Holiday Tour of Homes: Christmas Ornaments Special

I love my ornaments on my tree! Most of the ones I put up every year either were bought on a trip, given to me by someone when they were on a trip, or represent places we've been! And then there's a few "just because" ornaments!

Since I did a pretty full-house tour last year (Part One & Part Two), I decided to focus this year's tour on my special ornaments! hope you enjoy, and don't forget to link up with Greta!

Overview of my tree and mantel deco. The main thing that changed on the mantel is that my artificial pre-lit garland died this year...so I used the cuttings from the tree and wove lights in that. Its very pretty and natural, but I fear the branches will be brown by Christmas!

Close up of the mantel with leopard ribbon running through the branches; it coordinates with my leopard bow and tree skirt on the tree!

Nativity Ornament always takes center spot!

This nativity ornament is carved from olive wood and came from Israel! Scott's parents gave this to us.

"Our First Christmas" ornament by Christopher Radko, given to us by my grandmother at our first Christmas in 2001.

My sister brought this back from Guatemala last year, where she went on a short-term mission trip.

This snowflake came from Dubrovnik, Croatia last summer when we were in Montenegro for short-term missions.

Scott and I visited Montreal, Canada for our 8th anniversary this year and I found this real leaf coated in silver!

This cute Santa is scaling the Eiffel Tower! I picked this up in the Eiffel Tower's gift shop when we visited Paris in 2006!

This disk ornament is from a 2006 trip to New York City when we visited the Empire State Building.

This nativity ornament is at least old as I am and was one of favorites growing up! Mom gave it to me a few years ago when she was cleaning out her decorations.

This is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina, where we spent part of our honeymoon in 2001.

This little Eiffel Tower did not come from Paris, but I picked it up at World Market! They have great ornaments!

Garfield has always been one of Scott's favorites! His mom gave me this ornament among other childhood favorites!

This brass cutout ornament came from the Biltmore Estate, where we also spent part of our honeymoon!

I hope you enjoyed a closer look at my Christmas tree!

Christmas Tour of Homes, Part 2

Finally! I finished decorating our house! So here's the other link for Greta's Tour!

Here's pics of the dining room. I kept it pretty simple since the wreaths and garland in the chandelier are really sparklely. I toned the sparkle down with brown and white polka dot ribbon that I hung the wreaths with and ran thru the chandelier. This coordinates nicely with my fall and winter dishes, "Friendly Village" by Johnson Bros. (I use them Sept thru March, not just at the holidays)

This is my kitchen decor! I love my little red kitchen! So I had to buy this cute red tinsel tree and decorate it with cooking-related ornaments! I used a vintage Christmas handkercheif as a tree skirt and a vintage apron as my curtain on the back door. One of my favorite onaments is on this tree, the gingerbread cookie baker in the pic above...isn't she cute?

My tree is pretty traditional, but with a fun twist...leopard! My tree skirt is black plush with leopard trip and my tree topper is leopard plush ribbon. I have the same ribbon running thru the garland on the mantel. I don't have a theme with ornaments, but I like the look of Christopher Radkos, so I have plenty of look-alikes. I also try to collect ornaments from trips we go on. The newest addition is one from Guatemala from my sister's mission trip! Scott and I have velvet-striped stockings that I had monogramed, hung by fleur-de-lis hangers. Here's the piano, which never get decorated the same way year to year. This year i replaced my lamps with lit topiaries and put cute little ornament candles on my stacks of old books. The other pics are in the hall of the ceramic tree that my mom made the year I was born. I was 6 weeks early, so mom actually had not finished the tree, so her ceramics instructor finished it for her. THe first Christmas I was married Mom gave the tree to me!

Christmas Tour of Homes...Kinda

Well Greta came up with a great idea about posting links to your blog with your Christmas deco. How fun! Um, except that I am the loser that hasn't decorated yet and it's *gasp* December 6th!

All joking aside, y'all that know us know that we've been swamped right now..so as soon as I post this post, I'll finish my paper, THEN go home and start decorating. If Scottie got the stuff out of the attic that is.

I did manage to decorate my cubicle at work this week and we decorated the Jones house last Sunday. So here's pics of those, and as soon as I decorate MY house, I'll post a link again!My cubicle is decorated in a black, white and red Paris theme (shocking, I know) so I have this small silver tinsel tree with black ornaments and small Eiffel Towers with a red ribbon.Close-up of an ornament.Now for the Jones House, which we use for college ministry, if you don't know. We decorated last Sunday with the Young Adult group who also use the house!I swiped these paper stars from the stuff I use for Adorations and I LOVE them in the windows so much! They may have found a permanent home...Rachel took this shot too and I'm sure hers turned out better! My attempt to be artsy...The mantel.Oooo, artsy shot again.

The ribbon I used here is also on the tree and it's brown and cream window-pane plaid, wired, silky. It doesn't scream "Christmas", and that's what I intended. I wanted a cool, laid, back look for the J House decor.Close-up, but a little blurry, shot of the Nativity.I love this Nativity set, and I want one for my house, but I can't remember where I bought it last year...oh well. I love the figures hands. They seem like they are in awe...