Classic Amy Joanne

Creating a simple Christmas….seems to be my ‘on going thing’ this year.  Simplify.

Now by no means am I going to be a minimalist, I like ‘stuff’ to much.  I just need to let go of a few things that I have been holding onto since moving 12 years ago….scaling back a bit and that means with Christmas décor as well.

Of course, making room for more too.

I am going for ‘Timeless Classic’ ~ ‘I won’t get bored with you’, look.  And it looks something like this……adding Holiday Touches to the Everyday.

Since we had a fresh snowfall it gave me the perfect place to start our tour of Holiday Touches to the Everyday…..we live in a brick cape cod with holly and winterberry surrounding it.  Simple wreaths with red ribbon were added to all the front windows….simply pretty.

….and in the backyard under the pergola, we hung the Bethlehem Star.  This was my hubby’s idea …..yes, he’s a keeper.  perfectly simple.

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And on the inside of the cozy cape….

the everyday ironstone is adorned with greenery….

sometimes not putting everything out is a good thing….and sometimes just simple evergreen thru-out your home is plenty to add a Christmas touch…whether artificial or real.

 As always when adding the ‘holiday’ to my everyday collections  ~ I like to think handmade, vintage or something that reminds me of a loved one…..holding onto memories.

These glass Christmas ornaments were a part of my husbands Grandmothers first Christmas.  We were excited to receive them when we were first married….a treasured keeper for sure.

As you walk thru the back door, there is a wall of iron hooks to hang your coat and stay a while….it has a simple little ledge to place plates or small keepsakes, like the bottle brush trees for this season.

…and just a few steps away is our dining room with a pretty built-in hutch.  Hoping next year to ‘redo’ with a fresh coat of paint and maybe a chalkboard backing. For now, I simply placed a few vintage pieces with touches of red.

A few years back I purchased a plastic candy garland at an after Christmas sale…..cutting the clear string holding them all together to fill my Nana’s candy jar.

This reminds me of her and her secret stash of goodies in her bedroom….yes, Nana we knew.

In the living area…..keeping with tradition and creating vignettes, adding ‘Christmas’ to the everyday…..a sculpted snowman fills the handmade snowglobe made from a glass dome and a milk can lid.  Stay tuned in after Christmas for a snowman building post.

He is placed in a vignette using a non traditional Christmas color…orange….and tousled with a few evergreen sprigs.  The vintage candy  molds are from a local chocolatier.

And this will tug at your heartstrings…..my husbands Grandmother loved handiwork ….she stitched this for us while she was well into her 90’s by the light of a small window.  She loved to share her works……in needlework and cooking.

This is displayed over a plate rack to pass by everyday.

And just because I rarely show the whole picture…….here is looking thru the kitchen to the dining room.  Our home is always a work in progress…..I am debating on painting the table and chairs…..because a paint brush in my hand is happiness.  I think an area rug will warm it up as well.  Always planning…..but still pretty and feels like home.

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If you noticed over the past few years of posting my vignettes…..I do not have a lot of Art displayed…crazy huh?!?!?!!  Mostly because I like to paint on useful items more so than decorative…..you can be sure my cookies will be wrapped up pretty in a painted bentwood  carrier to take to Moms house.

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If you enjoyed this post, stop by ‘Holiday Touches for the Everyday’ from the beginning by clicking below.

Holiday Touches to the Everyday 2016

Holiday Touches to the Everyday 2015

Holiday Touches to the Everyday 2014

May you find time for friends and family and peace and love this Christmas Season.

Merry Christmas from Our Home to Yours

Up Next:  Sweet Goodness, Junkin’ Stocking, All in the Presentation, My Favorite Things for the Artist, Building Snowmen