Decking the Halls

Growing up, every space in our home was decked out for Christmas.  Trees, garland, & Christmas lights filled nearly every room in our house.  My favorite part were the snowflakes my father hung from the kitchen ceiling.  My parents did a great job making Christmas a magical time for my sister & I.  My mother is a Christmas decorating genius, & her home & trees are always so beautifully decorated. 

Exterior Christmas Decor

Sadly, I do not possess this quality.  I think it all stems from my frugality when it comes to purchasing Christmas décor.  I would rather spend my money on decorations I can use all through the year, rather than just one month.  Every year, I think I will stock up after Christmas, but I never do.

Christmas Mailbox Decor

It’s because of this, I have developed a “less is more” approach to Christmas decorating.

Exterior Christmas Lights

I adorn the mailbox with a small piece of greenery, throw some clear lights in the bushes, & place a DIY wreath on the door, giving the exterior some understated elegance.

DIY Modern Christmas Wreath

Or at least that’s what I tell myself!

Christmas Banisters

Inside, garland adorns the stair railings, along with clear lights & simple white bows.

Christmas Stairway

I moved our nativity from the entry table this year, & replaced it with a bowl of small ornaments.

Entry Table Decorated for Christmas

Bowl of ornaments

Around the house, ornaments are hung from coat hooks, drawer handles, & even light fixtures.

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More ornaments used as tabletop décor in the living room…

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and morning room.

simple Christmas centerpiece

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I placed the nativity set on our new mirrored console, where we can see it more often.

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A bowl of ornaments adds a little sparkle to the top of the console.

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The mantel is pretty much the same as last year.

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Here is a picture of our tree.  The kids fill it up with their homemade ornaments & I added what few ball ornaments were left after spreading them throughout the house.

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I’m not going to pretend that I try to make it look good!  It doesn't even have a tree skirt!  How do you skirt a live tree that needs water every day?  I’m stumped!  (I wasn't even trying to be punny!)

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You won’t find any beautifully wrapped packages under my tree either.  I tend to have a “less is more” approach with those too!  Simply wrapped with the recipients name penned in Sharpie right on the paper!  I don’t see the point in taking the time to adorn a package that is just going to get ripped to shreds in a matter of ten seconds.  Well, I guess it would be worth it if I could use them as décor leading up to Christmas, but I’m pretty sure a certain two-year-old would not let that happen!

So, that’s a wrap!  Do you go all out for Christmas decorating or do you also choose a simpler approach?  Where do you stash all the presents?  Do you keep them beautifully displayed under your tree or hide them in your closet under a bunch of blankets like me?  (Shhh…don’t tell my kids!) 

Linking to the 12 Days of Christmas Home Tours


11 Magnolia Lane

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