Beautiful, beautiful Karen....and so true about the lights and garland creating a cozy magical warmth....really looking forward to a post on recreating that with layering and lighting when it comes down....merry Christmas l
Lesley
Not so much a party food hoarder, as a party food buyer, eater, re-buyer. Last night for dinner I had the stuffed mushroom appetizers and all the chocolates that I bought for Christmas Day :(
Karen
LOL!! ~ karen!
Mary Ellen Doyle-Birchenough
Your home is lovely.
Karen
Thank you Mary Ellen. :) ~ karen!
Maura
You aced it again Karen, it all looks stunning! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and serenity and health for 2020.
Karen
Thanks Maura. It's currently a disaster as I'm in the middle of doing a bunch of stuff (as I do) but hopefully it'll be cleaned up again before everyone shows up here Christmas Eve, lol. ~ karen!
Grammy
Karen, you are the only person ever to hoard party food for yourself. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it...
As always, your Christmas home is beautiful. Thanks for the tour. You’re lucky I didn’t really walk through in person, though, because I would have to lay your tree on it’s side I order to steal that fabulous pot. And things would turn ugly at that point.
Merry Christmas!
Karen
Thanks Grammy! I always enjoy when I have something so nice it warrants a fist fight. ~ karen!
Linda Pottage
It all looks great but can you tell us how to preserve those orange slices.... They are brilliant, never seen them on a tree before. Thanks Linda, The Potterage Melbourne Australia
Karen
Hi Linda! Here you go ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/dried-orange-slices-for-an-old-fashioned-christmas/ I've also added the link into the post. Thanks for reminding me! ~ karen
Linda Pottage
Yay, thanks Karen for replying so promptly at this busy time. I'm going out now to purchase the oranges. Have a lovely Christmas. A bit different here, much of Australia is burning and we had our hottest day on record here yesterday. Our thoughts are with the fireys.
PS, Totally rendered my giant brick wall after your encouraging post. Very happy. Where can I share the pics?
Tina
I’m excited to see what you’ll do with the sleigh bells. Last year I had some bronze bells and wire and I kind of wired them into circles, thinking I could fashion fresh pine around them as wreaths but first I decided I wanted to live with them a bit, you know, to see if I really liked them. And I did! I hadn’t finished them until after Xmas but I hung one on the back door and one on the front door and I decided I liked them so much, just as is, that I left them up all year.
And please, I’m so excited to see how the amaryllis bulbs turn out. I’ll do them for next year to give to all my friends!
And I have something I need to ask you so I’m going to try to email you. Please let me know if you don’t get it. Thanks!
Julie Anne
That white truck. I had to stop to pause on it, prior to you even mentioning it. What is the history?
Everything about your house is fabulous.
Karen
No specific history of the truck to me, other than I bought it at a flea market about 5 or 6 years ago. I saw it and just had to buy it, which felt weird to be a grown woman buying a toy truck. But now I understand there's something about that truck, because everyone who sees it loves it. ~ karen!
Cathy R
You don’t have an ounce of back fat. Or front fat for that matter.
You do have a gorgeous home though.
Karen
Thanks Cathy! I appreciate your comment, but there is indeed fat residing on my back. ~ karen!
Susan
Karen, your home looks lovely. There are two different ornaments that remind me of my childhood- the large pine cones and the one with the fuscia band and indentation. Happy memories of trying to convince my Dad to put the tree up so we could decorate it. I hope someone with your eye for style rescued the ornaments and they are decorating a tree as I write this. Boa Natal from Portugal.
Karen
Thanks Susan! ~ karen! ps Portugal is beautiful, I went there with the tourism board of Portugal once. ~ karen!
Kelly
Merry, Merry Christmas Karen!! I love reading your blog, touring your home, and so enjoy your sense of humor! Thank you for allowing me to visit and to laugh with you!!
Keep doing what you do!!
Warm wishes for a terrific Christmas and a fun, growth and laughter filled 2020!!
Thank you again!!
Kelly💖💖💐
Linda in Illinois
So beautiful. I love it all. Nice job merry Christmas Karen.
Karen
Thanks Linda, you too! ~ karen
Tracey Kosenski
Beautiful!
And OF COURSE I hoard party food! The Medjool dates I bought for "guests" are shoved way back in the cupboard and will actually only be shared with my five year old grandson who also adores them, gives the best hugs and thinks I am the coolest Grandma ever.
Most likely we'll sneak off somewhere on the farm and enjoy them together while telling funny stories and talking about pirates, Darth Vader and Spiderman vs. Batman. ; )
Karen
100% you should absolutely hide Medjool dates! That's just common sense. ~ karen!