The Holiday Home Tour 2007.

I love Christmas. I broke my own rules this year and got all our decorations out and set up over a week ago now. We've had Christmas music playing, candles burning and of course the tree lit and shining through the windows.

I love the warmth our home oozes during the holidays. It is my hope that it's a welcoming place and that our love of Christmas shines through not just our home but by our attitudes about the season. There is a reason for this season that is much more than Christmas trees, lights and presents. Each year we are working at making sure that the kids get the meaning and this year my word and goal for the season is 'giving'. More on that later.

For now, I'd like to give you the first annual holiday home tour. I'll be sharing our entry, living, dining room and kitchen, the rest of the house is still pretty normal and not much to share. Meaning, same old stuff, not Christmas-y.

Enjoy.

(most all of the photos should enlarge when clicked on.) This is exactly what you see when you enter our home.
Look to your right and next to the door leading to the garage hangs T and M's school bags and coats.
And across from that is H's hook. Brand new this year.

You're standing at the top of the stairs looking towards the front door. Oooh.

Turn around and look at the living room. By the way, because my husband is always keeping me honest, I want you to know that our living room only looks like this (all toys put away, no backpacks, papers, books or magazines out) for about 10 minutes a day unless all the children are sleeping. It's true.
Not Christmas-y but do you see their cute pictures from last spring.
My homemade advent calendar hangs directly above a very special desk. This desk my grandmother got from an old-Catholic school over 50 years ago. My dad used it, my sisters and I used it and now it sits in our living room. It's just H's size and he's loving it. The red box has different items each season, currently there are felt ornaments that can be played with.
Dining room.
Again not Christmas-y, but here's my china and crystal. The blue picture framed inside is from our trip to Greece and in front of it sits my wedding bouquet.

This picture of the Lords Supper used to be my mom's dad (my grandpa), then it hung in my dad's office and now it hangs above our dining room table.

Snowden and our new nativity. I bought that at an after Christmas sale at The Baby Collection. The kids love this more age appropriate nativity. We have another, older nativity that we've moved up high that we keep up year round now, but this one is much better for kids. My kitchen. I'm bummed, neither of these pictures enlarge. Sorry.
Here are the stockings. No Santa here, just St. Nick who will visit on December 5th this year. Our Christmas card holders are in place, awaiting the first cards of the season.
This is one of my favorite parts of our house. The kids art and projects and then fun, candid photos. On the shelf above are glasses with each of our initials. Thank you Anthropologie. (I bought those this summer and still haven't decided if they should stay empty or if I should fill them with things like sand, beads...) We also have alot of P's around our house though you only see a couple. P is for POSTUMA!
In case you've ever wondered this is my work space. On the left is my first published piece as a freelancer and on the right is me and my husband. Take a good look at the book I'm reading, author Karon Goodman sent that my way for a December review. Stay tuned. Is it too early to say the season is here?!?


So, you're invited now:
It's the First Annual Holiday Home Tour.

Here's your instructions:

#1 Get your home all decked out for the holidays.
#2 Take pictures as though you're giving a tour.
#3 Post them on your blog. (And if you feel so led, link back here.)


Ready, get set, GO! Can't wait to see your holiday spaces!