I bought some greenery over the weekend (and clipped some from obliging trees as well) and we picked up the Parsons’ family Christmas tree yesterday. The intention was to have it all decorated by the evening, but that didn’t happen. As soon as we got the tree in the room, I realized it was the largest tree we’ve ever had. The diameter at the base is almost six feet and it is very full! We had to trim down the top and reshape it just to make it fit in the room. It’s beautiful and I absolutely love it, but it’s so big that I ran out of lights 3/4 of the way up. I made a trip to the store last night and we’ll get it finished today. I’m enjoying taking my time with it, though, and running out of lights forced me to slow down even more.
This morning, I was excited to get started again, so I got the kids ready for school and then dove right in, decked out in my jammies. I focused on the master bedroom and here’s the result…
My dress form is wearing an antique costume jewelry necklace that belonged to my Oma and a felted wool garland from Anthropologie. I customized it by tying wool pom-poms I made at the ends.
A mix of fresh greenery is tucked into the chandelier. I love how festive it looks and simple it is to do.
A couple of years ago, I sent all of my grain sack scraps to Ann of On Sutton Place and, over time, she made me 24 mini stockings. Last year I just hung them on the tree, but this year I am using them for our advent calendar. We usually do the Lego advent calendars, but we were too late to buy one this year. I’m going to fill each stocking with a little toy or treat. I ordered some clay number tags from Etsy and they are on the way. I’ll add them to the stockings, so we can remember which one we’re on!
I was so in love with the wool pom-pom garland I bought from Anthro that I decided to make some of my own. Really thick, 100% wool yarn like they used was too expensive, so I used a chunky wool/acrylic blend and they turned out nice. I made a few to hang from lamps like tassels. Again, it looks festive, but it’s really simple and can be reused in different ways each year.
I tucked a table-top tree in a rustic bucket to top Jeff’s dresser. (We’ll see what his face looks like when he sees it to determine if it can stay. He can, understandably, be a little territorial about his dresser.)
I added a few ornaments and poms around the base and some antique corbels on either side.
I have a few of the Wallace silver bells from my Oma’s collection. She loved collecting things and I think I’m going to pick up the yearly Wallace Christmas bell tradition.
The French wardrobe (from Craig’s List) got a swag of mixed greenery.
Last time, a few of you asked how I’m able to take a straight-on shot of the armoire without being in the picture. Well, the gap between the mirrors is just wide enough for me to stand there without showing in the reflection. That’s pretty handy!
There’s sleet ticking off the roof right now and the rooms are filled with the scent of fresh pine. More holiday decorating beckons…
34 Responses
Stunning! I love the stocking advent calendar idea. I live in the Midwest where Bemus feed sacks are plentiful. I think I will work on an advent calendar for next year! Your pictures are lovely. Thank you for inspiring!
Those lil stockings. So darn cute!
Jeanine
Do you have a tutorial for making the poms?
I love all of your xmas décor! It’s so stunning and beautiful! hey, I know you love having ideas shared and I thought this might be an idea for your dress form in your master bedroom…just an idea! happy holidays!
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It looks so great! That is one room I don’t decorate, but need too! Hubby and I need some festive decor in our bedroom. I am really IN NEED of those corbels you have sitting on your dresser! I have been searching for a pair to use under the bar in our kitchen! I need bigger ones, but not huge and a pair! They are so hard to find!
Oh…the textures, the soft colors, the pop of christmas greens, the corbells, those darling mini stockings. So beautiful! What an inspiration you are!
Wellllllll….you must be pretty darn thin…to fit in the gap….w/o ANY of you showing!!!!
I too, love real greenery!!!
Addie
I’m. So happy to see your corbels sitting on the dresser. We are selling our home and I just bought myself some beautiful corbels but can’t hang them due to selling so I’m going to set them on my dresser. Thanks for the idea
Don’t you feel like keeping the decorations up all year round? It’s so pretty. My daughter has been making pompoms with her yarn, and now we will have to take a trip to michaels for some white. Thanks for the great idea! I’m in New Jersey, and we must be pretty close to each other because every time you comment on the weather, it’s what’s happening here. We had sleet for a little while here this morning, and it’s getting me in the mood for Christmas too. And now the sound of geese really has me excited for this time of year!
Your room looks beautiful and the decorations are ‘classy’. The little stockings are adorable! Did you purposely put one the opposite direction so we OCD people would notice? 🙂
LOL…actually, a couple of them were made with the toe pointing the other direction. I turned them and used the back, so they were all facing the same way, but that one kept going rogue, so I let it. Stuff like that makes me relax a bit…it doesn’t all have to be “just so.”
The room truly is beautiful. Everything but the cut greens could be left out through January without it looking odd.
Beautiful!!!
So I tried them on the dresser and they just didn’t fit. I put one on either bedside table and I like it a lot. Kind of frames the bed wall
Oh yeah, I bet it looks good! 🙂
I think the natural elements, wool garlands, greens, little trees are perfect for your home. I love using natural things to decorate the house at Christmas!
I love this room from color scheme to furniture! Well done!
Oh the stocking garland is adorable…well done! Love the idea of the clay tags too. Happy Holidays Marian and thank you a million times for everything!
Lovely!! You have a beautiful talent, your truly gifted!!
Your bedroom is beautiful, as always!! I absolutely adore your stocking garland.. Such a cute idea!
Oh, I love it all! So relaxing and I bet it smells wonderful. But, if it’s anything like the greenery I use in my home, you will wake up in about 2 weeks from now with dried up greenery all over your bed! Itchy!!! 🙂
Love it!…your touches are just enough.
Is your bed from Restoration Hardware? If not, can you tell me where you purchased it?
I just love those little grain sack stockings and I am happy that you were able to let that one “rogue” stocking do its thing because that’s the kind of thing that drives me nuts!! And please Jeff let the table top tree stay on your dresser because it looks so beautiful between the pair of antique corbels.
The first thing I noticed was that lovely wallpaper, it is just so pretty! The poms are such a great addition to the Christmas decor, love the branches atop the chandie. Your space is just divine! xx ~Ashley
Fabulous ideas, thank you! I am going to copy your idea of a tree on my husband’s dresser! Any new “finds” lately? Some of my favorite posts are after your shopping days… (Like after weekends away with your husband, or shopping excursions with your Mom or Kriste!)
When you mentioned the sleet on the roof, I felt like I was there…and it felt like Christmas. I think I could smell the greenery, too!
I have a bucket like the one holding the little tree. I might borrow that idea…mine has been hanging out in the powder room holding magazines for a while now and it’s time to shake things up a bit anyway.
It’s all very pretty. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Judy
Beautiful! May I ask what type of floor you have in your bedroom? I want to replace my bedroom wall to wall carpet and put a wood floor. I love your color as well. Is it a laminate? If you would, spill the beans for me 😉
It’s an engineered hardwood floor through Lumber Liquidators. It’s hickory…I think by Virginia flooring.
Your bedroom looks so pretty! I can’t believe you found that armoire on Craigslist. I only find broken particle board dressers for $500 lol. Those mini stockings are just adorable, too.
Just beautiful! So simple yet so beautiful….love it! Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of the house 😉
Really lovely Marian….keep on inspiring us!
Marian,
The story about running out of lights reminds me why I pick up the clearance priced sets after Christmas. I have built up a supply. Glad slowing down helped you 🙂
Your picture of the pompoms reminded me of when my (then) 5 year old son made one and put beedy eyes on it and called it a “warm fuzzy” . To be a kid again.
rick
I love the color of the chest of drawers and the two chairs on each side. Anybody have any idea what color that would be called? Wonder if she did them herself. I love the honey color.