When I am “Decking the Halls”..
~ ~ one of the first rooms I decorate is our Great Room where we always gather.
I usually start with the mantel.
With the large wood and iron shutters, it has become somewhat of a challenge to decorate it.
This year is more of a more simpler woodland theme..
~ ~ well, as simple as this person gets.
Today, I am participating in Day Two of the “Deck the Halls” Holiday Home Tour.
See below for all of the links for today’s party ~
~ ~ and if you missed yesterday’s, the links are below too!..they were all fabulous!
Flying deer on the mantel ~ He is M.I.A. from Santa’s reindeer team.
~ ~ I think it’s Dasher..
Faux evergreen and berry arrangements in Pottery Barn urns.
I intended originally to have a “plain” garland ~
~ but could not resist adding some stems of white and silver leaves to add a bit of bling.
Sammy the Squirrel (that was a tacky gift exchange rescue) ~ returns again this year..
Now moving over just a bit to the tree ~ ~
~ I wanted to change out the tree this year to a smaller one.
Definitely next year ~ after I hit the sales this year.
The tree is placed at one end of the stairwell with branches actually going through the balusters..
~ a line of poinsettias at the base of the stair rails…
A vintage French basket sits at the base of the tree holding packages and woodland decor.
~ a basket that I purchased from Kristen before it hit the antique booth floor!
The beautiful burlap tree skirt is from Sonya at Beyond the Screen Door..
Ta-da!!
~ ~ the really big tree that this person is getting too old to be climbing up and down the 12 foot ladder!
And here it is in the *”moonlight”*
And now some tidbits around the room ~
Changed out the container of this topiary and added some berries.
One of my favorite holiday stories and quotes ~
~ ~ *”Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”*
You will find that quote in our media room, all year round _
~ ~ However, Virginia is replaced by our granddaughter’s name.
This caroler is also one of my favorites.
~ ~ announcing the Dickens’ play among the bottle brush trees.
A Norman Rockwell figurine atop a antique Charles Dickens book, a collection of 5 of his novels.
~ ~ a great find as it is in excellent shape for being over 70 years old.
A beautiful print by William Mangum sits proudly.
~ ~ given to me by my friend Sherri last year.
My “poinsettia angel”
Even the Demi johns get a holiday facelift.
The foyer table..
~ ~ By this date I thought I would have my Antique French buffet in this area..
~ ~ ~ however, it is on its way and can’t wait to get it.
The stained glass will be relocated to another area ~ the great Domino effect.
Another view…
A table transitioning to the kitchen..
~ ~ all dressed in winter white.
And I shall leave you with this guy who was following me around all day ~ ~
~ ~ Giguere a.k.a. “the photo bomber” ~ ~ my son’s dog.
Next time I will put a Santa hat on him and let’s see if he follows me around!
Thank you for enduring this very long tour..
And speaking of “tours” ~ ~ please visit my fellow bloggers today for Day Two ~
~ ~ of the Deck the Halls “tour of Christmas inspiration” ~
Kim ~ The Beautiful Home
Kelly ~ ~ Eclectically Vintage
Courtney ~ French Country Cottage
Ann ~ On Sutton Place
Yvonne ~ StoneGable
Here is yesterday’s great line up of fabulous inspiration.
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND WEEKEND FILLED WITH BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATION!
I am joining:
Common Ground for Be Inspired
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Jen Rizzo at Holiday House Walk Linky Party
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
Sophia’s Decor for The Scoop
Your gorgeous home looks amazing, all done up for Christmas, Shirley. I love it all!
Your tree is magnificent Shirley and wonderful lit at night! I’d need a cherry picker to lift me high enough to decorate the top of it 🙂 Of course I adore your wonderful screen with your white and silver leaf studded garland…*sigh*… Your home is full of Christmas Cheer~ love the Byers’ Carolers too!
OMG Shirley, I can’t believe all you have done. You go all out girl, it looks like you need a rest. It is all just beautiful:) I know what you mean about climbing up and down the ladder we normally get a 25 foot tree and it takes forever to get all those ornaments in place.
All beautiful, but I about choked when you said simpler. I don’t think so. No wonder it takes you days and weeks to decorate. You will have to start hiring someone to go up and down that 12 ft ladder.
Your tree is magnificent, Shirley. I think your woodland-themed mantle works perfectly in here. I really love the caroler next to the milk glass containers with topiaries and your cotton ball wreath. Everything is just beautiful….you certainly have a lot more energy than me!!!
Omigoodness, Shirley, you’ve created a winter wonderland! I have to look at your photos again and again to take it all in. What amazes me is how beautifully it all goes together. I’m afraid my taste is so eclectic that I. All over the place! I hope you have time to just sit and enjoy the beauty you have created.
Fabulous decorating Shirley! That would keep Max busy for DAYS! I can’t decorate this year, he’s way too excitable. Good thing since my shed is snowed in and I don’t want to dig it out to get at my Christmas stuff anyway.
Funny how things work out, isn’t it?
xoxox
Just beautiful! Enjoyed seeing your decorations and great tree. Love your photo bomber too! Merry Christmas!
OMGosh, Shirley! The elves certainly have been busy at your house. So much inspiration! I just kept going back to each photo to look at all you’ve done. I had to smile, because I have a big nutcracker standing beside our grandfather clock, too. Haven’t taken many photos yet. Hopefully, the sun will be out today…better for pic taking indoors.
Thanks again for all the inspiration.
xo Babs
Stunning Shirley…love the woodland theme…your mantel and tree look BEAUTIFUL!!
Your sons pup is adorable!!
Your home looks so beautiful and festive, Shirley!! You have such gorgeous Christmas trees!
Mary Alice
Oh how beautiful Shirley!! Love your traditional Christmas tree!
Your home is always decorated to the nines for Christmas…very festive indeed. Now sit down and enjoy your masterpiece. You hit the nail on the head when you said “as simple as this person gets”! Beautiful!
I wish I had your energy, Shirley- your home is amazing! Your photo bomber friend is cute, too. 🙂
Your tree is spectacular ! Love your mantel and all your other Christmas decorations ! It is just beautiful !
Your Family Room looks awesome and so festive Shirley! I can’t imagine how long it took you to decorate that beautiful 12 foot tree!
Your great room looks fantastic, Shirley! I love how you decorated your fireplace. Love your carolers! I have a thing for them, too, and picked up a few on clearance last year at Christmas Tree Shop. I saw Joann’s had some this year {when I was in there earlier this week} and if they have any left on sale I’m going to get a few more.
Oh, Shirley! Your home is just most gorgeous all dressed up for Christmas! You decorate so beautifully and your home is all ready for Santie Claus.
Be a sweetie and have a nice weekend.
be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Oh my goodness, Shirley! Did you start decorating in October! You home is amazingly gorgeous. I’ll have to visit multiple times to take in all the wonder of it all! Please, Please, Please don’t trade that magnificent tree. It is a masterpiece! You are an artist… and a savant… a christmas decorating savant!
Everything is so beautiful and festive! Your tree is g.g.g.gorgeous! I like where it’s positioned and the basket full of gifts! The reindeer is a cute touch on the mantel. Love the way you decorated the entry hall! That church window reminds me of the windows we had at the First Baptist Church I attended when I was back home. Love the cotton ball wreath- unique! Your son’s dog is cute! Happy Hoidays!
Shirley, your holiday home is lovely! Your decorations are so pretty and festive! I adore the splashes of white; it’s so peaceful! I love your Radko ornaments; they’re a favorite on mine. Your vignettes and the Byers’carolers are wonderful! Your home is gorgeous!
I want to come and live in your house!!! You are the queen of decorating!! I LOVE every single detail… I can’t even pick out a favorite because every detail is just as amazing as the other! I just finished my decorating yesterday.. I went with mainly a white theme which was actually inspired by your woodland winter vignette. 🙂 But nothing compares to your beautiful decor designs!
It looks fabulous, Shirley. Love it all. I totally understand about the tree, but it is magnificent. Even our nine foot is starting to bother us a bit.
OMG Shirley, your house is always amazing. Love, love, love the fireplace. PINNED, you nailed every detail. I collect Byer’s Choice too. They are so fun and I adore that they are made in the good old USA!!
Cynthia
Shirley, your decorations are gorgeous…and the lovely unexpected pops of color along with unique items make your room a standout. Love the basket for the gifts…beautiful idea.
Merry Christmas!
Helen
So beautiful~ I love your your room decorated for Christmas and that tree… amazing!!! Great to be partying with you!!
Shirley, I don’t know where to begin, it all looks so gorgeous!! Your tree is amazing 🙂
Susan
Simple, no. Gorgeous, yes. Oh my, how long did it take you to get all of that decorated? Where in the world do you store that 12 foot tree? Your holiday oasis is an inspiration for all. Happy Holidays!
Beautiful home. Wish I was as ready for Christmas as you are. Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor without rushing. Very nice.
Cindy
Just beautiful as is everything that you do. Looks like a lot of work. I can tell that you love doing this…mantel is just gorgeous. I love the tree as well. Always an inspiration to me.
Just perfec!!! Everything looks fantastic. That gorgeous tree…the shutters…and I really love that little old lady (with the news?).
I enjoyed your post a lot, you did a great job!
Besos from Argentina.
Silvina
I remember how gorgeous your tree was last year as well as the striking screen over your mantle. Stunning.
Love your Christmas pillows and the touches of cotton. Perfect for a southern gal.
Thanks for the tour. So elegant.
Ohmygosh, Shirley! I’m tempted to get in the car and head your way just so I can see your Holiday home in person! It’s absolutely gorgeous! You’ve done an amazing job at creating a warm, inviting, festive, traditional, sentimental and fun Christmas home! Wow! I’m off to look again!
Shirley it’s all stunning…the tree in itself is amazing! You have such a lovely touch with your pillows and other accessories. I loved seeing everything!
Shirle, this post won’t all load for me s I will come bak. Love what I CAN see but some of the pictures just won’t load???
You have a magnificent tree! It’s so tall and full of ornaments! I bet it took a long time to decorate. I love it near your foyer too. Your mantel is also a show stopper in it’s woodland theme. You’ve thought of every detail.
YEAH! Finally got to see it and you do NOT disappoint! I love it all, you do such a BEAUTIFUL job.Thanks for the tour, can’t wait to see more!!!
Oh my goodness!! Shirley! Your house looks amazing! And that tree is insanely incredible. My kids would LOVE it! You did such a fabulous job dressing your house for Christmas (no surprise there!) and it’s all beautiful!
Vanessa
Add me to the ‘I can’t believe how much you’ve done’ club! That tree is amazing, and although I totally get why you would want to downsize a bit, I hope you don’t!
Wow, Shirley, your home looks spectacular! And you call yourself simplifying?!! Lol! The tree is gorgeous, as usual; and every inch of your home is so pretty and festive. As usual, you have done an amazing job!
Oh Shirley, your home is stunning – your are amazing. Everything is perfect and I loved it.
I don’t know how you got it all done in such a short time.
Mary
Dasher & Sammy look so festive and I love the French basket under the tree! I need to come down and pick some cotton – that wreath is fabulous!
Kelly
Shirley, your tree is stunning along with all of your other decorations! I’m hoping a magazine comes along and wants to show it all! (But them you’d have to climb that ladder in the middle of the summer and put everything back up again!) Love your home and love you, too! You are amazing!
Oh wow, I am so late making the rounds, but I am so glad I didn’t miss this post. Everything is so beautiful and so elegantly done. I adore your mantel and that huge tree is simply stunning. Beautiful. Hugs, Marty
Shirley,
You knocked it out of the park on this decor. Ohhhhhhhh it is all so beautiful. Love your tree and the mantel just gorgeous.
Kris
Shirley,
You’ve done it again…so amazing! I cannot imagine how busy you must have been when you got home from Florida and did you hang all those ornaments on that tall tree yourself? That looks scary up there! Love seeing the basket under the tree and knowing that it “went to a good home”! That cotton wreath is still one of my favorites ever 🙂
I’m lookin’ on Craig’s List for a respirator because this totally took my breath away!!!!!!! GORGEOUS, Shirley!!!!!!! I love that profusion of poinsettias, and your tree is absolutely spectacular…as always!!!
Oh Shirley! It could be in a magazine! So lovely! And you are SUCh a doll for putting those links to the other homes at the end of the post!! So nice and convenient for me! Thanks! Merry Christmas!
Absolutely beautiful Shirley! So many amazing things to look at, I’ll be visiting many times so I can look again and see something different! Stunning with so many wonderful ideas!~~Ang
Everything looks so pretty… Love your home…
Wow, Shirley! Your Christmas decorations are beautiful and the tree is amazing. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
xx,
Sherry
Just amazing. I loved it all. You have been a busy lady.
That is really interesting, You are an excessively skilled
blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to in the hunt for more of your magnificent post. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks
Oh those unique plates, they get me every time. I discovered these dapper animal plates at West Elm. These design on these plates are based on paintings of real animals, which designer Rachel Kozlowski then dressed and accessorized with subtle metallic accents. There are a variety of the animals available, owl, ram, penguin and snow leopard. I didn’t want to mix it up that much and just bought myself the owls. I loved that they were in their top hats. I thought they looked like they are all dressed up for a formal even, such as New Year’s Eve.
You ready? Here we go! On a warm day in early September I was purusing Pinterest for some Fall Mantel Decorating ideas. And after looking through hundreds of photos, I realized something. There were no dark wood mantels. Everything was white, white and more white. I hopped over to some of my favorite online magazines to look at their round-ups of fall mantels and again, all white. Slide show after slide show of beautiful fall mantels and not a single one included a dark wood fireplace.