Welcome to the Christmas House tour 2023, version one. The pre midnight meltdown version.
As I mentioned yesterday I had a tiny little, almost not even worth mentioning episode where I moved everything around in my house. Really, now that I take a look around, the decorations remained pretty much the same.
It was just the furniture I changed. No big deal. I do this all the time and every time I do it I get a better understanding of my particular brand of crazy and decorating preferences.
We will start in the kitchen as you would see it from entering the back door.
Here we have 2 artificial trees from Ikea in clay pots. A vintage truck fancied up for Christmas with a miniature wreath and red ribbon. In the bed are white trees from the dollar store.
In behind on a book stand is the Bosco & Roxy Seasons Treatings advent calendar for dogs. I believe it's only available in Canada from Rens or Amazon but if you have a large dog add it to your wish list for next year because the treats are huge and so nice.
See? Huge cookies and they're all different.
Back to the decorating.
The kitchen corner is now for every Christmas decoration I couldn't find a place for but didn't want to put back in the basement.
My pantry is the one thing that never changes. Ever. It's always with 2 wreaths hanging from fishing line attached to hooks on the inside of the cupboard.
I remember it almost killed me to screw those hooks into my brand new cupboard doors years ago. The next year I added the burlap ribbon. Last year I added the red ribbon.
On the opposite wall is my cabinet of many drawers. Big bells hang off the knobs, a Christmas cookie jar sits beside a pottery jug with pine branches, and there's always a plate of chocolates too.
Into the dining room now.
The spruce garland I ordered straight from China on AliExpress. I don't like to do that but the price of garland like this in stores is insane. Easily a 6' strand of garland like this would be $75-$100. This is two strands on the painting so that would be $200.
Instead it was $19 per strand.
I bought all new garland this year for two reasons. Firstly, my old garland was HUGE fluffy garland that took up a lot of space to store. Space I do not have.
Secondly, after 20 years or so my old garland was getting kind of bleak looking.
I'll point out where the new garland is as it shows up in photos.
The dining room tree is a live tree. It, like the upcoming one in the living room, was a surprise tree, wrapped up tight in netting.
I was always a chop your own tree down person, from the time I was a child. But now Christmas tree chopping has become an Instagrammable moment that requires reservations at tree cutting farms.
It's the last tradition I thought I'd ever give up, but there's a certain amount of freedom that comes from having a decision made easier. I get my trees from whatever store happens to be selling them bundled up outside now.
I select my surprise tree by looking at the trunk to make sure it's straight, making note of how wide the lower branches are by noticing how far up the tree they go inside their netting.
I also check the top to make sure it only has 1 stem up there and I make sure it's straight. Then I lift the tree to feel the weight and look at the size of the trunk. The lighter the tree it is, and the smaller the trunk, the more sparse the tree is going to be.
I'm going to have to put a reminder into my calendar for next year to do an entire post on how to choose a surprise tree that's all wrapped up. There are SO many things you can "see" about the tree even if you can't actually see it.
There's another thing in this photo that's going to be a post in the near future. If you can spot what it possible is ... go ahead and take a guess in the comment section.
Yes, the train set is back on display, running around the potted Christmas planter I made.
The planter is filled with frosty ferns (which are in fact a type of moss) around the edge, with an amaryllis and paperwhites in the centre. Just days after taking the photo the paperwhites are now blooming and the Amaryllis stem is just starting to emerge.
These are the paperwhites that will be acting as the control group for my paperwhite stem length experiment.
These paperwhites in the concrete bowl are the ones I'm watering with an alcohol solution to keep their stems short.
They're on the marble tulip table in my foyer.
Honestly, I didn't know where else to put all the birds my sister gave me last year. They're from her store, which closed due to Covid. The garland, is also an AliExpress garland.
And now the living room which still holds the sofa that I hate, but at least it's only half of a sofa now. For years I was on the hunt for the perfect English Roll Arm sofa but for this room, I've relented that they're all just too deep.
Furniture is now built for enormous people living in enormous homes with enormous rooms. My living room isn't so tiny that I shouldn't be able to fit a sofa and 2 chairs in it.
But I'm learning and realizing that it IS too tiny to accommodate newly made monster home furniture.
On top of the Cy Twombly forgery is another new garland from AliExpress. It's the most realistic cedar I've ever seen.
It's the same cedar that's hanging off of my chandelier in the foyer.
That Eames chair right there is the one I had to disassemble to take upstairs this weekend so I could fit my two orange corduroy, vintage wing chairs beside the fire.
Wingback chairs are literally meant for firesides. They wings are for preventing draft and trapping the heat from the fireplace.
This buffet? It's on a different wall now. That lamp? In the basement. I have to say I love how the garland, lights and homemade dried orange slices turned out on the mirror though.
More dried orange slices are on the fireplace mantel, along with books, black vases with red berries and in behind you can just barely see Santa doing his business in a urinal.
I had just shaved his face a week earlier, but this is Philip pre professional grooming. He's since been cleaned up, shaved and fluffed by his groomer who we only visit a few times a year.
Normally I do Lip's grooming but I wanted him to look his best for Christmas. To make things easier on him, I bath and blow dry him myself the night before his appointment.
That way when he goes to the groomers he won't be in there for so many hours. It breaks the task up and makes it easier on him and the groomer.
Sadly, this is his favourite chair and it's now as hidden as I could possibly hide a huge chair in my dining room.
You'll probably get to see that ridiculousness in the next Christmas House tour coming up on Christmas Eve. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some bacon wraps to get started and some wood to split.
I have to stay busy to keep my ridiculousness in check. I'm sure you understand.
I love seeing all of your interesting creative things, xmas or otherwise.
Could browse for hours.
Thanks Mary! ~ karen!
I would almost think you are pranking us about Philip and that picture is pre-grooming. It is a gorgeous photo. Nice job. All the best for the coming New Year.
I couldn’t find a video or any link to one so I’m guessing I’m just missing it due to exhaustion. I looked through your photos though! Impressive as usual Karen.
I woke up to a weather alert and it’s just like me, a pagan living in Las Vegas, to delight in a true high desert snow flurry Christmas. At least that’s what my Apple Weather alert promised. I couldn’t resist, a walk out in front of our oasis, in actual 32°F at 3:25 AM, wearing nothing but my sleep shorts, a tiny purple tee, favorite slippers and Elliott the cockatoo on my shoulder, to delight in true pagan style (us modern pagans in cul de sacs, even in Sin City, wear enough to keep the neighbors from calling the po-po) to check out the crisp, marvelous cold air, see the Solstice lunar orb overhead and then run inside and hop under my goose down comforter with Elliott in full agreement as he scurried “UNDER” to hide and get back to his tropical self - poor guy. “UNDER” is his vocabulary, plainly telling me to allow himself to be covered in a soft down comforter the way he’s intend to be as a bird.
It’s all fun and games until you freeze your pet cockatoo. Not to worry, he’s warmed up now.
Karen, as usual you’ve outdone yourself & left Martha Stewart in the dust, crying tears of shame. I envy your fortitude and tiny cottage. Absolutely brilliant decorating AGAIN.
I hung my dried oranges on my tree and they glow like old stained glass with a mix of clear and colored twinkle lights behind them.
I stared at that picture of your tree with the library shelves and old rustic floor with the Asian rug and the burlap under the tree and tried to figure out what you might include as the focus of an upcoming post.
Could it be a lesson in how to decorate a tree, starting by placing the lights inside the branches and working outwards in layers of ornaments? How to group them? No? How to inspire fear by owning a vast library on how to decorate and fix your sink while cooking a five course meal and cleaning the bathroom simultaneously?
How to take a normal old Canadian cottage and turn it into a magical winter wonderland by using the “block system” in which each space “block” is separated into zones to create perfect vignettes of decor (the subtle art of staging?) and making one the envy of all North America? I’m just spitballing here. Throwing everything against the wall & hoping something will stick.
I give up.
You’re delightful. Please share your Christmas Eve menu and enjoy the silence.
Here’s a Pagan photo from tonight🌵
Hi Pam! Try to clear your cache, or use a different browser to see the video. I only encourage you to do so because the house is quite different in the video, having changed everything around a week ago. My Christmas crazy made not doing so impossible. How do you like all those double negatives? No snow here! So you're ahead of me there. Not even a flurry. Just a Christmas day of damp fog and possible rain. ~ karen!
The old cache clearing or different browser trick huh? Will do.
I made some progress with my atelier so it’s a tiny bit less of a mess. If I could make the upright piano go away in there I’d be thrilled.
Dinner at my place is mostly prepared except for the Caesar Salad. Plus I cleaned like a maniac but Elliott’s den area cage needs to be freshened up. He won’t let me dress him. I’ve tried. If he would he’d be wearing an atrocious St Nick Cage Christmas cockatoo sized sweater. He threatens to remove fingers when approached with bird clothes. He takes the fun right out of having a bird as a pet.
I’ll even wear casual entertaining type clothes and don some makeup. Woo-hoo!
Merry Festivus to all of you.
(I had to rewire blow-mold Santa and repaint some spots to use him this year- he was pretty sad until he got fixed up)
I thought I missed something also. I wasn't finding a link. But when I went down the page I saw the little pictures with each one having the video for this year and others from the past. Hope maybe that helps.
Philip is the best decoration of all, and you get to enjoy him year round! I love seeing other people's homes, especially when all tricked out for Christmas. You gave me a decorating idea for a (not-vintage) pickup truck I have sitting on my dresser. I have no idea what fun you have in store for us, but I would love to stand in front of your bookcase and snoop among all the titles. Thank you for sharing your home and your beautiful dog. Merry Christmas to you both.
Thanks Kathy! And you're right. I take pics of Philip every night when he's curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace because he's just so picturesque. Merry Christmas! ~ karen
This year, with my kitchen remodel complete and the 6’ island primed for decorations, I ordered the train. After all the baking was done and and the house scrubbed down I got excitedly busy unboxing it to set it up. So proud I was going to be to surprise my husband! Well, I’m glad I checked the cars before unbundling and setting up the tracks because the battery pack compartment was missing the part to put the batteries in. Back to Amazon it went. Boo! Or should I say Bah Humbug!
On another, more important note, how do you keep your rugs in place with a large dog? I am forever flipping the corners back down and repositioning them. I have good, heavy felt pads with grippy bottoms underneath and it doesn’t matter. Penny even manages to move the 10’ Persian living room rug that’s under furniture and I have trouble moving the furniture to straighten it out, SOS!
Oh, I'm always straightening the rugs. I've have special underpads for them and they still flip when Philip runs back and forth. Also, the train doesn't have a battery area that I remember. The second car, has a rechargeable battery built into it and you charge it that way. ~ karen!
I like the candlelabras with the red berries on the table. I still think it'd be cool to use your fishing line trick to float the candles just above. Give it "A Christmas Carol" vibe. Lol. 😁
So, favorite Christmas movie list? (Other than hallmarks / similar, maybe? Just cause there are so many.)
I'll start. the Muppet Christmas Carol. 😜
I like the classics. Like Elf, lol. ~ karen!
Ah yes, Elf!
So, Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Arthur Christmas, ...
Hi Karen!
And happy holidays! Your house looks spectacular🌲
I especially like hoe you've "flocked " your birds together..very appropriate. I have a bird tree, its a lighted faux birch with a plethora of birds, nests and bird houses on it. ( I have FOUR trees in my house currently..I get your kind of crazy😉).
I have a quick tip for you for next Year's amaryllis blog. Before potting, let the roots (bottom portion,) pre- soak in water for like, over night. It gives them a jump start! I saw this on youtube and tried it on some that I had stored from last year! It's WORKING!😲
Oh, and could it be decorating candleabras?
It is not decorating candelabras but I could do a post on that one year. I know about the soaking, but I've never been bothered to do it. If I remember I'll do an experiment next year. the paperwhite experiment is going REMARKABLY well. I'll update on them later on. ~ karen!
I think I’ve guessed your potential next talking point -hanging a picture frame on the front of a book case. Just off centre. Just so. I like it.
You're on the right track, but not quite. ~ karen!
I love your decorations.your home is lovely.your dog is sweet.thanx for sharing wirh us
Dee
Ps i dont do any decorating.it is very freeing
Thanks Genevieve! I love the decorating while it's up. And then by week 3 or 4 I usually can't wait to put it all away. ~ karen!
The house looks gorgeous, but Philip is downright regal!
He really is! ~ karen