My Home at Christmastime!

I am just having the best time linking up with my Style Me Blogger Friends this week!!
Today we are back with our final link up of the year. A tour of our homes at Christmas.  This makes me so happy!  I just love my little house and decorating it for my favorite holiday is so fun!! I'll be honest...this is the only holiday the house gets decked out! On other holidays I only have a few small things here and there! (The exception being Friendsgiving this year) But I love decorating for Christmas.  I always decorate on Thanksgiving weekend and leave everything up until Little Christmas on January 6th.

Welcome to my home at Christmas

Being a lower unit, I don't have any balcony or columns on which to put Christmas lights...so this wreath on my front door is the extent of my outside decorations (next year I'll have to get a Christmasy cushion for my rocking chair out front).  The wreath was made by my teacher friend, Jamie.  Every year she has a fundraiser called Crochet for a Cure in memory of her mom.  I purchased this at the sale in 2012, the year I moved into my apartment and actually had a front door to put it on!!  You can check out Jamie's blog here!

Come on in!

My tree is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door.  It's in the corner but still somewhat visible in the front window.  It's an artificial and pretty small (I have taller ceilings now). When I first put it up this year, it looked so terrible, I was THIS CLOSE to chucking it and going to get a new one.  But all it needed was a bit of TLC, a night to sretch and a bunch of ornaments!  The more I look at it, the more I love my little guy!!  I think I'll keep him!!

This tree skirt my mom made for me when I moved into my aprtment and had a tree of my own.  Last year, she gave me the matching stocking, after moving into the house.  I love them and keep the stocking under the tree with the skirt.  My mom worked really hard on it and I am so appreciatative.  I know I will have them forever!  Just like my mom has her tree skirt from the year she was married- 1971.

Under my front window, right next to the tree I have my Advent Calendar.   I received it as a gift from my Aunt Jean.  For a number of years, I kept it in my classroom. Now that I don't have a homeroom class of my own, it's home with me.
In each draw is a tiny little ornament.  I decided to put the ornaments on this little tree me mom gave me.  I went on a Christmas Cruise with my mom's sister, my Aunt Laurie,  and her family, in 2008 and was away on Christmas for the first time ever.  My mom hid a few gifts in my suitcase before I left, one of which was this tree.  She wanted me to put it in my room on the ship.  Because according to mom, Christmas just isn't Christmas without a tree!  It's kind of a perfect match!  Also on there is the Christmas card I sent out this year!!

This was the tree on the cruise!

My home has an open floor plan...next up is the Living room!
The first side...ha!

Love this Canvas above my couch! I scored it with a gift card from Home Goods I got as a housewarming present after I first moved into my apartment!

This tall shelf in the corner of the living room gets Christmafied ever year with Cherished Teddies I collected as a kid and other fun nick-nacks!  The Christmas Box Sign I just got this year.

The Christmas stocking was a gift from my sister last year.  Funny Story Actually!  She is divorced and spent much of last year here with me.  I was storing some of her Christmas boxes here and we found her Christmas stocking in one so she promptly put it up...HA!  As a joke, she got me a simlar one so we'd have matching!

Decorations on top of the TV stand.  The TV is on the wall...YAY!!  I really like having this as a display place now .

Printable

My nativity is very special to me!  

It is an original Hummel set that was my Nana's. 

My original Christmas stocking, circa 1980.

The kitchen has a few touches as well!

Printable

I display any picture cards I receive on ribbon on the pantry door.

Lastly, this is the door to my guest room!  This is a little idea I got from my Nana.  I remember her having this sign outside her guestroom when we were kids...because all our gifts were in there. So now that I have a guest room, I am doing the same.

I think I should laminate this!!  This is year number two with it...and it looks it!  

Oh I'm not done yet!  I'm including my bathroom because yesterday I didn't have anything Christmas in the bathroom!  Now I do though, thanks to some sweet students!  Love when kids think of their Librarian/Tech teacher at Christmas!!  My tree also has a few new ornaments on it thanks to them!

WHEW!!  There you have it... Thanks for sticking with me!!    

Merry Christmas! Happy Hoidays!

This year's card is a little bit different than last year's (LOL)...but along the same lines.

Don't forget to check out the Style Me Girls homes all decked out for the holidays!  A few of us also participated in a Secret Santa too, check out what we received here!!

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | R Squared 

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | Family Love Inspiration Education  

The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life | The Blondissima | Familiar Joy

Positively Learning | Quilty Joy Joy | Daily Style Finds | Sheila's Potpourri | Puppies and Pretties She thought she could | Looks like Lauren | Foxy's Domestic Side | 
Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

And since Christmas is my favorite holiday (and my home is my favorite place!), I'm linking up today for Friday Favorites too, with Erika, Andrea and Narci!  

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

And Happy Holidays!

Katie