This year, I was able to plug our tree up in the foyer without running extension cords into the living room, thanks to the new outlet the electricians installed earlier this year. As always our tree is filled with ornaments we pick up on vacations and for important life events. This year we added a few more:
In April, we adopted our second dog, Jovie. Her ornament is almost identical to Buddy’s but I couldn’t find anything else I liked any better. The Personalized tags I added to the top were from a necklace I ordered through Groopdealz.
In August, I picked up two ornaments during the road trip from Seattle to San Francisco with my mom and sister. The first was from the Space Needle, and the second is from the National Redwood Forest.
In May my mom’s only sister passed away from cancer. She was like a second mother to my sister and me – we took most of our vacations with her as we grew up. She has given me quite a few ornaments over the years, but each niece and nephew got these this year. She had cross-stitched them in 1990. She is so missed by all of us.
To check out our other ornaments and trees from years past, go here.
I moved my card holders into the foyer this year now that I’ve added the botanical prints on the dining room wall.
On the breakfast table, I added my one-piece nativity under a cloche and slipped an old beaded wreath around it. I use simple snowflake dishes from Target and pair them with my everyday china and some silver glass chargers that I picked up at Goodwill several years ago. I added the red plaid napkins this year to pick up on the red wreath in the center.
In the dry bar area where I keep my stand mixer, I filled the bowl with contemporary Shiny Brite ornaments I found on clearance after last Christmas.
My dining room table is almost bare this year. I end up using the table a lot so this is what happens. I’ve been looking for a table runner that can at least fill it out a little more – I just haven’t found one I love yet. I filled my large lantern with vintage ornaments I started collecting a few years ago. I buy a couple more each year.
In the background, I’ve added a couple of red pillows to my normal green ones in the living room. I also use a red metal tray on the coffee table to add a little more color.
I put all of my nativity sets in the den. I used the Willow Tree set from Bradley’s grandparents on the mantle. I added magnolia branches and some electric candles my mom gave me for my birthday to fill out the sides of the mantle.
This nativity was a wedding shower gift from my aunt. She knew that I prefer nativities with abstract faces. It means even more now that she’s gone.
Bradley’s dad brought this nativity back from Africa several years ago. 
As always, one our favorite Christmas tchotchkes is the big bulb ornament I made several years ago. I also put out some brass deer I got from Goodwill with a gold mercury glass tree.
And the bulldog treat jar can’t be left out, so he got a santa hat this year. The tiny nativity ornament next to him was a gift from my best friend. Her husband picked it up on a mission trip to Peru.
View part 1 of my Holiday House Tour HERE.
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