“Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays . . .”   Are you humming all of those tunes these days?   We are!  We’re also getting the house ready to welcome (gulp, 70 to 80) guests for our annual Christmas party next weekend. 

Thankfully, all the inside decorating is done! 

Nester is hosting her annual holiday tour of homes today, so naturally it was the perfect time to snap some photos and join in the fun! 

The new staircase is decked out with a garland of mixed greens (faux + real), topped with lights, silver beads, some flocked branches clipped from my Christmas tree and plenty of snowflakes. 

I’m so into snowflakes this year, and I have dozens of them.  I always pick them up in after Christmas sales for about a quarter each and I never get tired of them year after year! 

On the other side of the entry is a dresser all dolled up for the season. 

My husband bought me this ceramic nativity scene years ago, so simple and sweet.

To the right of our stairs is our living room where I typically spend most of my energy decorating.  Everyone  gets stopped under the mistletoe!

Last week, you saw the flocked Christmas tree ~ Grandpa’s piano is all tuned up for singing carols at the party.   Oh yes we do sing at our parties!  Everyone does, especially after we hand them a glass of bubbly to warm them up . . . 

You can see a more pictures of our flocked tree here. 

The blue, silver, and gold mantel still looks so pretty. 

If you’d like to see more pics of the mantel up close, take a peek right here. 

Across from the fireplace is the sideboard I picked up at a thrift store earlier this year.  I’m keeping it cleared off to hold desserts.

But I couldn’t resist a fun colorful display with some manzanita branches, ornaments and colored glass balls. 

In the kitchen where we spend most hours, I finished the mantel above the range with some cedar garland mixed with fir and dusted with faux snow. 

Those candlesticks are all from thrift stores, spray painted a seasonal shade of silver.  You know me, I’ll probably paint them white again next year! 

To the back of two barstools, I tied some rosemary and boxwood swags created from yard clippings. I’m loving the mix of silver and green this year in the kitchen!

In the kitchen garden window is a simple fir wreath topped with some beaded garland I’ve had for so many years.  I love Trader Joes . . . you can get a 24” wreath for $10, so I always buy a few, then dress them up with berries and bows. 

Suspended from the top of our garden window are several silver ornaments, strung up with fishing line!

Little mercury glass candleholders sit on the windowsills . . .

Most of our holiday decorations are concentrated downstairs, but I couldn’t resist this next little seasonal splurge.  Upstairs, just for me and my guy, I hung this simple eucalyptus wreath in our master bathroom.  It’s so fragrant, and has that ‘spa’ smell, I’m secretly hoping it lasts for several months!

The first and last thing anyone ever sees when coming to our place is the winter willow wreath on the door I made last month. 

The outdoor lights and porch are nearly done, I’ll save those for later!

Have you decked your halls this season?

Be sure to link up to Nester’s big party! 

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Tags: holiday, home tour

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