Tuesdays With Tracy: Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Dear Friends!  

It’s a joy to be visiting with you again on The Tattered Pew.  This is a long one so grab a cup of something warm and join me on a tour of my two houses.

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Tuesdays With Tracy: Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving was a sweet time and included a visit with my sister Pam, and a wonderful dinner with family and friends. It snowed!

My Christmas Decor Inspiration

As I decorated this year I wanted to make a few changes.  I really haven’t added much new decor to Christmas the past few years because it’s good to use what you have. 

So I usually rotate things using them some years and then shopping my basement to see how I can refresh the decor.  This year I chose a different jumping off point as my inspiration, my very old living room rug.

Below is a sample of the rug.

We’ve had this Pottery Barn rug since 2006 and I still love all the colors in it. This year I have enjoyed the deep red and the faded red, as well as the light blue. 

So, I decided to add some red and some faded red ornaments to the tree.  I suppose some people might call it pink, ha! The new color combo led to the following ornament DIY.

A Simple Six Step Ornament DIY

I have used white ball ornaments for years and this year I borrowed some red ball ornaments from Kelly.  Then I decided to add some faded red. 

I couldn’t find the color I wanted in any stores so I did a simple DIY.  Below you can see that I simply used clear plastic ornaments and poured the paint color I wanted inside them.

The first step is to cover the table with a plastic tablecloth.  Then I pulled the cap off the ornament, added some paint to the ornament, taped over the hole and shook the ball until the paint covered the interior. 

After experimenting, I added just a tiny bit of water to the paint to make it spread easier.

Untape the ornament and set it in a small paper cup to dry overnight. Below is the finished ornament in my custom faded red color.

Christmas Home Tour #1

So, let’s start the first of my two home tours.

Welcome into the entryway. On the left is a vintage sideboard. This year I have surrounded it with trees of all sizes and placed my very small collection of Caroling Simpich Dolls.

These were made by the Simpich family in Colorado Springs and I purchased one each year back in the 1990’s.

Our Great Room and Kitchen

Let’s move on towards the great room which has our living room, kitchen, and kitchen eating area.  

On the left is my old “tattered pew”.  Kelly came over and we added some pillows and throws in my inspirational colors of red, faded red, and blue.

In the niche is my mother’s Lladro collection of angels surrounding the infant Jesus.  Such sweet memories of my mom come each Christmas when I place some of her items in my decor. 

Sometimes I place this collection in our guest room for my sister to enjoy when she visits.

I remember the first few holidays after my mom went home to heaven and boy were those times hard.

We have all walked with family and friends through challenging times.

I saw this sentiment and it caused me to think of those of us who are currently walking a hard road. “Remember, during and after the darkest nights, the stars will continue to shine bright.”  So, I’m wishing you a holiday season filled with light and hope. 

My Jewish friends light candles during Hanukkah.  The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are called the Advent season which also involves lighting candles. 

Below is a tray on our kitchen table that holds this year’s advent wreath, four mercury glass votives.

On the kitchen island I have placed a nativity set made by Teena Flanner, a vintage style folk artist.

Living Room View

Below is the view into the living room from the kitchen and eating area. I have already changed things up from when I took this photo, see if you can find the changes.

I’m not a once and done decorator, I continually move things around.

When Kelly was over she helped with styling the mantle area.  She added the large angel print that was my mom’s and I love it. 

Some of my inspirational colors are in the beautiful pillow below which was a recent gift from my friend Pam. I’ve always loved this image of a pregnant Mary on her way with Joseph to Bethlehem for the required census. 

Can you imagine traveling on a donkey when you’re nine months pregnant?

Did you know that Kelly was born three days before Christmas and we brought her home in a large red stocking made by the hospital nurses? Her name, Kelly Noel is a nod to that first Christmas with her. 

Our Tree

We have a slim faux tree that fits in our small space. We actually take it apart in sections and store it in the basement fully decorated with a cover over it. I mix colored ball ornaments with collected family ornaments so it holds lots of memories.

The tree skirt is an old faded red quilt that I purchased at an antique flea market for $20.  I don’t look for quilts in pristine condition as I love time worn ones that can be washed and used.

These two Simpich ornaments reminded me of Kelly and her sister Lindsey.

Treasured memories are held in so many of our ornaments.

The Dining Room

In the dining room we have two old shutters that Larry painted green on one side and blue on the other.  They are currently green. And yes, another Christmas tree.

One of my favorite furniture pieces is this old European pine hutch. It holds a collection of favorite plates and tea ware, most of the items were gifts that I love.

In the dining room I currently have a blue and white check tablecloth. I layered another tartan plaid tablecloth on it and placed a bowl filled with treasured family ornaments.  

What Would You Choose?

Now, quickly before I take you on a tour of my other house, I need your help! 

Below are two table settings for our Christmas Eve dinner. I will add candles and crackers but which of the two settings shown below would you choose? Green or red??? 

Please help me decide by scrolling down and leaving a comment.

Home Tour #2

This home is even smaller than the one we live in.   It is my mother’s doll house and is inhabited by a family of mice! 

Usually it’s located in our basement where our granddaughters have enjoyed playing with it for several years.  

This year we brought the dollhouse upstairs and put it on an old red trunk that usually sits between the two blue french chairs in the living room. 

Currently the Christmas tree is in that spot.  My father built this house for my mom back in the 1980’s so it is about forty years old.  I have plans for a bit of wallpaper and some curtains.

The attic has a chapel.  It has been off limits to our grand girlies simply because I didn’t want their little hands to destroy the pews!

The second level has a living room and bedroom, and the first level has a kitchen, dining room, and bathroom.

When my sister was here at Thanksgiving I assigned her the task of being the official interior decorator for our mom’s dollhouse.  I think she had fun and did a fabulous job. 

The Chapel

The chapel has all the original items that my mother purchased.  When I was in London a few years ago I purchased a woven bookmark at St. Paul’s Cathedral to place under the altar table.

The Living Room

In the  Living Room below, I added the blue wing chair and footstool, the blue dishes, and little Monet print. 

The Bedroom

The bedroom is graced with a beautiful four poster bed that my mother purchased. I added the armoire, the Aubusson rug, and the pink dresser with the Christmas tree on it. 

The pink dresser is actually a box from Laduree in Paris that contained macarons. 

On the first floor is the bathroom. Everything in it is original from my mom’s decorating.  How cute is that pink robe?!

The Dining Room & Kitchen

Below you can see an evening view of the dining room with a new lantern light and some new artwork.

The kitchen is one of my favorite rooms.

First of all, this mouse family has a chef, who wouldn’t love to have a chef?! The details on the stove are wonderful.  My parents had an English Bulldog named Duchess, thus the dog and bowl with her name on it. 

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Tuesdays With Tracy: Merry Christmas!

Thank you for joining me today.  I hope you have enjoyed the Christmas tours of my two homes. Don’t forget to tell me which place setting you prefer in the comment section below!

May the Light of the World shine bright in 2024!

Love,

Tracy