2014 Christmas Mantel Home for the Holidays Blog Tour!

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy my Christmas Mantel and the “Home for the Holidays Blog tour.”  I have teamed with with some amazingly talented bloggers to bring you some Holiday inspirations.

This is the year that I am starting to transition my Christmas decorating over to a more neutral decorating pallet with whites, silvers and golds.  I have always used the traditional red and greens over the years.  Now that I am very close to being an empty nester, I want to decorate my home for me and not the kids.

You can inexpensively transition your Holiday decor by using everyday items in your seasonal displays.  I found the old wood window for $5 at a garage sale and used Krylon’s Looking glass on the back of it to give it an aged reflective look.   The assortment of picture frames I picked up from thrift stores or garage sales and spray painted them with Rustoleum or Krylon’s metallic gold.

The metal Christmas trees I purchased after Christmas last year on closeout.  This is huge savings if you are willing to wait and add holiday decor to your collection after the season.

I spray painted the pine cones, which are free.  Free is my kind of decorating and I also love to bring in outdoor elements.  Another form of free is using fresh pines from the outdoors.  I will go on walks with the dog at my local parks and take my shears so I can cut down fresh pines.

You can use snow spray and spray glitter to give your fresh pines a little sparkle and a snow tipped look.

The lantern was my splurge this year but I did fill it with the bulbs that I used to make my Silver Bulb Wreath from last year and added some gold in the mix.   You can find plastic bulbs relatively inexpensive at all the big box stores.

I will be slowly transitioning the remainder of my home over to my neutral Holiday decor.  I will sell my bold greens and reds at my shop or at next years Neighborhood garage sale.

One quick look at how the mantel looks like at night with the lights on.  These are the new cool white lights that are out.  I am still deciding if I like the cool white look or not.  They almost have a blue tint to them and I am not sure that I am liking the blue tint.

Of course, my mantel would not be complete without Cinnamon(aka PPB – professional photo bomber)  She loves to be where the action is and she knows she is cute.

Especially with her “Arn’t I cute head tilt”  I think she is waiting for me to build a fire, so she can cozy up to it.    Now, please take the time to go over to these other incredibly talented bloggers pages and see how they are decorating their “Home for the Holidays.”

Welcome to the first annual Home for the Holidays Blog Tour

brought to you by Sondra Lyn at Home!

This year’s co-host is Michele from Our Rosey Life. Thanks, Michele!

We are so excited to bring the selection of blogs that have been assembled for this inaugural kick-off. Be sure to check back for each day’s inspirational links!

Here is the line-up for the week:

Monday – Gifts and Wrapping

{Home-ology} Modern Vintage ~ Let’s Wrap Stuff ~ Tried & True

Two Purple Couches ~ Two Thirty-Five Designs

Tuesday – Trees and Decor- Part I

Atta Girl Says ~ Cottage at the Crossroads ~ Sondra Lyn at Home

Stone Gable ~ The Happier Homemaker

Wednesday – Crafts

365 Days of Crafts ~ Houseologie ~ Redhead Can Decorate

Sisters, What! ~ Sweet Pea

Thursday – Recipes and Tablescapes

Creative Southern Home ~ Domestically Speaking ~ Dukes and Duchesses

Major Hoff Takes a Wife ~ Our Rosey Life

Friday – Trees and Decor- Part II

Dandelion Patina ~ Decor Adventures ~ Designed Decor

What Meegan Makes ~ White Lace Cottage

Each day you will see new links added for that day’s featured topic. So let’s get started! Enjoy!!

Home for the Holidays

Monday ~ Gifts and Wrapping

Tuesday ~ Trees and Decor- Part I

Wednesday ~ Crafts

Thursday ~ Recipes and Tablescapes

Friday ~ Trees and Decor- Part II