Christmas Tour Part Five—Outdoor Decor

Welcome back for the final installment of our Christmas tour.  Let’s venture outside for a look at all the festive details.  But on our way out, I have to show you the foyer which is decked with boughs of pine garland. 

My pinecone wreath from Target graces the front door.

Even the lower railing got a bit of Christmas decor this year. 

By day we have pine garland on the porch and wreaths on all the windows.

I added a couple of tiny trees flanking the front door this year.  I made these with pine garland wrapped around my pyramid trellises.  It worked like a charm!  Then I decorated the “trees” with lights and red ornaments.  I love them!

I also added some zing to my wreath from last year in the form of glittery branches from Michaels and some shiny ornaments. 

At night the house really shines with lights wrapped around the front columns and draped along the roofline.  We even added a Moravian star to the porch which I love!  (Thanks Mama!)  And of course there are candles in the windows. :)

This year I finally got some lighted trees like I have always wanted.  I love them! (Thanks John!)

My brother made the form for these which is basically a pole that sticks in the ground with a small circle on top to corral all the light strings. I threaded them through the circle and then staked them to the ground. I tried various things to fasten the lights to the ground including pieces of coat hanger bent into U-shapes, light clips with a stake attached that are available commercially and also metal tent stakes.  The tent stakes worked the best!  Next year I am going to modify the design for the poles and make the circle at the top open like a U instead so I don’t have to thread all the lights through.  I plan to get more of these trees!

On the driveway side of the house we have lights on the fence and candy canes marching in front.  There are colored lights on the back fence, too!

I love my Christmas porch!

Only four days till Christmas!!  Now, I must get to the sewing room to complete my last project.  But don’t worry, I’ll be back to show you the Christmas tree at night and also to share my mom’s Christmas decor from Fort Guthrie! 

Christmas Tour Part Four—The Den

Welcome back to the Horvath Christmas house!  I’m back today to show you our den and Christmas mantel decorations.  I pulled out my box labeled “Den” and set to work sprucing up the mantel with my favorite gold and silver holiday things.  

In the effort to mix things up a bit this Christmas (it’s so hard for me!) I reworked the garland that I used last year into a different project this year so I was left with only a piece of ice encrusted pine.  I added a short piece of cheap-o pine garland and a bunch of silvery sprigs to fill it out under the mantel.  On top of the mantel I used faux pine sprigs, pinecones, gold and green ornaments and candles.

My Noel letters took center stage again. 

Silver, pewter and glass candlesticks flank the center.  I was so delighted to find these mercury glass trees in my box that I had totally forgotten about!  They came from JCPenney last year.  On the end I added two new candles from Kohl’s that are crusted with silver and gold beads.  Love them!

In front of the fireplace filled with candles I placed our tiny tree which I dusted with some snow.  More ornaments and my gold reindeer fill out the sides of the hearth.

This is the view from my cutting table across the room.  I opted to hang the snowflakes from the mantel instead of from the ceiling.  Color me lazy. :)

The couch got a tiny bit of Christmas, too with its snowflake pillow (I borrowed it for the living room photos).  And on the coffee table a bowl of ornaments and a candle are joined by a little wooden reindeer.

On my side cabinet, I had to decorate around our new TV (Thanks Mike!).  So I took apart a wreath for its garland and spruced it up with some pinecones and gold bead garland.

These silver candlesticks were painted wood and I repainted them with liquid silver paint.  We used them at Halloween, too!

And over on my new cubby cabinet, I put my mercury glass candlesticks from Target.  They are joined by a ice encrusted branch of pine that I found at TJMaxx this year.  It was the only one left and I snatched it right up!

I nestled a bird’s nest into the branch, filled it with tiny golden “eggs” and then placed Mama bird alongside.  A little silver Christmas tree completes the vignette.  It’s cute! :)

That’s the end of our tour in the den.  Next I’ll show you the foyer and all of our outdoor lights!  Come back soon!

Christmas Tour Part Three—The Kitchen

I am back with another captivating installment of our Christmas House Tour.  Today we’re venturing into the kitchen which as usual is decked with sweets themed decor in whimsical patterns and colors. 

I’ve got my colorful glittery ornaments all strung up over the sink and flanked by green tinsel and colored lights.

I added a new wreath to the window this year.  Instead of the cypress wreath like I always do, I whipped up this yarn ball wreath from the tutorial here. 

Isn’t it cute? 

My friend sent me these cute whimsical tapers and they totally coordinated with my Christmas kitchen so I placed them next to the sink with a bowl of red ornaments.  Thanks Andi!

Over on the stove, my snowmen potholders are joined by some red bird measuring spoons (Thanks again Andi!!).  New bright Christmas towels are handy on the front.

And of course, my snow sign went back up over the cabinets.

My sweet Christmas table with peppermint stripe plates and cupcake candles is back, too.  I love this!

A peppermint candle centerpiece and my cute Christmas cocktail napkins are so cute with these plates from Pier1. 

That’s all for the Christmas kitchen tour… but I’ll be back soon with a look at the downstairs decor including our Christmas mantel.  Come back and see!

Christmas Tour Part Two—The Dining Room

Today we are continuing our Christmas house tour into the dining room.  I continued the red and gold theme in here with my traditional table setting and Lenox Holiday china.

Red chargers and tasseled placemats highlight the holly china and a red napkin tops the place setting.

Tapers and votives light the table with a romantic glow.  I brought my red and green twisted tapers back with the red glittery candle rings.  (They are actually ornaments that look like tiny wreaths, but they fit perfectly on top of a candlestick!)

The centerpiece is fresh greenery on a silver tray.  Glittering poinsettias and berry picks are mixed with gold ornaments and footed votive holders. 

The gold votive holders are from Walmart.  They have a tiny silver rhinestone snowflake on the front.  And they really sparkle in the candlelight! 

On the flatware cabinet my lighted present glows alongside a tiered silver serving tray filled with shiny ornaments. 

We are all ready to host Christmas dinner!  Come back soon for the next part of the tour!

Christmas House Tour Part One!

Season’s Greetings Friends!  It is shameful how long it has been since I have posted, but today I am here to share our Christmas decor with you!  We will begin our multi-part Christmas house series in the living room which is decked in red, green, and gold.

Our living room is looking a bit sparse right now since my mom is currently working on reupholstering our couches (one at a time).  To make up for our loss of a couch, we added a new 46” television.  Haha!  That’s our Christmas gift to one another this year.

The soon-to-be-history plaid couch is sporting my snowflake pillows and a plaid Christmas afghan.

I even spruced up the ottoman with an arrangement of greenery, ornaments and a candle.

The side table has been moved to a lonely corner but it is decorated festively nonetheless!  My antique wooden toolbox is filled with fresh greenery, pinecones and ornaments.

On the wall between the windows is my new snowflake arrangement that I got from Michael’s.  I love it!

And draped along each window is a tiny pinecone garland made from North Carolina pinecones!  We gathered these from the woods by my mom’s house.  Then I tied each cone with a piece of yarn and then tied those to a long string of brown yarn.  Easy and cute.  I think it might get some glitter next year, haha! :)

Continuing with the rustic meets sparkle theme, the side cabinet is displaying my cute reindeer that I got last year at WorldMarket.  I also finally took time to make myself a set of pinecone trees!   Yay, they are so cute!

And last but not least—the Christmas tree!  This year in addition to my red ribbon I added gold and red sparkly picks and some gold tinsel loops amid the ornaments.  I also got a new tree skirt—not that you could tell under all those presents!!  You’ll be getting a whole other post on the tree at some point!  So stay tuned.

Come back soon for the rest of the tour!  Only 14 days to go!  Merry Christmas!