Merry and Bright in the Christmas Dining Room

This seems to be my favorite look for the Dining Room and easy to put together, since I've done some variation of this over the last 5 years that we've been at this house. It has my go-to elements like my Christmas plaid and burlap holly tablerunner combo, one of my lanterns, and my tried and true holly topiaries. 

The Garden Room Sitting Area and the Christmas Cupboard

This may sound a bit odd, but after years of bringing out vintage seasonal and holiday decorations, there are pieces that feel like old friends. My Tartan tins and vintage wool throws, nativity sheep and enamelware kettles, red transferware and ironstone; these are all things that I've grown to love and are basics for my "celebrating" the joy of Christmas.

Plaid Greetings from the Christmas Baker's Rack

Hi Friends, the combination of Thanksgiving weekend and decorating for Christmas can be a lot of work, as you are probably experiencing right about now. I had a lot of things out and felt like I had a plan, but the more I puttered, the more I needed to do. Is that a sign of age...? Maybe just someone has too much fun Christmas stuff. But I've always been one to "decorate" up until December 24, no matter what, so I guess that explains it.

Woodsy Transferware and Tartan Christmas Tablescape

Decking the Halls with Christmas Collections

Hi Friends, Welcome to the Christmas Edition of our Lifestyle of Love Gathering hosted by our fun friend Cindy of County Road 407. If you're coming from Laura's Blog, Decor to Adore you're so welcome here and I'm so glad you're following the Hop. 

Decking the Halls with My Christmas Collections

Weekend Inspiration: Nature Inspired Tartan and Transferware Tablescapes

Hi Friends, I know many of us are getting ready for Thanksgiving this weekend and that some of us are still in a bit of Thanksgiving mode at least till Thursday evening when we put the last dish away. These pics are from years ago in 2013 when I shared this for a Thanksgiving Tablescape. This theme is a basic idea that can be used for any season or holiday. 

Scottish Tartan Throws for Decorating

Hello friends, how's your mid-February going? Warm... cold... a little of both? Since it's still February and currently 40 degrees today, I guess technically it's okay if I share a little something in the warm/snuggly/cuddly category. I'm talking about Tartan wool throws and blankets. I have several that are vintage, that I use for Thanksgiving and Christmastime decor. I just love anything Tartan plaid and I'm a teensy bit obsessed with all things Burberry or resembling that particular plaid.

It's a Merry Little Christmas in the Kitchen

Hello Everyone, it's time for my annual Kitchen post. I know... It's terrible that I don't get around to sharing my kitchen more often. I don't decorate much here in the kitchen, (because the rest of the house is always done up) and it seems that it's always in use. But Hey, it's Christmastime and there are a few fun Christmas goodies  hanging around this time of year.

It's A Plaid Christmas in the Cookbook Cupboard

Hi Friends, I've been getting started decorating for Christmas this last week, so my house has been a total mixup. You too?  Boxes and tubs filled with fun, once a year items to unwrap and enjoy. I like to change things up a bit each year, but some things are just "traditional". I use red Tartan plaid only once a year, so at Christmas I welcome all my collection and let it saturate my house.

Woodsy Christmas Mantel in the Hearth Room

I love a cozy, vintage, "woodsy" look in decor, and Christmas seems as good a time as any to make that happen. I'm a person who loves to snuggle up by the fire with a hot cup of something and relax. Lots of blankets and pillows, cushy furniture; basically a place where you feel comfortable putting your feet up and watching a movie or reading a book... not to mention finding a cat crawl up in your lap to enjoy it all with you.

Christmas Plaid in the Garden Room

Hey Everyone, I'm sharing part of the Garden Room today,

and will probably need another post to cover it all.

What can I say... it's a big room and I have lots of junk  vintage goodies.

A Scottish Christmas in the Holiday Cupboard

Hi Friends, it's always fun when it's time to share the Holiday Cupboard! Whatever the season, I look forward to creating a new display filled with vintage goodness and a bit of a theme going on. This Christmas it has a dotting of little ceramic white houses along with some of my vintage Tartan Scottish Biscuit and candy tins.

Warm Woolens in the Garden Room

It's November; mostly cold and rainy, with gray days and a multitude of Brown. Most of the leaves have come down and been mulched by our trusty yard guy with his mower. The beautiful Maple trees with their oranges and reds are long gone, as are the lovely golds of the Hickories that cover our front yard. It seems like overnight we are on the road to winter. 

Christmas Holiday Cupboard and the Garden Room

Hi Friends, time for the Christmas Edition of the Holiday Cupboard. I've had so much fun decorating this old cabinet out here in the sunroom aka the Garden Room this last year. It's the first Christmas styling I've done with it, and I've found a lot of fun vintage goodies to decorate with in my stash. This cabinet was storage at the last house, but now it's been organized to allow me to have some more display space for holiday pieces.

Go-to Thanksgiving Decor

I've always loved Thanksgiving, and enjoy bringing out the cozy wool blankets in Tartan Plaids of brown, dark green, and tans, vintage Turkeys, cornucopias filled with Harvest goods, and of course my favorite Brown Transferware. I'm usually in a hurry to start decorating for Christmas, yet I never want to totally bypass this wonderful Late Fall Holiday, dedicated to love of family, friends, and gratefulness for God's blessings.

A Mixed-Up Christmas Brunch

Last year I put together a fun little Christmas Brunch Tablescape here in the kitchen. Of course, it featured Plaid and my Red Transferware, but this year I thought I'd mix it up a bit. I have a few place settings of Green Transferware that I usually keep in the cupboard that only come out in Spring or at Easter.

...On to Christmas

I imagine there are a lot of us that woke up this morning with plans to get busy on Christmas decor. We had a great Thanksgiving Dinner with my sis and her husband, boys (and friends), our youngest daughter, and my mom. We always keep it pretty laid back with a big buffet in the kitchen and since my sis has my grandparents antique oak table, we can seat 10 at the table in the Dining Room without problem.

In Praise of Plaid

Plaid is my go-to for Christmas.

I like to keep it simple, and that's what Tartan Plaid gives me.

The Tartan Plaid fabrics bring an instant festive Christmas flair.

Here are a few pics to share the Tartan Love...

A concrete statue becomes a Christmas Cherub.

Christmas Milk Carrier Centerpiece

I had a lot of fun decorating the kitchen and adjoining sitting and kitchen dining area this year. I still have Christmas decor I haven't located, so I tried to make use of the things that I could find. I brought out one of my old milk carriers to hold a Christmas Kitchen table centerpiece. I'm a sucker for any kind of carrier, tote, basket, especially when they're filled with seasonal kitchen goodies. So I grabbed some red transferware, a red Holly tea towel, a candle, a tiny ironstone pitcher with boxwood, and a faux paperwhite... instant centerpiece!

I needed to get the "feel" of what Christmas could be like in here. Having just moved a little over two months ago, I'm still trying to decide how to decorate this space. I added one of my kitchen valences to the window for a little color, and so RED and some PLAID seemed the way to go. I still don't have prints up or any wall decor. I have a ton of boxes labeld "prints" and "mirrors", so I need to wait to get them all unpacked before I start hanging things up. I don't think I've lived with bare walls this long, ever.

My Toile pillow, some Tartan wool throws, French ticking pillows, and a PB pillow dress up the white wicker and add to the Christmas color.

My Sheep Head and my French Country frame are on The Chippy Old Door in the corner. I wanted to add some color in, so I choose a French Country fruit wallpaper design to use as a backing. It adds just the right amount of Christmas reds and greens. Click HERE to see what I did last Spring and HERE, this Summer with these two.

My chandy with the vintage Shiney Brites, garland, 

and a birdnest. I did this specifically to drive the kitties crazy...

Let's just say the bird's nest was found on the floor a few days ago.

hmmmm....

just sayin'...

I'm so glad my "Sunporch" baker's rack and wicker set are in a warm spot at this house. The sunporch at the old house was just too cold this time of year to enjoy, other than looking at it...brrrrrr....

Even the vintage pitchfork got a little "Christmas"!

Extra ornaments found a basket for display...

If you missed the China Cabinet fun, Click Here

I added a Christmas Home Tour of this year and the Christmas Home Tour from 2013 links to the "Pages" section under my new Christmas Header. See what was going on last year if you have a minute. Those pics are a sweet memory, but I'm glad to be here, at our new home. Just wish I could find my spatterware coffeepot and Santa Mug!

Have a great weekend,

Hubbs and I have a grocery shopping marathon to attend.

joining in with these party places:

Shabby Art Boutique

French Country Cottage

Common Ground for Come as You Are Linky

xoxo,