Except for the Christmas a few years ago when Don was away working in California, I don’t think I’ve ever done Christmas as simply as I have this year. I’m a great believer in trusting my instincts and they gently advised me to “Cut back.”
I’ve never been one to decorate every room of my home for the holidays. At the most, I decorate the living room and den – the two rooms we live in the most. There are always simple outdoor lights and a wreath on the door.
This year, I didn’t even put up the small white tree that is normally in the living room. Not because I’m not in the Christmas spirit – I am. I simply had no urge to. So I didn’t.
It’s enormously freeing. The den seems to be the decorated room this year and that makes perfect sense. It’s the room in which we gather every evening. It’s the room where I blog and read. So, (let’s not bother with a drumroll) here are our Christmas decorations for Mockingbird Hill Cottage.
You’ll recognize our new bookshelves in the den. On one of the upper shelves is my Debbee Thibault wooden angel. She was recently rediscovered and now she is a part of our Christmas.
Let me stop and share my little lamp with you. I bought this over a year ago. It’s the companion lamp to the one in my studio – from Ikea’s Ranarp line. I kept it in a closet until we finally got the bookshelves up.
I love the cloth covered cord. I love the white powder coated metal. It provides some reading light for the other end of the sofa.
Back to decorations.
A simple bottle brush tree and two vintage putz houses on the bottom shelf.
The Necco Snow Globe on the other side of the sofa.
The framed photos of childhood visits to Santa are propped up on the music cabinet, along with three little bottle brush trees.
And the Christmas Tree, a fragrant Noble Fir.
That, my friends, is it.
Except for the beautiful putz houses given to me by Chris. They are in the living room. I love them.
I can’t tell you enough how liberating this is. No stress. No craziness. No elaborate decorations for a Christmas Blog Tour (though I probably would never be invited to take part in one, anyway!) Just simple, heartfelt decorations that we love and treasure and have the time to appreciate.
I find I am embracing simple; less rather than more. I’ll let department stores and Santa Lands and Rockefeller Center do the ‘more.’ That’s as it should be. I love seeing all of that. It’s beautiful and magical. But here, in our home, we’re going with simple. Who knows? Next year, I may put up the little white tree and the bottle brush wreaths again. But really, in the end, all I need is the real tree, beautiful and majestic, which I’m feasting my eyes on at this very moment.
Caroline seems to be on the same page as me. She does her own thing, you know that, but I’ve peeked into her home and I think you’ll notice some similarities.
There’s a wreath on the front door and a wreath hanging on the newel post. That’s it for downstairs.
Her studio/office shows signs of gift wrapping.
But here is the room where the decorations are: her den on the second floor. There’s the tree, clearly the centerpiece of the room.
And there are the gifts, waiting under the tree.
Caroline, like me, spends most of her time in her den, so it seems to be the perfect place for celebrating the season.
She likes simple, too.
To close, a bit of bokeh for you.
There is a new post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.
Happy Monday.
Claudia, perfectly simple is a great idea! I like how you just add a few touches to your existing decor. Caroline’s home is perfect also. Still in Aruba and enjoying the rest very much but I do miss Charlie…I worry about my furry boy. Tiger has had a bad cold and his Mama has been busy taking care of him but all seem on the mend now. Two more days and then home…I’ll be ready.
hugs,
Linda
Home to your Tiger and your Charlie, Linda! I know Charlie misses you. (I find it so hard to be away from Scout! I understand.) xo
Both you and Caroline have done a wonderful job of decorating your cottages. Very elegantly done.
Aw, thank you, Gillian!
I love the way you and Caroline embraced Christmas this year.
Enjoy your simplicity…Balisha
I will, Balisha. Thank you!
Keeping things simple at Christmas frees one up to enjoy the season to the fullest! I think your decorations are perfect!
Exactly, Debbie! I’m relaxed and ready to wrap some presents and bake our traditional Christmas coffee cake!
Your home is lovely and says come in, sit down and stay a spell :) Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year and there’s nothing I enjoy more than viewing all of the beautiful decorations.
We live in a small 1200 square foot home with one living room area that really isn’t that large so lots of decorations just would not look right. Nor would I be able to breath with a room filled with so many decorations. Don’t get me wrong I love to see all of the homes and businesses filled with decor but that’s not something that I could live in each day.
I’ve found over the recent years since downsizing to this smaller home that I just cannot handle much in my home. I honestly believe I’ve purged nearly half of our belongings since moving here. And it has been the largest feeling of free for me! My home is so bright and full of the things we love just as you’ve said of yours.
The only thing I could NEVER give up would be our book collection. We have a spare bedroom dedicated to nothing but books and a comfy sofa for reading. It’s heaven for me and my little Mister. That’s my puppy , not the hubster :)
I hope that you, Don and Scout have a most joyous Christmas and wonderful New Year together! Blessings.
I’m going to start another purge after the first of the year, Belinda. You’re right, it’s enormously freeing! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Am finding I heart your bookshelves. I didn’t think that type would go in my house but I’m leaning toward it because it works. I like the grouping of books, vertically, with bookends…even if the bookends are a horizontal stack of books themselves…like in clumps of books, so that if you pull one out, the whole line of them doesn’t collapse like a row of dominoes. Bookcases are bulky and taking up too much room now. Too much floor space.
All of your decorations are so beautiful; the tree is fab. Yes, what more do you need? It’s all there. As I continue to unpack from moving, I have a firm plan to condense my 40 years of ornament-collecting and I bet most of what I’ll keep will be my parents’ glass ornaments from the 1940s and 1950s because, although so worn, they evoke such wonderful childhood memories of Christmas. Keep the best of what means the most.
I gasp every time I see the dollhouse. Your photos are excellent of it. Sometime, for those of us who didn’t catch it the first time in older posts, explain to me the concept of Caroline; I love it.
I didn’t think I would like this kind of bookshelf in my house, either, but I find I absolutely love them – especially in the den.
Caroline is the owner of the dollhouse. That’s about all I’ve said about her so far. I’ve been asked to tell her story by several readers and I will someday.
I love the decorations in both of your homes! I remember when my daughter was little and we were putting out the Doll’s Tea, we wrapped up dominos and dice for the gifts. I think they are still wrapped up somewhere in all the boxes. The Doll’s Tea hasn’t been out in years. I am planning on going through all my Christmas decorations after Christmas and passing most of them on to others. Things are getting simple around here also. I love it!
Me too, Tana! I love the idea of the Doll’s Tea.
Both cottages look beautiful Claudia — love your style. Also enjoyed your weekend posts which I read this morning. Lovely.
Thank you, dear Vera!
Claudia, you’ve summed it up perfectly. Let the department stores and Rockefeller Center – and all the little shops too – decorate to the nines for Christmas. That’s as it should be. Our homes should have only what we truly feel like putting out [and putting away] each year. As you said, there’ll be more some years than others, and that’s OK. What matters most is the feeling we get when we sit back, relax and look around. PS – I took a page from your book yesterday and found a photo of 17-month old me, bundled up like Randy from “A Christmas Story,” sitting with my dog on the front step of my house on Christmas Eve, waiting for my Mom and Dad to arrive home with the first of my 5 siblings, my little brother Stephen. This one is getting framed… and a copy made for my brother. Enjoy your day!
That photo must be adorable, Janet! I’m so glad you’re framing it and also giving it to your brother!
Beautiful, Claudia. I love it all. You’ve done such a beautiful job on the doll house; the details are are amazing. I’m still looking for mine!
S
Thank you, Sue!
Just lovely.
Your Christmas tree is really beautiful – I think I might have to “borrow” some inspiration from you for mine next year.
Feel free to, Barbara!
Claudia, Simply Beautiful. Doris
Thank you, Doris!
It’s all perfect! Both cottages….nice and simple! I’m so glad we decided to go simple this year too…because so many little things have gone wrong…we are running out of time and energy to do even the simplest Christmas! Nothing major…just annoying little things…like lights not working on trees. We are finally getting our tree all straightened out….might even decorate it! So, many of your readers are talking about simplicity and purging…is 2015 going to be the year of the Great Purge do you think? Enjoy your evening! ;)
It might well be, Donnamae! I’m going to purge, both in the house and in the dreaded shed!
Claudia, your Christmas Tree is gorgeous! I love your Angel tree topper as well and the cottage looks charming. .. I too went simpler this year and it still feels festive and cozy!
Merry Christmas to you and Don and Scout….
Simply wonderful Claudia..both cottages..