I promised my sister, Cindy, I wouldn’t gush too much over her decorating skills, but I don’t think I’ll have too… I’m pretty sure you’ll do that for me! I asked her if she would send me some pictures of her home decorated for Christmas. Anyone who’s read my blog for any length of time knows she is VERY talented at decorating her home (and mine long distance over the phone.) She sent some pictures of last year’s decorating and some from this year… I’m not sure I know which ones are from last year or this year, so I’ll just show them and you can take a look to see her pretty home. She truly does have that “Better Homes and Gardens” and “Traditional Homes” and “Country Living” touch.
This will be a slide show for the most part, and will most likely be today and tomorrow’s posts… there are too many pictures to show in one post. However, I was thinking… it might be better that way! Too much overload of decorating in one post makes one feel like they can’t do it… BUT if you have a few pictures to look at (and maybe copy), it’s much better. She looks at magazines and studies things she sees… she tries new things all the time… that’s why she has fun doing it. She’ll sometimes send me a text with a picture of something she is “playing” with… a dresser top, a buffet vignette, a new picture on the wall, a mirror with magnolia leaves along the top, etc.
She doesn’t spend a lot of money on her decorating…she LOVES to scavenge her mission and find “bargains” and since she’s a stay at home mom/grandma, she has time to fiddle and play around with her stuff…
I hope you’ll enjoy the pictures of her home…it’s as warm and homey as it looks and she and her family are too…
I asked her for a few “tips” for great decorating…and these were some she sent…
* If you are decorating with groups of things… like my Nutcrackers, put them in groups of 3 or 5…and spread them around your room
* If you are decorating a shelf or a table top, use different textures… like wood, metal, ceramic or glass
* Let your eye flow up and down and up and down as it travels across your table top or buffet… something high, something low, something high, something low… don’t have things all one level… put things on books if you need to
* Decorate with what you love; everyone is different with what they like
* Shop your house…look in other rooms for something in other rooms that you hadn’t thought of
* You can hang mementoes, toys, dried flowers or sticks, cookies, small books or keepsakes, on your tree; just things that mean something to you
* Use OLD and NEW together
* Use your phone or camera to take pictures of something you just put together, as sometimes it will look out of balance or “too much” in a picture
* She says “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure” and she was quick to add, that’s what most of hers is… another person’s junk! :o)
So, I hope you’ll enjoy looking at the “Look Book” I just put together of Cindy’s home. May you find inspiration in some of her pictures to create something fun and new for your home this Christmas!
Not all of the pictures, but the smaller, squattier ones can be clicked on and seen larger.
This is her hubby…he plays a great Santa and has for years!
Wasn’t that fun…even without any captions or comments?
I hope you’ll come back tomorrow for part 2 of Cindy’s decorating for Christmas!
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh…..so lovely! Hard to choose a favorite! Maybe the lighted tree branch in the 7th picture? Or the stockings hung from the stair railing? Or possibly the tiny table-top tree with ornaments, 4th picture up from the bottom….
Thanks for sharing.
HI Charlotte,
I’m glad you liked seeing Cindy’s home decorated for Christmas. She sent me that picture of the lighted tree branch to show something new used with something old. It’s an old milk crate that the tree is standing in… Isn’t it pretty?
I have always loved that little spikey Christmas tree she uses from year to year.
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s called a feather tree, very German
So…………Cindy is actually Mrs. Santa Claus!! I knew it Jeanne! What a beautiful home she has created for her family and friends! Each picture is just amazing and everything looks like it “belongs” there! Her tree! Is it real? It is just what a Christmas tree should look like, and I really like what she did for the tree top, the bird in the berry wreath. So different, yet so true to the theme she has set for the rest of the house!
I love that picture of her stairs with the stockings on the railing, and the tree in the living room in the background, giving such a welcome sight to visitors. Let me tell you, either you have the decorating gene, or you do not, and she’s got it! Thank you so much for showing us a glimpse of her beautiful home and thank you, Cindy for sending them to Jeanne. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s blog!
Yes, Linda, Cindy is Mrs. Claus and yes, her tree is real. It was kind of tall and the top wasn’t the greatest…that’s why she filled it in with the birds nest wreath. I love it up there!
The picture with the tree in the background of the living room is one of my favorites too. She takes all her pictures with her phone and does a great job, I think! I’m so glad you enjoyed seeing them. It’s like going on one of those Home Tours without getting out in the weather! :o)
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Next year you’ll need to show these again closer to the beginning of the month. Love the trees, especially the big one and the little bare branch one (photo 7, I think), and both pictures of the stairs. Lots and lots to admire there. And no dust anywhere.
I forgot to mention the beautiful front door.
It’s going to be fun to see what other people choose as favorites. Many thanks for this, and for tomorrow’s slide show as well.
HI Marilyn,
I realized these pictures needed to be shown earlier so people could be inspired with decorating their houses… My phone was acting up so I wasn’t able to get them off my phone until a few days ago… I did receive a new (used) phone and hopefully things will go smoothly now.
Well, there might be dust “somewhere” but just not in these shots… she tells me these pictures are the “pretty” shots and not everything is spit spot like it looks. She’s working in the kitchen making cookies and Hannah’s mom is cleaning out the frig! These are her “staged” shots of her house… just like the bloggers use for their posts. Cindy’s house is LIVED in, but still very pretty!
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow! The pictures of perfection. Can’t thank you and Cindy enough for the lovely gallery of photos. If this doesn’t inspire me, nothing will. I think I’ve figured out the problem around here. We have too many windows and not enough room for display pieces. Smaller house living as they say. For me, the crock display is wonderful. We have a lot of those and nowhere to put them at the moment. Is the tv hidden away somewhere or perhaps in another room? That does take up space around here. I too love the tree topper bird nest. What a lovely idea. If we had a tree, I would probably do that too. Maybe next year. And I especially like the display with the snowy house, old car, and lighted tree. So cute.
Thank you Cindy and Jeanne. Have to rush now as the attic access repair contractor is appearing soon to fix the newly enlarged hole in the closet. Will only be a couple more weeks until testing and city inspector can okay the work. Then we will be able to clear up the mess and return things to the closet. 🙂
HI Joy,
Cindy would probably shudder at the word perfection, but when she shows her pretty shots it does look like perfection to me too!
You have too many windows to properly decorate and I have too big of a fireplace (really it’s mammoth) to decorate like I want. Joy, we just have to keep working at it until we find something that works.
Her TV is in that blue cabinet with the horse on top… It’s like an armoire in her family room.
That old car in the picture you like was from Cindy’s father in law… isn’t it neat looking?
You can get your house cleaned up and decorated just in time for Spring, maybe? I bet you’ll be so relieved…
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
How nice to see Cindy’s holiday decorations. Her home is beautiful and her decorations are just wonderful. Cindy, you are so very creative. The Christmas tree is just gorgeous. Is it a real tree? It’s perfectly shaped and the decorations on it are so unique. I love the “cow jumps over the moon”. And the staircase of stockings. Since we don’t have a fireplace, that’s what I’ve done for many years. Cindy’s home is just lovely – oh and Santa – we see you sneaking in – ho ho ho!
Thank you Jeanne and Cindy for sharing.
Thanks Paula,
I’m glad you enjoyed Cindy’s Home Tour… I did too!
Yes, her tree is real…didn’t she pick a winner? Her hubby carved that Cow jumped over the Moon ornament! Talent oozes from her family! They each have a special gift!
I’m so glad you saw things that you loved, Paula… I was hoping to just put a smile on everyone’s face today. I hope I did!
Blessings, Jeanne
Always love seeing Cindy’s decorating!! Beautiful home, you are both so gifted!
Thank you for sharing, and Merry Christmas.
Judi
Thank you Judi,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the slide show.
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, your sister’s house is amazing!
I echo Linda D, I think my favorite photo is of the stockings. They are beautifully made and wonderfully arranged.
I see that she has worked the teal colored cabinet (under the big clock) into the design. I remember that you showed us that before. It’s very pretty.
I look forward to seeing Part 2 of the Christmas photos!
Thank you Dorothy,
The stocking picture was this year…just the grand kids this year…you’ll see everyone’s tomorrow…last years picture!
I wondered if anyone would remember that cabinet she redid!
I’m so glad you enjoyed looking!
Blessings, Jeanne
I looked twice and couldn’t decide which picture is my favorite. I love the ones of the tree and any time there are decorated stairs, they get my vote. I always wanted stairs to decorate but have never lived in a house that had an upstairs since I was a kid. Cindy’s decorating is beautiful and so plentiful. I used to decorate more extensively than I do now. Many of the surfaces I used to decorate have disappeared since we remodeled the kitchen and went from VHS tapes to DVDs. Gone are the tops of my video cabinets and my microwave stand. Now I pull things out of a box and wonder where to put them. It ends up going back in the box. My hubby is a big one for tearing out walls and has removed a few over the years. So a lot of my hanging things have lost their place to hang. I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy Cindy’s decorating. So lovely.
Hi Barbara,
I’m glad you enjoyed today’s post and while Cindy has stairs and a house that’s great for decorating, not everyone can or is able to do that…I just wanted to bring a little cheer to everyone today…hope I did!!!
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
I forgot to mention the other day when I was commenting on your prettiest doll dress ever that I would love to read the story you wrote when you were selling the outfit.
Never mind. I went back and looked at the blog again and realized I was so caught up in seeing the pictures, I actually skipped over it.
Hope you enjoyed how it turned out!!!
Thanks Barbara!!
What an enjoyable tour through Cindy’s home. Yes, it’s a little colonial and country living combined. I love her little wooden corner cabinet with the [pewter pieces. The Christmas tree is lovely- really unique. Our Christmas tree is a combination of old German ornaments and ornaments that have a religious significance for the most part- lion, butterfly, cross, fish, lamb etc. and then covered with lead icicles. This year I’m having to content myself with the outdoor tree and decorations as unfortunately, I have now come down with the respiratory thing, so no chance of a tree or baking. 8igh*. I’m really disappointed as this year was promising. The past few years my daughter’s anxiety over clutter, even good Christmas clutter has really limited what I can have out.
I use to have decor for each season around the house, now it has to be limited to my bedroom and the living room which is more “out of view”.The main issue is the tree always goes in the family room as the living room is too crowded with furniture and the piano. I’m staying upbeat by watching Christmas movies and looking at my Christmas books and magazines. Hopefully next year.
I love the tobacco basket with the wreath and garland. I saw one at the antique stare and would have brought it if a couple of the slats hadn’t been missing. The little branch tree is adorable. That could stay all winter.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
Hi Laura,
I’m so so sorry that, you, of all people, by ave had to curtail all the things you seem to love more than most.
I hope Cindy’s pictures brought a little bit of Christmas cheer to your heart today…and there will be some more tomorrow.
Have a merry Christmas Laura, even if it’s in your bedroom!
Blessings to you, Laura,
~ Jeanne
Thank you EVERYONE for your kind compliments!!! I’ve always loved Christmas ornaments & decorating my tree. As my kids were growing up I would always get them an ornament for Christmas and when they were grown I would give them “their” ornaments. The sad thing about that is those little mementos that you saw year after year disappear and the tree takes on a new personality? but when I visit them, I see those little treasures they made in school hanging on their tree and it’s so sweet to see them again. Most of you ladies like to spend time with your dolls, sewing, creating scenes or just enjoying them. I do the same thing making little vignettes, I’m just missing the dolls. I guess we all play pretend in some way!
Thanks for your sweet comments, Cindy….I love your home, but love you more. I’m so glad you are my sister!!!
Merry Christmas!
Love you, Jeanne