**Note … I started writing this blog post last Saturday, January 8, but got interrupted and finally finished (when posted).**

Our Christmas decorations are going to be put away in a few hours. Before doing so, I want to document our décor.

I love Christmas decorations. Growing up, I lived in a house where everything was decorated. I am just getting to where we are home for the holidays; thus, decorating makes more sense. Throughout most of my 20s and 30s, I always traveled to see family during the holidays, so it was hard for me to justify decoring, mainly putting up a Christmas tree.

About three years, we started being home more, particularly on Christmas day, so I started taking the time to decorate.

This year’s challenge was that my husband had claimed the formal dining room as his workspace – thanks, COVID. Therefore, I had a bunch of decorations and no place to put them. The biggest disappointment (for the past two years now) was that I could not decorate our dining room table – or have Christmas dinner in there. I am hoping that in a year, that will change.

The inspiration for my holiday décor stems from zinc and black reindeer I found at Crate and Barrel a few years back. I paired the reindeer with buffalo plaid (red and black checkered) table linens from Pier 1 and garland from Hobby Lobby. I feel that bringing all of these pieces together creates a cozy winter look that is also Christmas-themed.  

With the dining room occupied with my husband’s work stuff (tech stuff), I moved the dining room decorations to the shelves behind our couch. At first, I thought having almost all of the Christmas decorations in the living room and kitchen would be overwhelming, but I ended up liking it. The three black shelves behind the couch included the table runner and a couple of placemats from the buffalo plaid table lines, garland, black reindeer, and extra pine cones.

I put the silver reindeer on the fireplace mantel and a garland piece that matched the pieces on the black shelves. Then I hung our stockings using some simple stocking hangers. I left the black candle holders I typically have on the mantel up, which I think helped add to the décor.

I love that our Christmas tree sits at the end of the hallway/walkway off of the living room and kitchen area and that you can see it from the front door. The ornaments on the tree are a collection from my childhood, our travels, our hobbies, and fabric characters. The fabric characters are super cat-friendly, and I feel they help give our Christmas tree character.

Our cats love the Christmas tree. Sammy especially loves lying next to the manager. He was super disappointed when the tree got taken down.

The kitchen table/breakfast nook is the other area where I put Christmas decorations. Last year I found a ceramic Christmas tree like we had when I was a child. I put the ceramic tree on the shelf that holds my cookbooks, with some other small ceramic items I had.

This year we added some Christmas Lego sets we had gotten with some purchases throughout the year. The lego sets were fun to put together and perfectly expressed who we are.

Since it always in use, I am never sure how to decorate the kitchen table for Christmas and other holidays. This year I ordered a plaid table runner and napkins from Vera Bradley. I think it went perfectly with everything, plus I love that they are made from recycled cotton and that the runner is reversible and included a black and white floral print (which I love).

We went down the street for Christmas at my mom’s house this year. I cook Christmas breakfast at our house, and the pets enjoyed their Christmas at my house. Patrick was in heaven with tons of treats, and Sammy did not want to give up the stockings.