12.17.2013

Our Christmas *hOmE*…..{the BIG tour}…...


** If you are visiting from Unskinny Boppy, WELCOME!**



Welcome to our Forever*Cottage
Christmas home 2013.

Our home is located beautiful Portland, Oregon.
We are lucky to be able to have the opportunity
to get a Forest Service permit each year to go
and cut a natural Christmas tree.  This year, however,
our girls really wanted the experience of picking out a more
manicured tree at a tree lot.  So the tree you 
see below is the natural tree I insisted we get
for our dining room and the fuller tree in our
living room you will see is our tree lot tree.

For the most part I really keep it pretty simple when
decorating for the holidays - I love using natural elements -
paperwhites, poinsettias, boxwood wreaths and natural garland.

************************


The 'star' of our dining room this year is the new dining
table that my very handy dad made for me!
It is made from knotty alder and finished with both
a mix of stain and watered down chalk paint to
give it the perfect aged patina!


I kept the decorations on our dining room tree very simple -
glittered pinecone ornaments I found at 
World Market and snow flakes I picked up at
Target a few years ago.  The vintage olive
bucket was bought with this use in mind - I love
using it as a tree stand {I had to get very creative
in order to make it work!}.


Our home is 'great room' style so the kitchen/family room/dining room
are all one large space.  I do have a formal living room
where we have our family tree and where we will 
open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve - as has been
our family tradition since I was a little girl.
{Santa leaves gifts for Christmas morning.}


I am always a sucker for interesting poinsettias - I love these
cream and pink ones!


This vintage bench in our kitchen is a favorite spot
for my girls to do homework or talk to me when
I am working in the kitchen - I recently had a 
custom cushion made for it which makes it even
more cozy!


Our mantle is a bit busy but festive…...
The glittered vintage Santa's I have had for years.  I paired them
with other stuff I have - vintage brass candlesticks, a vintage box and books.
The grain sack stockings are new this year - I added my girls' initials when I found these
at Target - of all places!  


My greens are real - the boxwood wreath is getting a little dry
and the greens on the mantle were just added today - I am hoping
they make it through the holidays - I just can't do the faux greenery!


My gold stocking holders were formerly red Pottery Barn Kids
holders from YEARS ago - they were meant to hold a photo
but I sprayed them gold this year and then the glass
with chalkboard paint and used a chalk marker to
write my girls' names instead.


Amen…….

I also used the same chalk marker to write a message
on my vintage French bamboo mirror in our entry….


The pom pom garland is from West Elm.
And of course, paperwhites add the perfect 
amount of holiday cheer!


Ah…here's our lovely tree lot tree.
Looks like a Christmas tree should look -
my 11 year old is happy cause 'it is so embarrassing
to have a sparse Charlie Brown tree, mom".


My manger scene got tucked into my table top greenhouse - replacing
the dying sedum that were there before the holidays…..


Along with the mantle greenery, the coffee table in the great room has
also been decked out in some holiday greens. Love these
mini-cypress trees that you can pop into vintage
vases or inexpensive Ikea pots.




I keep my kitchen simple….I am OCD that way….




It is likely that if you come to our home you will be 
greeted by these two knuckleheads - they sort of like
to hang out on the front porch watching the world go by….


Thanks a bunch for visiting!  

MeRry ChIsTmAs to YoU aNd yOuRs!



22 comments on "Our Christmas *hOmE*…..{the BIG tour}…..."
  1. Gorgeous! Your home is so welcoming and beautifully decorated for Christmas. Love it!

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  2. oh i love the kids on the front porch! watchign the world go by!!
    love love love your christmas home
    and that skinny tree....sigh...

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  3. beautiful, jill! love the tree and love your porch! and the dogs. :)

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  4. Wonderful job! I so look forward to your Christmas decor each year. Simple and lovely! Thank you for sharing

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  5. Looks beautiful Jill! Love the dogs on the porch, so cute!! Merry Christmas my friend!

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  6. Jill, it's all so beautiful! It even gave me a couple of ideas about things I could switch around in our house. But, really, I have to stop with 1 week until Christmas :)

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  7. Jill, it is all beautiful. You dad did a great job on the table.

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  8. very very pretty and I really love the mini trees together on the table!

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  9. Beautiful, Jill! You created such a warm, cozy, welcoming space in your home! I love the warm wood tones with the greenery! Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and joyous New Year!!

    xoxo laurie

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  10. What a wonderful tour, Jill. Where do I start? First, I love the table your father made! How special. You'll cherish it for years and so will your children when they are grown. Second, I love your trees, both of them, but especially the natural one in the dining room. And that old olive pot is fantastic. I've been eyeing them online, but I don't really have any space in our little house for one. Your poinsettias are so pretty, and more interesting than the red ones. I love how you displayed the manger scene. Everything is gorgeous! Merry Christmas,
    Claudia

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  11. Beautiful! The table made by your father is a real treasure!

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  12. You have a lovely home, thanks for sharing, by the way I found you on Pintrest

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  13. Your home looks beautiful! Some bloggers tend to overdue the décor but yours looks so cozy!

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  14. It looks lovely, Jill! Merry Christmas to you and your precious family!
    XO

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  15. So pretty! Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

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  16. Jill, I have the exact same armoire as shown in your first picture. Do you use an oil or anything to keep it looking so beautiful? Mine is in great condition overall but doesn't look as great as yours.

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  17. Such a gorgeous and welcoming Christmas home!! The skinny tree in the dining room is my favorite! Every year I vote to get one but don't win. I need a bigger house so I can have two trees.

    Happy Holidays!!

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