Wait Until You See This Neutral & Twinkling Christmas Home Tour

It’s here friends.

It. Is . Here.

What is “it?”

December.

Santa Mugs.

Mistletoe.

Twinkle Lights.

Scarves.

Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas on repeat.

Elves on the shelves.

Home Alone.

Fireside evenings.

It is all the things that fill up our memory banks of Christmas past’s and our heart beats of hope for the future.

As I am typing these words to you, right in this very moment…I am listening to this song.

Surprisingly?

It is not a Christmas song.

And as I listen close?

My cheeks get wet.

Because?

I think of this place.

You see…my Christmas roots?

They go down deep…

Jus as the song sings:

“Send your prayers up and your roots down deep.”

My roots?

Well…they were planted in the rich dirt of a Christmas tree farm.

And?

Every time the soles of my boots touch this dirt?

My heart recognizes it’s roots.

My Dad still operates this rustic evergreen farm today and last Friday we walked the rows of Frasers and picked out our tree to take to the home where my husband and I re-planted our roots, 16 years ago and started to build “a few limbs on our family tree.”

I am not sure why I am so emotional today writing this.

My eyes are leaking as I listen to this song and type to you.

You…my treasured readers who feel like old friends.

Friend…I want you to know every time I welcome you into the walls of my heart on this blog?

I hope you feel the warm glow of the flickering flame inside of me that I want to fan towards you.

The flame of encouragement that whatever “it” is for you today?

“It” will find a way of working it’s way out.

The flame of honest vulnerability to come as you are.

The flame that reminds you that you are seen and cared for by the One who knows every detail of your dirt.

The flame that inspires you to exhale, stare out the window and allow for the pause of grace.

The flame that brings forward the truth that you and your roots?

They are enough and you are safe to just…be.

I hope you feel the warmth of the flame I am fanning towards you today and that you begin to feel yourself warm from the inside out.

Now, are you ready for some Christmas inspiration?

Come on inside, take a peak around our home, where we have sent our roots down deep and where the twinkle lights guide us home.

I can’t wait to show you around our cozy Christmas nest this year.

Welcome friend – to my Christmas Home Tour!

Inspired primarily with neutral and natural tones and textures with a touch of twinkly whimsy.

Pssst…I’ll tell you a secret before you come inside.

I’m saving the best part for last.

We will kick things off with the classic and traditional part of our Christmas home.

You may remember from this post, that I ordered faux garland (extra early) for our entry way this year.

In years past, I have always used real white pine garland from my Dad’s farm.

This year, I combined four strands of faux cedar garland from Afloral (sadly, it is sold out now) and sprinkled a few faux white leaf picks also from Afloral.

Then, I wired a few bunches of real magnolia stems in the far right corner to add a little extra interest and dimension.

You can see the garland up close in this video here on my Instagram.

For the most part, I decorated our home with decorations we already had on hand. I took my time decorating by starting early and had a lot of fun trying out what we have always used and tried placing it in new ways and places.

However, one new decor item I wanted to try out this year was the trend of tree collars.

I love how this tree collar from Target gives a finished look to our family tree in our living room.

Something else new that I fell in love with?

Ribbon.

I tied ribbon on everything.

Around the top of a vase, over our stockings, on wreaths, hanging off the faux garland above.

Ribbon adds warmth, texture, dimension and interest to all the things.

I fell in love with this chiffon fringed ribbon and this wine colored ribbon from Amazon.

I used two colors of the neutral chiffon ribbon as the finishing touch to this real Fraser fir wreath that I made for our front door.

I had to restrain myself from decorating for Christmas with pampas grass. 🙂

But?

When I saw these stems growing in the pond across the street that look like pampas grass cousins?

I had to hop the fence and cut a few of those cute pampas cousins down and bring them home.

You can see the video of those cute stems growing across my street and my DIY wreath here on my Instagram.

I also used a few picks from an old garland that I deconstructed before pitching the old strand in the trash.

Here is the wreath I brought home from the farm.

And here she is ready for the ball…bells and all.

Many of you have asked me about where I found the gold bells that I draped over the wreath. I happened to find mine on clearance over the Summer at Kirkland’s in the back of the store and I scooped them up.

Here are similar vintage gold bells that would be perfect for your mantle, staircase or over your front door wreath.

I added two different shades of the burgundy and mauve ribbon to this wreath that I hung using a suction cup hook on this old farmhouse window on the gallery wall in our family room.

I brought our velvet burgundy pillows that were upstairs on our bed and moved them down stairs on our sectional sofa for extra cozy factor.

In case you didn’t know?

Velvet is ALL the things right now.

Loving loving loving….these flameless and remote controlled candles.

The perfect finishing touch to your cozy nights in this holiday season.

Just in case you were wondering?

This is the sofa where I will do all of the Hallmark Christmas movie watching.

In my Hallmark movie watching teeshirt.

Yes, I have the tee shirt and yes, I will watch the same movie twice and yes, I know they always kiss at the 59 minute mark.

And?

I love it.

Bring it on Hallmark.

Between you and me?

In years past, I have purchased a few random strands of garland at different times.

I would see it and fall in love with at the store.

Feather garland?

Come to Momma.

White fuzzy Pom-Pom garland?

You are too cute to leave all alone in that big box store.

Glitzy champagne ball garland?

Hop in my cart cutie.

But when I brought them home?

I didn’t know what to do with them.

Util this year.

This year, I gathered my favorite whimsical strands of all the garland I have ever loved before…

And?

I introduced them to each other…instant garland besties.

And I added another strand… called twinkle.

Because who doesn’t love twinkle?

I hung all four strands of garland and twinkle nesting them just a bit apart, by taping the ends to the back of this pin board in my office.

It’s like they were always meant to be.

Did I already tell you that I brought our outdoor rug, that has been sitting outside on our patio since this Spring and brought her inside?

That’s right.

I carried this cute textured bohemian rug to the garage where she received her spa treatments of a wet dry vac blowout and a spot polishing manicure with this miracle spot remover cleaner you seriously should not live without.

And now?

She too is in her rightful place here in my boho chic cozy home office.

You might remember that I shared this adorable pre-lit artificial Christmas tree a few weeks ago in my Instagram stories.

I love the wicker basket that this tree comes in, it works perfectly to brighten up this small corner, next to my desk.

Are you ready to see my Christmas kitchen and dining room?

Yay!!

Me tooooo!

I am so excited to show you the rest of this Christmas Home Tour.

Why?

Because this little thing I did in the dining room?

It is my favorite new Christmas decor.

Do you see it?

Hanging over the dining table?

I’ll give you a hint.

My favorite new Christmas decor rhymes with sprinkle.

Give me all the twinkle…all the time.

This little home of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…let it shine.

Oh friend…nothing says Christmas to me like the glow of twinkle lights above our heads at night when all of my favorite people are sitting around this table spilling our highs and lows of the day.

Want the scoop on the how I hung these indoor string lights?

I ordered these string lights from Amazon.

You can see all the details on how I strung the lights here in this story video on Instagram.

I also ordered this set of 4 smart plugs that I am IN LOVE with. We now use them for all of our trees and the string lights. This 1980’s baby is finally getting on the smart bandwagon.

In short, I used one 25 foot strand, ran a small extension cord up and behind our curtain panel, then pulled the string lights across the room and hooked the middle of the strand on a simple screw hook.

Then I pulled the rest of the string lights back to the wall and wrapped the female end of the plug around the opposite end of the curtain rod.

Done and done.

So easy friends…and so worth it for that extra magic this time of year.

Here is a view from the dining room, looking into our kicthen.

We’re about to wrap up this Christmas home tour friends.

Before I let you go…here is the rest of the kitchen, including a hot coco bar I put together using my Great Grandmother’s Santa mugs that my Mom gifted me when I became a mother.

My Mom used to sip egg nog from these Santa mugs at her Grandma’s table.

Ack…tears.

Again.

And?

That framed watercolor painting that is sitting behind the hot coca station?

That’s the tree farm.

That’s where my roots go down deep.

As I type and add the pictures to this Christmas home tour post…I am realizing this Truth for today card I have sitting in front of the watercolor painting.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:34

No coincidences…that this Truth card has a tree on it.

Roots, trees and all the feelings of Christmas past and a hope that lasts.

“For He is good; His love endures forever.”

Even when it may not feel so good.

Even when what we see looks bad.

He is still good friend…and if today you are having trouble believing that?

I promise you…that is O.K.

Because?

He understands that too.

We are still loved and seen even when we struggle with our unbelief, unresolved and undone emotions.

Can I say one thing while I am here again with wet cheeks?

My hope and prayer is that we do not get mixed up in all of the fuss and the fancy.

Like the song says…

“Cause the truth about it is…It all goes by real quick.”

May you heart feel encouraged and your home inspired today friend.

And?

Thank you for letting me grow my writing and blogging roots down deep here with you.

If you enjoyed this post today…would you share it with a friend or on social?

I don’t usually ask…but for some reason…

I feel like someone out there needs to be reminded.

That they are seen and loved by a God who is good and whose love endures forever.

Dear God,

Thank you for your nearness.

Thank you for loving my needy heart and tending to it with great care and detail.

Thank You for being our source of refuge and strength. Remind each of us that You are the One we can turn to when we face trials and troubles because You have our best interests in mind.

Teach us to number our days and remind us to ask You to make Your home in our hearts. I pray that we feel you more closely and more personally today than we have before.

Come close Lord.

Amen.

Living on a prayer,

Heather

Shop the post:

*Affiliate links are used in this post at no additional cost to you.

PS – Huge Thank You to Aroma Candle Studio in Bel Air for hosting my first ever Home with Heather DIY workshop event!

Thank you to all of the ladies who came out to craft with us and make your very own “MOSSterpieces! 🙂 I had so much fun with you and look forward to doing more events like this in the New Year!

Tell me in the comments what DIY crafts you would like to see next!

Here a few of my favorite pictures from the night!