One Mom's Very Merry Christmas Tour

I absoulutely love the Nester's tour of homes each Christmas and must say that while I am fashionably ridiculously late adding my little nest to the group (I think I may even be LAST), Im sure no one has missed me because seriously there is no way someone has made it all the way through the hundreds and hundreds houses featured this year.  IS THERE ANYONE IN THE FREE WORLD WHO DID NOT LINK UP TO THE NESTER??  Just wondering.

But oh, so fun!  I love to sit down with my cup of coffee and make my rounds from house to house, just popping in for a quick visit and then going on my way...its like the annual Parade of Homes in my area except way better because Im in my pajamas :).  So welcome to my very simple, very IMPERFECTly decorated home.  I hope you enjoy your visit and come back soon!!

Santa welcomes you as you drive down the gravel driveway...please don't judge me by my inflatable Santa.  My husband got all Christmas-y one year and just had to have an inflatable...do people really still buy these??  I don't know.  Im embarrassed.

Here is my tree that I am IN LOVE with!!  I do apologize for my picture quality...I don't have a Nikon like every other blogger on the planet, but it is on my Christmas list...maybe Santa will be good to me :)

Every year I get something new for my tree and get rid of something.  This year I added the glass beaded garland a-la-Target that I got at their after Christmas sale last year.  I was so excited to finally put it up.  I do love it.  I don't know if you can see it or not, but it gives the tree just a little bling...and I do like the bling!!  I use artificial poinsettias for my tree topper.  I use about 3 or 4 bunches and use wire cutters to clip all of the individual stems off and then one by one I stick them in.  Once I have the tippy top done I let them trickle down the tree just a little.  I have done this for the last few years and paired with some curly sticks it is the show stopper every year!!

This is last year's new addition.  AND I LOVE THEM.  I found like 12 at a local antique store and couldn't pass them up.  The white crackle is dee-lish!!  You can see my new red and silver bead garland here too that I adore.

Here is my version of the Nester's Most Wonderful Christmas Garland Ever!!  I love it!!  It looks absolutely amazing...and again, my camera is not a Nikon (did I already mention that?...honey are you reading this...nikon d90, NIKON D90).  I must tell you that my Christmas decorating style goes a little bit beyond "shopping the house," and has actually turned into more of "everything but the kitchen sink."  If its not bolted down its fair game.  I completely dis-arranged an entire flower arrangement and put all of it {every single stem} in this garland, I borrowed ornaments from my tree, and I even stooped so low to take things off the walls in various rooms of the house.  The joys of Christmas!!

I have always wanted to get the girls' stockings monogrammed {yeah they are 9 and 7} but never have.  This year is no exception, so I whipped up these cutesie ornaments that I saw here and called it a day.  It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful right???

On each end of my garland I have tied as much ribbon as should be legal in the 50 states...I love froo froo ribbon, {everywhere} and to me this is the cherry on top for my garland...aaaahh!!  I don't know if you can see but a sweet little "glitter bird" came to nest in my garland as well.  He is visiting for the holidays and I LOVE HIIM...I truly do!

Oh and look, 2 friendly peacocks have flown in for a visit as well and are happily perched on a horn!!  Everything but the kitchen sink I tell ya, everything but the kitchen sink!

My mantle in my kitchen is just as important as the mantle in my living room {if you ask me which I know that you did} so I spruced her up as well...again, using the "everything but the kitchen sink" method.  Please excuse the Taco Soup cooking on my stove :)

The "stuffing" in my glass jar is simply some shredded paper that I had saved from a gift I got last year!

Joy To the World...the Lord is come!!  The REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit!!  I hope you will come back soon!!  Merry Christmas!!!