Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Holiday Home Tour


Tracey is hosting a Holiday Home Tour today. Welcome! Come on in. Here in Canada we usually take off our shoes at the door, but you can keep yours on if you like. The above picture shows the entrance-way and the staircase.


My mantel is decorated with cedar boughs, pinecones, candles and mercury glass.

I found these antique-looking tree toppers and thought they'd add a bit of height to the mantle. I love the way they gleam in the candlelight.

More of the mantle - with paper cut trees that are now at least 20 years old. I fold them carefully every year and lay them flat to store them.

Angels sit atop the armoire, mixed with greens and candles. Some were gifts, some purchased, and some I made. Angels speak to me of singing and joy, of good news, and light - all part of Christmas.

My tree is up but not yet fully decorated. I had an artificial one up for a ladies' event a couple of weeks ago, but that came down the next day. If I get the tree decorated on time, I'll include a photo. Meanwhile, these are some vintagey decorations I made from old music paper, glitter and old buttons. These were for a gift, but I'm thinking I might have to make some for myself.

An old German hymnbook and Book of Common Prayer tied together with a red ribbon make a simple vignette on a side table.

Moving into the dining room, I've hung some stars and beads from the chandelier.

On the dining room buffet is our hand-carved Nativity set from Ecuador. This is the first decoration we put up each year. This year I taped some paper stars behind the scene.

On the kitchen windowsill are more cedar boughs and some silver ball candles. I love lighting candles on winter evenings. They add such a warm glow to any space.

From a hook over the kitchen sink dangles this little painted ornament.

Here's what our Christmas morning breakfast table will look like. All blue and white and wintery.

On a shelf in the family room is a wooden village that I painted years ago. More greenery and a matted Christmas card surround the village.

On the dry sink I have a quilted mat and dishes of candy, or a tray of mugs and hot chocolate.

Even the laundry room gets a touch of greenery.



On the living room coffee table is a silver tray with cedar and holly surrounding four fat white candles that I light for Advent. This photo was taken during the first week, which is why only one candle is lit.

Thanks for coming by. Have a wonderful, joy-filled Christmas.

18 comments:

  1. Wow wow !STUNNING ! Especially the stars hangin on the candelier . You decorate house like I do . Of course yours are more beautiful .

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  2. Wow! Lorrie -
    Simply beautiful!! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful home with us. I LOVE what you did to your chandelier. It has given me inspiration to do mine as well. I was stuck on how to decorate mine. Thanks for the great ideas.
    Blessings,
    Kymber

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  3. Beautiful, I especially like your mercury glass and your paper cut trees are so special.
    Merry Christmas,
    Leigh Ann

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  4. Those paper cut trees are wonderful. It has inspired me to turn the older grands loose w/ scissors (properly supervised of course) so that they can make some. Thansk for the idea! Happy Holidays!

    BTW your home is gorgeous!

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  5. I really love your mantle with the mercury glass! Very Pretty!!!!

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  6. What a feast for the eyes. I love the tree toppers.

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  7. Oh My Gosh! I have the same paper trees! I think they were in BHG years and years ago. I actually made several of them for Christmas dinner centerpieces at our church. I'll have to get them out and post a picture. Too much fun!

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  8. Hi Lorrie...

    Your home looks so festive and lovely. Love your mantel and staircase...very pretty.

    Have a wonderful day!
    Hugs, Nancy

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  9. Lorrie, your home is looking so lovely. I haven't done any decorating in our house, except a wee bit in my teaching studio. Hubby and I are still debating whether or not to get a tree.

    Thanks for asking about my student recital. It went fabulously, Thanks! My students and their parents all seemed happy, which is the important thing :)

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  10. Beautiful I love mercury glass too.
    Just stunning.

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  11. Anonymous1:03 PM

    Hi Lorrie!!

    Love your Christmas home decorating!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  12. Love your home decorating and all the mercury glass. It's comforting to see that blast from the past again with all the mercury glass. It sooo reminds me of my grandparents at Christmas time. And THAT's A Good THING :)

    Merry Christmas!!

    Blessings,

    Sher

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  13. I just posted my trees and I linked it to yours. Hope that's okay. I found the pattern too. It was in the same envelope that I keep them in. Looks like it was Christmas Ideas 1990.

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  14. Anonymous8:30 PM

    Everything is beautiful. Thanks for the tour.
    Charlotte

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  15. Anonymous9:37 PM

    So creative!! Mantel looks really cool! The combination of the Angels, greenery and candle on the armoire looks beautiful. The breakfast table is so inviting, it's got that cozy feel to it.

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  16. I enjoyed seeing your home filled with Christmas. I love the mixture of old christmas,new, vintage.. It is all lovely. I love the Nativity. Thanks again for sharing. God bless.

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  17. You have some lovely Christmas displays Lorrie. I do like the stair rail abd the mantlepiece. They are two items I do not have in my home.

    Liked seeing through the window to your back garden. Very English looking with the fences.

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  18. Beautiful, I especially loved seeing your holly and Advent candles. :)
    xo Lidy

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