Christmas in Shafferland 2016

Know what I wish? I wish we could have you ALL over for a big blog bash this Christmas. Wouldn't that be fun? Sitting around in the living room, watching Hallmark movies {because of course} and drinking coffee {I did make some stellar hot chocolate for you coffee haters} and soaking up all the Christmas decor. It would be such fun.

But since we're spread far and wide across this country {and world}, I'll just invite you to a virtual tour of our Christmas! In full disclosure, the house isn't quite done. The living room tree, which will be our live tree, has yet to be purchased. We'll take care of that in a few days, but meanwhile, I wanted to show you the rest of the house in all its cozy beauty.

I also noted as I decorated that all our decorations fit so perfectly in here. More perfectly than our old house, actually. I've told Ryan more than once that it's so odd to me how two houses that can be so similar in square footage can handle furniture and decorations so differently. Layout matters, I guess!

As I show you the pictures, I'm going to share a few reasons why my decorations are special to me. Our home will never be in a magazine, and I don't have a marked style across the house, but every single thing I put up has a memory attached, and that matters to me.

We'll start with some outside decor. A little tree Lynne gave me for Christmas one year, when I was still working at the station:

 The red lantern is the one we talked about on Spill the Beans last week: the one we got at a discount because it was missing most of its glass!

 Gifts from Ryan's mom. Ryan's step-dad made the little tree. Isn't it so cool?

 The door that used to belong on my grandparents' garage. I painted a chalkboard on it and got my Christmas art inspiration from Pinterest {of course}.

 My old little red wagon. One of the most complimented parts of our landscaping.

And now...inside!

After 16 years of having a galley kitchen, it was so much fun to have a bigger kitchen to decorate this year. And yes, I put a full sized tree in our kitchen. I did that because that window is the only window that looks out over the street, and I wanted passers-by to have a pretty view! I made this my s'more/gingerbread ornament tree. I've been collecting those for years and love how they make a perfect kitchen tree!

I also have these little shelves, which conveniently LOOK like a tree. :)

 Our coffee cup advent countdown is ready to go! Well. Almost. They're actually currently empty. So maybe not so much on the "ready to go." But they will be by December 1!

 Up close. I am so excited to have this little {okay, big} addition this year. This will be something new for us, and I'm just really excited!

Even though the tree is not up, we do have a few things up in the living room to make it festive. Two things here: the "Joy" canvas we painted at my mom's 80th birthday party this summer {love having that memory to get out every time I decorate} and our cards from each year framed. {I actually have this year's card already framed and displayed, but I took it down for the picture so I wouldn't give it away before I mail them out!}

 My friend Amy {from WBCL} gave us a dated Christmas frame as a gift one year, and we loved it so much that we get one every year. Last year we waited too long and almost couldn't find one! EEK! Not making that mistake again. Our 2016 frame is purchased and in hiding behind the 2015 frame. We do a photo together each Christmas day that we put inside these frames. And yes, I am aware that in 30 years, we are going to have a lot of frames in this house!

 Stocking time!!!

Our bedroom has a newly themed tree this year. Last year, right before Christmas, I had the chance to review a set of Adorenaments from Family Life Today. I loved them so much that I bought two more sets {there are a total of five sets available} and I used the three sets I have to decorate our bedroom tree. I love it that this whole tree is focused on Jesus and His names and attributes. This might be my favorite tree this year!

 The whole tree is in metallic tones and I love that, too. And I just love falling asleep to a beautiful tree every night. Christmas is the most lovely season.

In our bedroom, I also have my grandparents' Bible {the one in the photo on the front of my Advent book!} and a little cloche jar filled with figurines my Grandma used to have in her house. I also have a white ceramic nativity scene not pictured here, because Ryan was repairing a broken arm on Baby Jesus when the photo shoot occurred. But the nativity used to belong to my great grandma, and my mom painted it. So it's sort of a whole family history thing going on.

Our bathroom is probably one of the least-decorated rooms. {Things to work on for next year. There is a wooden Christmas tree in there and these little Isabel Bloom figurines I inherited from my former roommate, Angela, right before she died. She knew how much I loved Christmas, and she wanted me to have them. This year {actually two days from now} marks five years since she's gone to Heaven, and I still am so thankful for the impact she had on my life. I'm grateful to have these small reminders of her to display in her honor each year.

Our guest room has some Christmas cheer, and of course I have a million ideas swirling in my head for future years, too

More Isabel Bloom figurines, some vintage ornaments my mom gave me a few years ago, and one of my "joy" decorations. {Since that's my middle name, I like to get decorations that say that.}

 The little box in front came from a centerpiece at my niece's wedding this summer. I love it!

 My favorite little nativity. I found it in a tiny shop out in Greensburg five years ago when I went out there for Thanksgiving. It is just darling and I've never seen another one just like it. I debated on whether or not to buy it, and I'm so glad I did.

 The shelf in the guest room. :)

 This tree has no sentimental value. It's just red and silver to match the room. But it's so cute and cozy.

Our guest bathroom doesn't have a lot of decor {yet}. But I turned it into a Colts themed room!

My office is probably the least decorated room. I have a little ceramic tree in there {one of the great vintage ones that everyone used to have. Mom painted mine!}

Next year I'll put more in there. :)

But I will say that it's a pretty great start to Christmas in Shafferland. Looking forward to getting our live tree and setting it up together. Ryan and I enjoy doing that each year, and when we do, I'll let you see the results! :)

Thanks for touring our little humble home. Hope you enjoyed it!