It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Sorry for not having many blog posts lately, but this one is pretty long so I hope it makes up for it! I have been getting ready for a party that we are having at our house next weekend! I have been decorating for Christmas since before Thanksgiving. I have hit up TJ Maxx at least once a week lately to see what new Christmas items that they have gotten in. Since I am having this party at my house, I needed some more decorations since I really haven't done much in the past because really only Davis and I see it. I feel like I have added or touched up something a little bit every day!

I bought these trees at TJ Maxx. I absolutely loved them silver, but I really needed them to be gold to put on my mantle. So I got some gold spray paint and gold glitter and went to town. I am happy with the way they turned out.

Here is a full shot of my mantel. I was actually able to replace our picture with a wreath now that the picture can be taken of the wall. I got the gold reindeer and garland at Michaels, and the wreath and balls at Carriage Trade. I could have bought everything in Carriage Trade this year, and I did get a lot of stuff there! All of their things are so beautiful! Davis and my stockings are from Ballard Designs and I am not sure where I got Rasta, Suches, and Sullivan's stockings from. Stella's stocking came from the Etsy store the lab (so technically the stocking is for a lab but it looked close enough to a golden).

On my coffee table, I put some green ornaments in this cute reindeer bowl and used one of my gold trees.

 Sorry for Davis's feet in the picture. He doesn't understand how important the pictures are for a blog.

In the corner where I have a couple of chairs and a table, the table is adorned with a Santa and the chair has this precious pillow. 

We got our Christmas tree from a Paul Eames. He has been selling Christmas trees from the same place for 44 years. We get ours from him every year and have never been disappointed with the choices of trees he has. We went looking for a smaller tree this year since I changed the place where I put the tree this year. Since we are having a party, I wanted the tree to be out of the way. Well, this is by far the biggest tree we have ever had. It is somewhere over 12 feet tall and definitely the widest we have ever gotten! I had to buy more ornaments to fill up this sucker! I have no idea how many lights are on it, but there are well over 1000 I know. Our tree is just full of bright ornaments of every color. The tree topper is from Livi and Co. Of course, I see a couple of empty spots that don't have enough lights, but overall, I love the way our tree turned out!

This is the view standing in the living room.

 This is the view people will get when they walk in from the foyer.

All packages are very simple this year. I am only using kraft paper and simple ribbons or baker's twine.

I hung these large ornaments from my dining room chandelier. They shine when the chandelier is on and look beautiful! 

I have been building on my mercury collection. Most of the pieces are from TJ Maxx last year. I just put a little greenery at the bottom. 

On the buffet, I bought these reindeer votive holders and precious little snow man at Carriage Trade. I exchanged the tomatoes on the platter for bright colored ornaments. 

In the kitchen, I hung my coffee filter wreath above my buffet, please excuse the mess over there-this is where we are putting desserts for the party next weekend, so I never fully decorated over here. The large Santa is from TJ Maxx. He has a crack in him, so I got a great deal on him-$14. The smaller Santa was ordered from Alice Lane Home. I saw him on their blog, and had to have him since he matched the cheapo Santa. The trees are from Carriage Trade and the platters and vases are from Target and TJ Maxx. Here is what it is planning to look like:

On the console table next to the bay window, I replaced coffee beans with these bright red balls from Joann's and added some bright green ornaments in with the artichokes. 

The breakfast table got a really simple arrangement with some ornaments from Hobby Lobby and a vase from TJ Maxx.

Awhile back, I covered up some beautiful hideous tile work with a chalkboard decal. I try to change up what I write on there, so now it has an ornament. These "gifts" were bought at the end of the season at Target last year. The tree was a wedding gift.

I love this little candy/food tree! I got this candy garland from an Etsy store, and I found the ornaments at Target and Hobby Lobby this year.

This little reindeer votive sits on the window sill over my sink looking into my living room. I am sure you can guess where is came from-Carriage Trade!

My front porch needs something else. I am thinking poinsettias, but I cannot get those until a few days before the party because I will kill them. The wreath came from the same place where get got our tree, and I just put this fun painted screen bow that I bought several years ago. I put some lights on the topiaries that we already had, and now they look like lit up Christmas trees.

Our foyer got this little tree. It doesn't have any ornaments but it brings some nice light into the area when you walk in the front door. My mom bought me this metal manger scene at the beginning of this season, and I just added some votives and garland behind it to give it a little more colors. I got the idea for the wreath from Maggie. When I saw this idea, I had to try it!

Davis got a little feather wreath on the door to his office. I thought it was very appropriate for him! I bought the wreath from Anthropologie. I wish I had bought several more to place around his office because it is pretty bare of any other Christmas stuff, but Anthro sold out before I could buy an others. I just hot glued a brown ribbon to the back of it and taped it to the back of the door.

Our guest bath just got a few ornaments in an apothecary jar from Michaels and a cute little Charlie Brown Christmas tree from Hobby Lobby.

The guest room got a little coffee filter wreath.

Our bedroom didn't get much decorating. Davis had this nativity scene when we got married, and I added a little straw. The metal Christmas tree was bought last year at Livi and Co.

These are the french doors on our back patio. I put up moss wreaths like the one in the foyer. I covered the wreath hanger with some ribbon I had. I got the holiday cheer sign from Livi & Co. I thought it would be very appropriate for our upcoming party!

I think that is all of our Christmas decor. Davis and I are off to Scott's early in the morning for the day. We are hoping to find my Christmas present-a new kitchen table! I will update you if we find anything!