Christmas Tree!!

Every year, we seem to get into more elaborate Holiday decorations.  Last year it was a 13 foot Christmas tree, and this year we went for a whopping 15 feet of Christmas cheer!  We made the treck out to a ‘U-Cut’ tree farm up north and scoured the open fields for the perfect tree.  Getting a tree this large in the house is complicated, but completely worth it!

Holiday Mantel

Other than the larger-than-life tree, some of my favorite holiday decorations are also items I might just keep around passed the holidays.  Mercury glass candle holders are just so sparkly, you can’t help but notice them.  They’re pretty on their own, and even prettier with a lit candle inside.  To add a little height and visual interest to my grouping, I added a focal point piece inspired by an afternoon peruse through Pottery Barn.  They were selling some overpriced balls and sparkly pinecones to fill a similar glass canister (which all together would have been over $60 to purchase).  I found this one for $9.99 at Marshalls (discount store), and the balls were cheep ones I already had.  Add a layer of fake snow, which cost me less than $2.00 at the craft store, and viola! A perfect focal point for my holiday mantel.

Snuggly Stockings

Another holiday favorite are these extra snuggly cable-knit stockings.  We took advantage of the monogramming feature, but instead of our initials we opted to put “Mom” and “Dad” and our sons first initial on his.  I added a soft green ribbon to make them a bit more festive.  What I love most about these is how big they are; you can fit a ton of stuff in them, and they are nicely lined to avoid stretching out.  I got these last year from LandsEnd.com and I’m sure we will use them for many years to come!