December 19, 2022
My childhood home, a two-story farmhouse style, stood elegantly on the side of a hill. The grand proportions of this home with its ten-foot ceilings, sweeping front porch, and loft overlooking a cathedral ceilinged-living room made it a joy to decorate at Christmas. The Friday after Thanksgiving began the feverish two-day decorating sprint as my mom lead the charge to decorate our home: a massive tree in the living room, garlands on every banister and railing (of which there were many), and holiday touches tucked in many a corner.
To house the quantity of Christmas décor needed for this grand home required a large section of a fully-load bearing attic the length of the entire house. My mom had every item neatly tucked away in red and green tubs, and she loved pulling those tubs down every year (or rather she wrangled my brothers into pulling them down!)
I have many fond memories of decorating with my family as a teenager, and Christmas at that house was something magical. My siblings and I are a little sad that my parents no longer live in that home and that our children will not experience Christmas there, but we understand the need for simplicity in my parent's lives.
Fast forward several years and now the table has turned and I am the one taking the charge to decorate my home and create an aura of Christmas for my family. Now that the responsibility of motherhood is on my shoulders, I marvel at all my mom did to prepare for Christmas. My mother is the energizer bunny, and even as a teenager, I could not keep up with her.
Christmas is very simple at my house. For one, my home just does not have the storage capacity that my childhood home had. Getting up into my attic and moving carefully around almost requires the nimbleness of a gymnast! Avoiding a head collision with a rafter and avoiding stepping off the load-bearing plywood are ever present in my mind as I lug my Christmas tubs down the rickety wooden ladder.
Lack of storage has shaped my Christmas decorating strategy but also my personal health has determined how much I can decorate. Low energy is a very real struggle for me, and something I battle almost every single day of my life. I mention this low energy not to solicit sympathy but rather to encourage others who may empathize with this condition. God has given certain people like my mom boundless energy and others He has touched with some weakness, perhaps to cause us weaker ones to lean harder into Him.
All this to say, I like to create more of a cozy winter look in my home with cheery reds and greens that do no necessarily scream Christmas. I leave up this winter look through the month of January, and there have been some years that February got a peek at Christmas.
So how can you create a timeless look in your home without a lot of fuss?
Swap out a few dishes in your kitchen with more "Christmasy" dishes.
Snip greenery from your yard (or other places...I've been known to take my clippers to undisclosed locations) and tuck it on top of dressers, mantels, or just anywhere!
Work with the current décor or vignettes that you have but just make them look a little more like Christmas. For example, on top of my music cabinet I used some of my year round décor like the lantern and the white pitcher but then added a red mercury glass candle holder for a more festive touch.
4. Add a red gross-grain ribbon to pitcher handles. I love decorating with white pitchers, and a touch of red turns the pitcher into a holiday treasure.
Thank you for joining me for a few touches of Christmas in my home! I know this post is a bit late for inspiration purposes, but I hope you enjoyed seeing our home.
May you breathe deeply and treasure the real moments with your loved ones.
-Ashley
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