I think I want to be the kind of girl who changes her home decor for different times of the year. Not in an over-the-top kind of way, like the house in every neighborhood (you know the one) that looks like Christmas threw up on it the day after Thanksgiving. No, I just want a few tasteful holiday decorations. Some things to change the atmosphere in our house as summer turns to fall turns to winter.
Part of this desire is rooted in the fact that we don’t get many seasonal cues from the weather here. It’s just that much harder to get into the spirit of things when you wear shorts and flip flops to pick out your Christmas tree. Don’t even get me started on how worried I am that Mila will get heat rash in her Halloween costume (which is going to be DARLING by the way). It would be nice for it to feel like fall, even if it is still 100 degrees outside.
However.
(There’s always a caveat, isn’t there?)
However, I don’t really know where to start. How do you do “fun and festive” without moving into “tacky and forced” territory when you don’t have Martha Stewart’s budget or hired help? Our little house already feels cluttered most of the time; would holiday decorations just make it feel even more full of stuff?
I’m looking for advice here. I am not opposed to DIY holiday projects, as long as they aren’t all “cutesy” like a lot of that Mormon mommy stuff out there. That’s not really my style. That said, do you decorate your home for different holidays or seasons? What has worked for you? What ideas have to seen and would like to try but maybe haven’t gotten around to yet? Any thoughts on the matter at all are appreciated.
I decorate my mantel and that is all (I do let the kids decorate the kitchen windows, which means that right now it's covered in bats, autumn leaves, and a big tree, all made out of construction paper). It's the focus of my living room, which means it's the very first thing you see when you enter the house. It's up high so that nobody can mess with it or eat it (this seems like aomething one should not have to consider but I've caught two kids eating styrofoam berries this week so whatever, they're trying to kill themselves).
Anyway, I like to go more classic than cutesy. Which means that my fall decorations don't have any burlap scarecrows or raffia-haired witches, but I have pumpkins mixed in with red candlesticks and a big stack of orange books and the like. That's pretty much how it goes for every holiday–I like doing it this way because it doesn't scream Halloween, for instance, and I can have the same mantel display from September through November (after I add my pewter turkey).
Yes. More classic than cutesy. And I like the idea of having one fairly prominent space that can be changed up so you get the right seasonal vibe without being attacked by HOLIDAY CHEER. A mantel would be perfect for that, but we don't have one. I'm sure I can come up with something though…
I'm with you. I want to decorate a little for certain holidays, but I want it to be subtle. I don't have a mantel…but I have a bookshelf. I have a few really cool nativities that I put up around my apartment. One came from Poland (a friend bought it) and one came from Nigeria (I got it on overstock). I also have a super cute Christmas welcome mat. Growing up we had some certain pictures of Christ that only went up during Christmas. I'd like to do that this year.
Right now I have three small (different) pumpkins in my entry way. I have a mirror with a shelf and hooks and I put the pumpkins there (on the shelf). I also have a couple large pumpkins that I got for a shoot that look pretty cute. I think it would be cute to get some cool candlesticks and stacks of old books too.
Isn't this something pinterest can help with?
Pinterest is just so OVERFLOWING with things that it gets a tad overwhelming. I can get specifics there, but it's nice to discuss generalities with friends, as well as hear what they actually do in their homes. Everyone pins Martha's suggestions, but how many people actually use them in real life?
I love the idea of having specific pictures of Christ for Christmas. I'll have to look for some just for that.
Haha, I don't actually look at pinterest (except my mom's account, so she would stop emailing me links constantly, ha).
I like these images – http://jesus.christ.org/files/2010/06/Simeon-Jesus-Christ-Baby-Mormon.jpg, http://ldsblogs.com/media/blogs/jesuschrist/JesusIsBorn.jpg,