Calm and Bright

All throughout the month we've slowly decorated our house filling our hearts with excitement and anticipation waiting for Christmas Day, Jesus' birthday.

 We start out with Advent and light a candle for each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. The four weeks represent the 4000 years that the Israelites waited for Christ to come. This year I did something a little different for our Advent wreath. In the past we used a brass wreath with candle holders on it and wrapped it with greenery but for some reason a candle holder always breaks off and we find ourselves replacing it. again. This year I found this footed bowl at Ikea, placed candle holders down in it and filled it with greenery. I love how it turned out. And since it sits on our island in our kitchen, it made it easy to move when we were all gathered around cooking or decorating cookies.

I also spent a good part of the month knitting this beautiful scarf for my Mema's Christmas gift. It was so easy and fun to make that I'm working  on one for myself, too!

I love changing out the decorations on our red wall hanging hutch each season. Christmas is my favorite. I really do it up! This year my Stampin Up! Christmas box found a home on the top shelf.

After our Fall centerpiece constantly needed "fixing" all season between homeschooling and every day life, I knew I wanted our Christmas centerpiece contained. My husband built me this simple rustic box out of old pallet wood. I filled it with greenery, put our glittered reindeer inside and strung some lights around it.

I love how this vignette turned out. I still want to add a banner that says "WINTER" across the star and wall but absolutely love the color scheme. Did you notice our star is missing ALL of its light bulbs? The grinch stole them. Yep, that is my story and I'm sticking to it! Okay, we had some lighting issues with our tree and in a crunch had to use the star's lights. How's that for "keeping it real?"

 This pretty little number is a new addition this year. I've been wanting to do something like this for all of our bags and coats anyways but it also worked out nicely for our stockings since we don't have a mantle. I saw something like it at Pottery Barn so we did a little DIY version. The wood is pallet wood and the hooks are rubbed bronze coat and hat hooks from Home Depot. The picture below was my inspiration from Pottery Barn for $99. Ours cost way way way way way way less!

You can't really see it with the gifts in front but this year we put our tree in a metal bucket. With little ones crawling and running around the bucket meant no more pretty tree skirts getting shoved this way and that. The garland was a new addition this year, too. It was for sale in an etsy store and sold out pretty fast. I wasn't able to get my hands on one so I made my own. Some of the names of God were ones she used but many we brainstormed on our own.

I love how when we look at our tree, we are reminded of God and the true reason for the season.

Santa's Cookie and Carrots for the Reindeer

Our Nativity Scene

Every year our kids watch Yes Virgina while they wait to open gifts.

The gifts are open and the paper in the trash. We have a house full of excited children playing with their new toys and over all a very calm and peaceful day. In a short while we are off to Christmas Mass- a wonderful way to end our day!

From Deep in the heart of Texas, I wish you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!