Welcome to my Christmas House Tour 2021. Featuring classic Christmas decorating and Lip.
It's that time of year again! Time to pick my way through the mason jars, screwdrivers and dried up centipedes in the basement to get to the Christmas decorations. This is how Christmas decorating goes every single year in this house.
Day 1: Drag the decorations out, put the boxes in the appropriate rooms. Marvel at how easy it's going to be this year. Question why I always think it takes me 3 days to decorate. Ask Google to play my Christmas carol playlist, listen to Google give me the Wikipedia definition of Carol Channing, tell Google that's not what I asked for, and play the Christmas carols myself. Now I can begin pulling things out of boxes and placing them around.
Day 2: This isn't too bad. I should be done by noon. (later that day) This isn't too bad. I should be done by 4. (later that day) This isn't too bad. I should be done by dinner. (later that night) Who am I and why am I asleep on my front lawn under a 3' plastic lawn candle?
Day 3: Excellent. I assess my work from the previous 2 days and declare it perfect. Except for this one thing that I need to change. This thought repeats for the next 10 hours as I move, fix, change, cry & swear up and down that I'll pull my own kneecaps off with a nutcracker before I ever do this again.
Table of Contents
The Foyer
That last night I turn all the lights off in the house, leaving only the Christmas lights on, twinkling from room to room and I realize it was all worth it because this will guarantee I win the neighbourhood Christmas house decorating competition. When that happens, the handsome rancher/lawyer who sidelines as a property developer who has been threatening to put a 76 story condominium on my property will be won over, his heart full of Christmas cheer.
That evening at the neighbourhood pot luck dinner between the Elf-is Cressley salad and the St. Nick Stew we'll fall in love, have a misunderstanding, get the misunderstanding figured out, win a gingerbread cookie decorating competition then finally we will kiss - but that kiss will be interrupted by precocious child. We will laugh.
Every year it's the same thing so I'm not sure why it surprises me.
And this year was no different. It all played out exactly the same.
The tree this year got pared down a lot with the only ornaments being my DIY tree candles and dried orange slices. There are 5 or 6 white pinecones as well. But that's it.
I didn't hang any of my antique glass ornaments because of Philip. If you want to see them you can look at last year's Christmas House Tour post. They make for a pretty spectacular looking tree.
Because of the puppy I wasn't going to put very much out at all this year, reinforcing my deluded notion that I could get it done in a day.
I didn't want to have to spend 24 hours a day wrestling Christmas out of his mouth or looking for it in his poop so I swore I'd keep things minimal this year.
It turns out my sleigh drive is too strong. I had to Santa the shit out of the house once again.
The Living Room
To be fair, I really did put out less than I normally do.
Because this one is curious by nature. Also he's a dog.
I couldn't decide on which shot I liked better for this post. So here you go. Both of them. Feel free to vote in the comment section. I don't know about you but I'm leaning towards the one on the left.
Now is probably a good time to say that I'm not one of those people who gets a poodle and then tells the groomer I don't want him to look like a poodle.
And typical poodle grooming has the face and feet shaved.
Now let's move onto end tables.
Each end table boasts a Christmas book and matching candelabras with fresh greenery. Plus yes, that's a black rock on a glass block.
I got the rock when I went surfing (really just gasping for air and splaying across a surfboard) in Tofino, British Columbia.
I wanted to add fresh greenery hanging from these fake Ikea wreaths but I ran out of time, energy and motivation. Maybe I'll fancy them up on Christmas Eve before my Christmas Eve party.
Can you call it a party when it's just your family that you see all the time?
The David Sedaris Christmas book on display is a favourite for oh, so many reasons. First - it's David Sedaris. Second - Santa is at a urinal. Third - it's a first printing of a first edition.
The book is still for sale and in print but it no longer has this cover. I found ONE used copy of this first printing, first edition in very good condition on Amazon. So if you want it, buy it here.
How to decorate a small living room for Christmas
I don't particularly like this photo but I wanted to show it because it demonstrates just how small my living room is.
It's around 11' x 15'.
My best tip for how to decorate a small room is, as you put Christmas stuff out you also have to TAKE STUFF AWAY.
If you're going to put out 7 Christmas things, you're going to need to take away 7 regular things. Or somewhere thereabouts.
Otherwise everything feels chaotic and cluttered. And I'm 100% in favour of both of those things in my living room to begin with - so if I were to add Christmas decorations to it without taking stuff away it would feel more hoarder than holiday.
Here above the chair in the bookcases, I took away most of the things on the shelves so you could notice the wreath and candle along with a couple of other wintery feeling things like pinecones and antlers.
The fireplace garland is 90% fake greenery with a few fresh sprigs thrown in and I added pine cones and a string of homemade dried orange slices. Here's how to make the dried orange slices for your own Christmas decorating, you still have time.
And then of course, there's the gold leafed, waxed Amaryllis bulbs which *should* bloom by Christmas.
The Dining Room
The dining room also has its own live tree, and I don't know if you noticed with the foyer tree, but they're both sitting in vintage suitcases. Click here to jump right back to the picture of the foyer tree in a suitcase.
The table is a collection of fake trees in old silver bowls, some clementines and greenery.
His favourite spot. As you can see, he's eyeing the pear in a fir tree.
I just realized you may not have seen these chairs before. The big, orange wing chairs.
I bought them for my living room but they won't fit in my living room until I get find my ideal sofa and get rid of the sectional.
So these chairs will be in my dining room forever.
The Kitchen
I know this is about the Christmas decorating but could we please admire the two huge garlic braids I have hanging on the end of my cabinet. Just to the side of them you can see a string of hot peppers that are drying as well.
I didn't know garlic could be Christmassy but if you slap a red velvet bow on it pretty much anything can look holiday ready.
The big question now is,
When to take down the Christmas decorations
I take everything down on New Year's Day. Sometimes even New Year's Eve if I'm getting antsy.
Packing it away on New Year's Eve day has two advantages: it's a great excuse to get out of New Year's Eve parties and it means you can look forward to doing absolutely nothing on New Years Day other than wearing your pajamas and watching television.
Alone.
Because once the holidays are over and things are back to normal the rancher/lawyer/property developer is just going to get in your way and annoy you.
Also he took credit for the winning gingerbread cookies in that competition when you both know you're the one who decorated them.
But don't worry about me. I won't be lonely on New Years Eve and I'll have a Lip to kiss.
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A very creative approach to Christmas dandifying to inspire envy as usual ............. thanks for sharing ! But, you know what I really loved ? Your placement of the fireplace split logs !!
Genius !! A real eye-catcher ! Elevates them to their true importance .......... 'specially during the coziest winter sit-ins.
Thanks Toni! I was going to leave to be decorative until the spring, but last night it was pouring rain, windy and freezing cold so I stole from the piles for my fire. I'll replenish them once the wood dries out outside, lol. ~karen!
Your kitchen is my favourite and I love the new dining room chairs. And Lip is the bestest
Ditto on all the complements!! One quickie. Is that a faux tree? If so where did you purchase. Merry Christmas.
Hi Cynthia. They're both real trees actually! I meant to mention that. They came from my local hardware store and they were all bundled up so I couldn't see them. (surprise trees) They're both very uneven and sparse, lol. They genuinely look like someone cut them down from the side of the road. Which I like! ~ karen
You create beautiful spaces, and thanks for sharing and helping to spread Christmas cheer. All the best to you over the Holiday season and beyond.
Thanks Gerald. You too!~ karen!
Your home is beautiful. I love your dining room hutch. Where did you find that piece of furniture that displays your dishes? It’s beautiful! Also, the tree in your foyer is lovely. I love the shape of it. Have a very Merry Christmas
Thanks Julie. The hardware cabinet I bought at an antique store. I eyed it for a couple of years but didn't buy it because it was too big. Then I decided I loved it so much, I bought it and had it cut down to size so it would fit. :) You can read about it here. ~ karen!
Your decorations have filled me with envy for yearrs and Phillip is just the icing on the cake. But I can't believe your cat doesn't spread Christmas cheer around the house. It can't be a normal, helpful cat!
I've got you beat in the 'doesn't look like a poodle cut' department, by miles. One has Addison's disease and the other has nasty allergies so I trim them myself, of financial necessity, and get asked if they are doodles a lot. Nope, just a poodle with a bad haircut. But I was doing well with their faces until I started reading articles about how much feeling there is in their whiskers and another about how it has become illegal to shave a horse's whiskers in Europe. Have you ever tried to shave around a whisker? So now they look like a cross between a Portuguese Water Dog, a weird doodle and bears.
I had no idea it was illegal to shave horse whiskers! I'll have to watch a few shows and see! (jumping or dressage competitions) It would be so funny to see a whiskery dressage horse. ~ karen!
I love your house, especially at Christmas time! Can you come design / decorate mine? :)
If it's built around 1840 then sure! Anything newer than that and I wouldn't even know what to do, lol. ~ karen!
ADORE your centerpiece. I love the hog, always have and that never changes. Your home is warm, inviting, and totally Karen. My Karen is going well, I have made so many things from it and absolutely love sourdough and the whole idea of it. I'm going to put it into the fridge for a few weeks until madness disappears from out home then begin this new adventure again.
HI Mary! I've done well and made sourdough bread every weekend for months now. 2 loaves. One to keep and one to give away. Only I always keep them both. ~ karen!
Phillip is such a regal name for such a regal looking fellow!
I was actually going to name him Roy. Short for Royal. :) Maybe I should have gone with that judging by the amount of people I encounter that describe him as regal. ~ karen!
Every year it's the same thing me feeling inadequate but not this year for I have a rock on display and some Australian pines to put about with a few bows here and there. I have sleigh bells. In the house to unclutter and it will only be I that sees it all. As for Phillips positioning on the couch One shows how comfortable he is in his home The other shows how he is in control of this home by saying this is my domain welcome and he matches your personality. And I love the bear under the Christmas tree .Oh! that's the dog. And I win the smaller living room contest just thought I'd let you know. Enjoy your holiday and your peaceful day after for I am isolating so I get to enjoy it all to myself and be selfish.
I'll be isolating after Christmas too! Have a good one. :) ~ karen!
I did notice the orange chairs immediately plus there's a new chair and coffee table in the livingroom. Your decor posts are obviously my favourite lol. And your last paragraph melted my heart and I shed a little tear. Reminds me of the dogs I have loved over the years.
:) I'm hoping by Christmas he's a little more settled and cuddly, lol. And yes! The coffee table is new, but not really. I bought it years ago at a flea market but didn't put it out because I was waiting until I got a new sofa to redo my whole living room at once. Then this summer I decided that may never happy so I might as well set the table up, lol. The other chair I got at a second hand store for around $50? It needs to be recovered, but again that won't happen until I redo the living room. (lololol) One day. ~ karen!
Beautiful House Tour :)
In the spirit of TicTok - "Look at that Distinguished Gentleman" applied to Lip <3
& finally I'm going to be stealing "Santa the Shit out of the House" for ever more!
Now let's enjoy December 2021
Thanks Jenny! (off to Google tiktok's distinguished gentleman) ~ karen!
...and Christopher Moore's "Stupidest Angel" is a classic!
Love it all. Your taste is incredible and your sense of humor makes me want to be your best friend. Love the candle in the wreath... Did I somehow miss the instructions for that or is it a secret?
OH! I just wired the battery operated candle to the bottom of the wreath tightly. I never did a tutorial on it so you didn't miss anything. :) The candles are battery operated with a timer so I don't have to screw around with them every night. They just come on at 6 and go off at midnight. ~ karen!
Well aren't you clever?! Thanks for that, and about a billion other things I've learned from you. xo
I just LOVE your house, Karen, it is so interesting and full of character with so many items to look at even the rock! You have, unknowingly, given me permission to display a stone. It’s just a grey stone, round-ish and sort of flat. There was something about its smooth surface that appealed to me. I like the feel of it in my hand but up to now, have kept it in a cupboard.
Philip is so cute but regal looking too; what does the cat (sorry, don’t know its name) think of the new addition? I love the fact that you have many trees throughout your home. Your kitchen is just gorgeous! Thank you for your Christmas tour.
I too have a rock on display. It’s nearly perfectly round, almost the size of a bowling ball (the small candlestick bowling ball kind). I got it on a beach in Nova Scotia, and I think it’s granite. It’s been in our living rooms for years now-so go for it and get yours out on display!
Thanks Elaine! Ernie (the cat) has basically terrified Philip into submission. She'll allow him within 3' from her. Any closer and he gets a hiss of cat spit in his face. So they're working things out for themselves. :) ~ karen!
You bring me joy most any time of the year, but especially at Christmas. Your fabulous humor and great sense of style feels like you're always talking to us as if we're your best friends. Thank you Karen, for tapping into your unique gifts and making my life a little better. Happy Holidays!
Thanks Suzanne! I do think of readers as friends! Maybe not best friends because none of you have asked to borrow money from me or showed up at my door crying - but friends for sure! 😂 ~ karen!
Your home is lovely and peaceful. There's nothing like Christmas lights only at night. Oh, and plus a few candles and a fireplace. Enjoy your holidays! Phillip sure knows how to pose--actually SP's do that naturally, so I should say that you take wonderful photos!
Thanks Bambi! Yeah, he's pretty photogenic. Once I can get him to stay still, make sure he's in a bit of light otherwise he doesn't show up and have a pocketful of treats.😆 ~ karen!
What about a Glorious staged photo of Philip all backlit so he looks like a prophet come down from the mountain?
Tricia! Thank you! I was going to email you this week. I feel as though Philip needs a Philip sized linen pillow case for a dog bed. ;) ~ karen!
You DO have a most charming house, and all due to YOUR efforts, so stay proud of your accomplishment. I'd love to be able to now tell you how much you've inspired my lazy self to get off my half-moons and decorate this joint. I'd really love to, but I've never lied to a unique and delightful woman in all my 72 years, so I won't start now.. But I will (probably) at some point this month see if any of the bulbs in the 2' high plastic tree that stays on my mantle all year long still light up.... so that's something anyway. If none do anymore, I reckon I'll have to throw it out after Xmas and buy another one at Walmart..... probably. Ah yes, Christmas in Chicago with Jack Frost roasting on an open fire. Warms the cockles of my heart.
Well now Randy clearly you have the spirit of Christmas all year long if your tree is up the whole time. So you have this unique and delightful lady beat! ~ karen
You are most kind to find a silver lining in my Christmas cloud of laziness - LOL Though yes, even in the most troubled of times and situations, life IS good and it beats the snot out of the alternative.
Lip sure knows how to pose. My favorite photo of him is the one in the dining room with him under the tree. As they used to say…the Dude abides!
Beautiful as always. I thought this was going to be the year when I finally got myself together and made the amazing waxed amaryllis bulbs, then I googled amaryllis and cat as I always do because my cat is on a mission to eat anything closely resembling a plant. No go. Toxic. Oh well. One less thing on my to-do list. I’ll enjoy yours vicariously.
That's too bad. But wise! My cat is too afraid to do anything like jump up on a table to get to a plant. ~ karen!