Welcome to the “Hooked on Holiday House Tours” blog party! I’m so glad you came. First of all, help yourself to one of these Chocolate Candy-Cane Cupcakes. We baked them today and they’re pretty yummy! I figure you could use a little sugar before starting the tour (recipe on the Baker’s website if you want to make them for yourself!).
Last week I took you on tours of homes featured in Christmas movies like “Home Alone” and “The Holiday” (click here if you missed them). Today I thought I’d give you a peek inside mine.
This is the first year in a very long time that I haven’t hosted Christmas for my extended family at our house, and I hardly know what to do with myself. I don’t have nearly as much cooking and baking to do as usual. And I scaled way back on the decorating in general since we’ll be traveling over the holidays. But I still had to put out some of my favorite things. Otherwise it just wouldn’t feel like Christmas!
I love my mercury-glass trees. I put them in my dining room, which is otherwise pretty bare as we finish the room’s remodel:
I just bought this cute Santa cookie jar to give as a gift–but he’s been sitting in my kitchen all week, and now I’m not sure I’ll be able to let him go. I might have to go back to Target and buy another one!
I love a simple centerpiece when I don’t have much time to decorate, and these silver ornaments fit the bill (oops! I still had Christmas storage boxes sitting out in the background–just ignore those):
I hung a couple of wreaths on the french doors leading to the backyard. I used red ribbon to string them up and tacked them to the top of the door frames with white thumbtacks. Easy! Here I am looking through our family Christmas album with one of my favorite people–my aunt Toni.
Lily made some garland by cutting shapes out of old Christmas cards and red and green construction paper and stringing it up on the mantel. She tells me that there will be “garland ALL OVER the house” by Christmas, and this is only the beginning. (If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know how much my 6-year old loves to decorate.)
We do red, white, and silver for Christmas in our house. This year I let the kids decorate the tree, and they did a great job, didn’t they? I forgot to give them the garland, but I decided it looked good enough without it. I’m keeping things simple this year!
On Saturday, I stole borrowed an idea from my creative friend Amy (the one who made this pretty party button for us!). On her blog Living Locurto, she mentioned that she likes to have “Family Christmas parties” with her kids. I decided to try it.
I asked the kids what they wanted to do Saturday at our little party, and here’s what they said: play games, put puzzles together, bake cupcakes and cookies, make more garland, watch “The Santa Clause,” and play Christmas carols. We didn’t fit everything into our day, but it was a lot of fun trying!
To prepare for our party, the kids formed a “family band,” and all week they worked with their dad on some Christmas carols. My husband Dave played piano. Jake was on keyboards. Lily banged on the drums. On Saturday night they performed for their grandparents, and they were a bit hit!
I told them we should get a bus and travel the country. I have no musical talent to contribute, so I’ll drive.
I finally got our Christmas-card photo taken for the year. There was lots of goofing around:
But I finally got the shot:
Okay, now that you’ve seen what a simple family Christmas looks like at my house and have eaten more than your share of cupcakes (a little greedy, weren’t you?), I’m excited to visit your blogs and see what you have to show us today.
Lime in the Coconut: Florida Christmas
Living Locurto: Gingerbread Houses
Lookiloos: Gorgeous Saratoga French Chateau
Springtree Road: Drive-by in a Small Southern Town
Ramblings of a Renovating Couple
Cottage Industries: An 11-Foot Tree!
Derek M Design: Trimming the Tree
Historical Home: Colonial Connecticut Christmas
Thoughts from an Evil Overlord
Remodeling This Life: Front Porches
The Adventures of a Supermommy
The Organizing Blog: We’re Allowed to Be Snoopy!
Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.
Feeling overwhelmed? Then start here:
Several of my friends are hosting parties this week, too, so be sure to pay them a visit when you’re done here!
A Soft Place to Land Open House
We are THAT Family (show your Christmas tree)
A Cottage Magpie (cookie exchange)
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Another kindred spirit keeping it simpler this year…what is it? The down the tube economy isn’t it because we all have jillions of decorations. Anyway your house looks fabulous, when I saw your red toile I remembered that I have those placemats also…somewhere..LOL. My favorite is the garland your daughter is making. She can come put it all over my house if you run out of room. Have a wonderful Christmas and thanks for hosting this. Nancy
Wowsers… I love that mercury glass. I’m spending WAY too much visiting everybody’s home. Very fun though! Thanks for hosting! This is my first year on the circuit!
Your home looks lovely and your kids sound like a blast! I love the tree/fireplace picture – so cozy! And thanks for the cupcake recipe… I just may have to try those! Merry Christmas!
Thank you, thank you, thank you I have just realised that I had a passion about movie homes and your site has proved this to me. I have just sat here surfing your site going ‘OMG’ & ‘WOW’ & ‘Oh I remember that’ & ‘oh what a fab movie’
I have just found my new site to keep up with.
Have a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to visiting you more in the new year.
hello
great tour, I’m enjoying looking around!
thanks for hosting
Sarah
This is so magical touring everyone’s homes. Merry Christmas to all!!!
I’ve never been to your blog before, but found you on a few of Boomama’s list. What a nice blog! I’ll be checking it again and adding a link to my blog as well.
Julia,
I am touched that you took the time to stop by and leave such a sweet comment. You must be SO swamped today. I can’t believe how many are participating! What a fun event this has been. I really want to thank you again for hosting this and I hope you come back by to visit. Your blog is fantastic – keep up the great work and keep on blogging!
Blessings to you,
Kymber
Delightful!
I so enjoyed your Christmas pictures.
Donna
I’ve got a second part to my tour now! Just posted!
There are some really talented women out there.
I loved everything about Chantilly Charm. Her house was beautiful!
This was such a fun tour. I especially loved the Saratoga French Chateau.
I love the fabulous simplicity in your Christmas decor and your children are adorable! I can’t wait to tour all the homes! Thanks for hosting!
Wow! You put so much time into this Home Tour. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to get a minute to go around and visit everyone.
Julia, this was so much fun for me. My tour was #8 and I noticed I had lots of visitors by my hit counter, but not a single comment. I am wondering if I did something wrong when I signed up as it seems odd that no one commented? Could you just send me a comment to see if it is working just out of curiosity~I’d just like to know if I did it right??
No rush on this just trying to learn what I am doing in the blogsphere.
Thanks,
Bonnie
Bonnie–your link worked fine for me and I was able to leave a comment. Who else can hop over there and show Bonnie’s post some love? Her home is beautiful! -J
http://interiorsbydesigndefined.blogspot.com/2008/12/coming-home-for-christmas.html
I’ve finally got my post up! It’s not what I initially intended to post, but we’ve got to keep it real, right?
Thanks for doing this home tour! What fun!
Of course, I’ve spent *way* too much time surfing homes today!
Happy Holidays!
Yea!! I love a good party!
Hi there – I loved the tour so much I thought I’d enter my house! I guess you can just click on my name to get there or go here: hellogorgeousblog.com.
Thanks! And Happy Christmas!
I love your home. What color are the walls by your fireplace?
Hi Julia
I know I’m late, but I added my name anyway. I hope you don’t mind. We’re moving, so I’m late with everything this year.
Now I’m off to see what you’ve been up to…..
rue
what a fun party! I hope that a Greenhouse decked out for Christmas counts
It’s going to take me quite a while to check these all out but I just LOVE christmas…..
Julia – Really enjoyed those photos of you and Mum and the children – thanks for sharing !!
I’m so pleased that I found your website – so much to explore. I love looking your posts.
I live in an old Mill House here in England – maybe you would like to see a photo ?
Happy weekend to you !
This has been a blast! I’m a little late in joining. I hope you’ll come by to visit.
My vote is for the Queen of Good Intentions. I really enjoyed touring her home. She’s definately a girl after my own heart…
Love your blog – ! Paula
Hello…I added my Blog – Seeking Glitter and Grace – and then realized I had made a mistake in the spelling of my link. The first link doesn’t work, so I added it agin with the correct spelling. You can delete that first link. Thanks, Michelle (vintagesquirrel) at Seeking Glitter and Grace
I love your site and I am so excited about all the great ideas found in everyone’s posts! Thanks for hosting! Blogland parties rock!
Kirsten of B&K
Hi Julia,
I just discovered your blog via Off The Wall. I hope it’s not too forward to enter this Mr.Linky the first time I visit…
Thank you, now I have lots of stuff to discover during the holidays!
Merry Christmas!
Trudi
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Bella_Casa/status/1076203526
Stumbled
I’m a lil late to the party .. I love seeing everyones different taste. I’m new to blogland and love touring everyones pages getting to know different people and getting ideas from them. Thanks for taking the time to host this party!
~Debbie
Well I’m really late! I am so impressed at how everyone finds time to not only decorate but blog about it before the holidays too! I hope it’s okay to join in after Christmas as I enjoy checking out these parties all year long! Oh and this is my first ever comment on another blog and link so I hope I did it right!! I love following other blogs and thought it was perhaps time to mingle with others now that I’m getting a bit more comfy with blogging! Perhaps next year I can be on time??
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