- spreading christmas cheer (brace yourselves) -

The looong shelf (over 6'!) in our entry way is my favorite spot to decorate seasonally. It's on a big blank wall so I have a lot of freedom as far as what I use. We just patched up all the tiny nail holes from the last few years so I had a fresh, clean canvas. I took lots of photos this year so I could share wtih you! :) 

Whenever I redecorate the shelf, I have to take EVERYTHING down and start with a completely blank slate. Then I spread everything I could possibly use around the living room and "shop." It's such a disastrous process, and I know it makes my neat, orderly husband nearly have a panic attack. Especially since this one involved lots of fresh pine. (Which he & the kids were so kind to collect for me.) 

My aunt bought me these old metal locker baskets a few years ago for my birthday, and I've always wanted to hang them on the wall, so I finally went for it. I LOVE them. And of course I had to incorporate our "W" and "5." 

My vintage flashcards made a reappearance - I can't resist anything with a good serif type on it, especially when it's printed on cardstock. 

My grandma, Delaney, and I made this wreath out of old book pages. I had intended to continue the scalloped circles around the outside of the wreath, but holy cow, it was taking forever. It could be a little fuller but we're going to go with it for now. My mom surprised me with this awesome bottlebrush tree - it's dark, dark brown with silver tips - from Home Goods. 

I know some of the photos are a bit blurry - the large window that is across from the shelf is partially covered by the Christmas tree (which I realize now that I didn't get any pictures of!) and my fixed lens (50mm) makes it hard to get the whole shelf in one frame. 

Several years ago for my birthday (5?) my mom added to my mercury glass collection with 5-6 large pieces from Pottery Barn. They are absolute staples in my decorating and I still love them! Finn has done a job on my pillar candlesticks, though - I think he's broken 3?

I covered these little styrofoam balls with yarn last year and I still love the colors. The cream yarn is actually from my first try at spinning with a drop spindle. I had little left and it was perfect for this. 

I just realized how fun it is to sit and remember where my favorite Christmas decorations came from and the stories surrounding them. I got this little Charlie Brown tree (which weighs a ton!) from a local store called Cornucopia a couple years ago. My friend Stacy & I went shopping the day after Christmas and I asked if they'd sell me the tree, which was used as a display. I hang all my vintage ornaments on it, which were all bought at the antique shop where my aunt works. The santa (who is close to 4' tall!) was a gift from my Mom, who remembered me admiring it in a store. She's so good to me. 

I printed out this amazing free print from Emily at Jones Design Co. and it will definitely become a fixture at Christmas. 

My favorite Christmas decor book by Country Living. 

LOVE this little old jar that my mom gave me a couple years ago. (Are you noticing a theme? All the cool stuff comes from Mom.)

These frosty, sparkly trees came from Bath & Body Works 6-7 years ago - I bought them after Christmas for something crazy like $15?? They were displays in their store. 

This mossy snowflake was picked up last year after Christmas at TJMaxx, if I remember correctly for $5-6. You can see in the close-up that it's a base of grapevine covered in moss with a bit of glitter. Everything's better with a little glitter. 

Target had some of the cutest Christmas pillows this year. I bought some wool suiting from Joann Fabrics and made the pillow behind them - it's a chocolate/cream/red speckled heathery wool. LOVE it. 

The only new things purchased this year were the pillows. Everything else was "shopped" from my house and garage and collected over quite a few years. And a lot of things aren't even specific Christmas decorations. I really try to collect base pieces (baskets, mercury glass, containers, cake stands) that can perform at any time of year. It's so much fun to see how you can turn things into holiday decorations and spend as little as possible. A little creativity and a few estate sales go a long way. Well, and a generous Mom. ;)