A Christmas Home Tour

There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.

-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Dear friends, whatever kind of day you’re having as you stumble across this little blog, I hope you have yourself a good laugh at some point! It’s become common for my family to hear me declare around the house that “laughing’s my favorite!” (stolen from Elf, “I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite”). 2024 has been a multifaceted year, like every year always is. There were rough parts and splendid parts, often simultaneously! It’s been my experience for a long time now that laughter is simply therapeutic, and I often consider it one of God’s sweetest gifts to us.

Laughter, and sunsets!

Look how those kids have grown! We indeed have three full fledged teenagers under our roof now. This season of our life has taken off, ready or not. I remember when my kids were really young and I’d see parents out with teenagers, and the parents always looked so sad/grumpy. Now I get it. It’s an unbelievable undertaking and honestly, very little return. Or rather, the return is TBD. A very gracious friend recently told me the words I just needed someone to say out loud: “You are indeed in one of the most intense seasons of parenting times 3!”

Is it making more sense why laughter is so near to my heart? It’s kept me afloat! We laugh a lot as a family. Seeing my teenagers, who by the very nature of being a teenager are more prone to taking themselves seriously, seeing them laugh? It’s all I need. And it’s such a tender reminder to me of how the Lord provides.

Which leads me to this tour I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you today! This house…it’s hard to express the depth of gratitude and thanks we feel for this place we’ve rooted for the past 14 years. Knowing nothing of the neighborhood, schools, or town, we settled in 14 years ago because it was what was available in our budget. Figuring we’d move after 3 years, we didn’t even drive up or down the street to check out the neighborhood, as most sensible new parents would do. All these years later, our neighbors feel like part of our family, and this town an extension of our home. This house is where I began my unintentional career in design, playing with paint colors, moving furniture around, folding in different styles. It was a blank canvas and one I constantly worked on out of curiosity. But now, it’s the calming backdrop to a whole lot of life happening! We are constantly in and out, and any extended time here feels like a true gift of rest.

So come on in and let me show you around! And while I do, I’m just going to pepper in some light-hearted ‘tips’ I’ve picked up in this season of life raising teenagers.

Parenting Teenagers Hack 1: You’re worth your effort, too. Put on an outfit you feel good in, get the tube of lipstick in ‘your color’, paint your nails. This season of parenthood can beat you down. Whatever helps you keep your chin up is worth it.

Link to my new favorite pants (I got in black and noir red)

When we decorated our home for the holidays this year, it was most satisfying to use only what we have. I’ve really enjoyed collecting festive touches throughout our marriage, and feel like we have about as much as our home can hold now. I want our home to feel like our home, just a little ‘extra’. What I don’t want is to feel overwhelmed by clutter that has to get packed up in a few weeks. For some people, that doesn’t stress them out and I really admire that! Sometimes envy it. But what is really fun for me is using what we have in new ways!

Parenting Teenagers Hack 2: Use interactive games as decor! Our coffee table always has something to do together. Previously, it was a gorgeous marble checkerboard with carved wood game pieces. Now it’s this ring toss game. You wouldn’t believe the amount of impromptu pick-up challenges that happen! Planned family games are a little harder to come by these days, so activities like this out in the open are really fun. They’ll get used!

Ring toss game

When Matt was pulling our Christmas decor boxes out of the attic, he pulled down a big black hefty bag full of pillow covers I forgot I had. He asked if we could get rid of them and I said no. So then I felt like I had to use them, which is how we ended up with pillows in our dining room. Ha! But I love, love, love the cozy, velvety layer they add and the pop of rusty copper orange.

I don’t usually do centerpieces. I find them in the way when we sit down as a family. But I was intrigued this year to make our table feel a little more special from the normal. We’ve always been a family dinner around the table household, but this year has been more challenging to do that with our various schedules. It’s been a real treat to sit down around this table as a family and light the candles around this centerpiece. It’s not in the way, and it’s made family dinners last a little longer I think. And I used some wreaths I’d made a few years ago in this centerpiece rather than on the walls, and I much prefer them used this way!

Parenting Teenagers Hack 3: Even if it's infrequent, making your family dining table feel like a special treat to sit around goes a long way. I’ve noticed our sit-down meals feel like a richer, fuller experience together when we are able to sit around this table. And I have no idea if this is has anything to do with it, but I light the candles every time we sit down to eat.

Pretty tapered candles (I love the colors of these!)

Parenting Teenagers Hack 4: Similar to the interactive table games like the ring toss, don’t stop using the whimsical pieces your kids loved when they were little. Let them experience the nostalgia of seeing those things out; they may not say anything or engage with them as they once did, but it still honors sweet memories they may have.

Wooden JOY train

Parenting Teenagers Hack 5: Claim your bedroom and make it what you need to find rest. Parents of teens get precious little time together. Similar to the idea behind the dining table centerpiece, make your room a special retreat so the time you do get feels like a gift. It doesn’t take much; small touches can be such a joyful addition to a room.

Dried floral bouquet

That’s a wrap! I’ve so missed sitting here and writing to you and hope to make more time for it in 2025! Design has never been a topic I’ve wanted to detach from family life and motherhood, and I love pulling the two together and sharing from that unique perspective.

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and hope your holiday season is truly filled with joy and laughter.

Simplified Gift-Giving: Practical Ideas

Hi Friends! Over the years I’ve called my Christmas home decor ‘simple’, ‘minimalistic’, etc. I don’t like a lot of fuss - not over the holidays or in our every day life. But it got me thinking there’s got to be a way to simplify beyond the decor, too! Celebrating Christmas with kids can get chaotic and out of control fast. Starting a few years ago I’ve had this pull on my heart to simplify not just our home, but the way we celebrate, too. Careful not to read that wrong - I don’t want to celebrate Christmas less, just simplify it. More emphasis on less things, if that makes sense. Gifts are a really fun way to celebrate that Jesus was born for what would be the greatest act of love in history, and I love the opportunity to give gifts as an expression of our joy and gratitude. But they don’t need to occupy so much mind and heart space as they have for me in previous years. It can get stressful fast!

It was when we got together with our small group from church several years back to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, that a light bulb went off! Here is the list that was attached to each box:

I love this outlined structure and it got us thinking about making our own for celebrating Christmas with our kids! Here is what we came up with a few years ago:

•         Wow - One really special item the kids most want. We ask them each to give this some thought and write it down

•         Special surprises - A couple of smaller items that have either come up in conversation or we’ve thought of on our own as something they’d really enjoy, (doll clothes, race cars, cozy blanket, special mug, etc)

•         Game/Book/Puzzle - This is especially relevant in the dead of winter when outdoor time decreases

•         Experience - This one only works if you follow through, so be realistic with your family’s schedule and your capacity. We’ve found that planning it out ahead of time works better so they have something specific to look forward to. Doesn’t have to be big! Even surprising your kids with tickets to a movie you all go see on Christmas Day could be fun! (Except not a sad movie - I will never forget the year my parents took us all to see Marley & Me on Christmas Day. Spoiler alert: SADNESS)

•         Winter Pjs - I used to love finding fun pajamas that were relevant to each of their interests/personalities! Now that they’re a little older, flannel pj pants are in. I also like to throw in slippers or warm socks.

•         Creativity - Our kids have really, really loved creating things. They are always in the middle of making something, and this has gone on literally for years. Things like construction or patterned scrapbook paper, markers, colored pencils, tape, and craft scissors always get used up fast, and Christmas is a great opportunity to replenish their supply. Books on how to draw things or make things are hits, too.

• Handwritten note - An addition I’m adding this year because I don’t think there’s any greater way to touch your kids’ heart than telling them why you love them, why you’re proud of them, and why they’re special. Be specific so you can do this again next year with new whys.

Christmas shopping has been a lot less stressful so far, and more enjoyable. Oh! And a huge part of preparing our hearts, (and home), for the season is cleaning out and donating old stuff! Every November I ask the kids to commit an hour to going through their toys/books/clothes and bagging up what they have lost interest in (Tip: Set a loud timer for one hour. One hour isn’t a lot of time, but I ask them to set that time aside for this specific task. Usually, when focused, they end up finishing ahead of the timer and feel good about that. It’s a small way of setting them up for success, because I know it won’t take them an hour.) And when they’re on the fence about something I know they haven’t touched in a while, I try to redirect their focus to the kid that would have the opportunity to enjoy that item next.

Maybe you already have your own gift-giving structure, or maybe this is helpful! After trying it for a few years I feel more peace about shopping for gifts than I used to. With inflation doing what it’s doing to retail, I felt compelled to share this again for others working within a strict budget.

However you celebrate I hope you enjoy these next few weeks! There can be so much pressure on creating that perfect Christmas morning that this month between Thanksgiving and Christmas goes by in a blur. Give yourself permission to slow it down. No one but you will notice what you don’t get done, and that’s a truth I need to remind myself of often.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Design Reveal: Cali Meets Traditional Part 1

When life throws you a pandemic you roll with the punches - that’s just what these clients did last Summer! They uprooted their life in the hub of Washington D.C. for the quieter and more relaxed suburban life. Nestled inside the beltway off the picturesque Clara Barton Parkway, this traditional colonial met it’s match with a vibrant and eclectic family with laid-back California roots.

I was brought onto this project ahead of the move which gave me plenty of time to game plan the 9 room job! I was tasked with designing their Entryway, Kitchen, Eat-In Nook, Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room, Her Office, His Office, and their daughters Bedroom and adjoining Playroom. The main objective for this family was to feel settled as quickly as possible. The couple both work full time (from home), and their young daughter would be entering Kindergarten in the Fall (also from home), so while not every aspect of the house itself was their style, their MO was to make it work in this season so they could feel at home for a little while. There may be possible renovations down the road but who wants to live in a renovation while working and schooling from home? I appreciate their discernment and desire to feel settled for the time being.

So we’ve got a big reveal to share this week! Since it’s so many rooms I have broken it up into two parts. Today I’m excited to walk you through the Kitchen, Eat-In Nook, Dining Room, and Living Room!

With renovations off the table at this time, I planned out a number of inexpensive updates to soften their kitchen. The previous gray walls, gray stone backsplash and cherry island made the space feel very disjointed. I had them first paint their backsplash the same color as the walls, (which we updated all throughout the home to match the dentil trim - a great way to give a traditional element a modern twist). I also wanted to ditch the cherry island counter for something more natural and casual - an IKEA butcher block counter in a larger size than the original piece makes the island feel a more suitable size for this kitchen space - plus that gave them enough room for a third stool!

Additional updates include swapping the cabinet hardware, (matte black bar pulls are a fantastic option if you have white cabinets you want to give new life), and these stunning ceramic blue sconces are from Modefinity on Etsy!

As always, sourcing rugs was an absolute pleasure. A peachy vintage runner with blue accents just glows in this room with the leather stools and warm wood accents. And it compliments its far more saturated neighbor, a 6x9 vintage piece under the Eat-In Nook!

I just really wanted this space to glow - like a California sunset. Pairing light natural cane chairs with a walnut table and a backdrop of meaningful pieces sprawled across the wall, it speaks of this family’s love and joy.

This light was one of my favorite finds - I can’t recall which came first, the island pendants or this piece, but I wanted them to be really in sync and equally as different. This ceramic light fixture is another handcrafted item from one of my favorite Etsy shops, ClayCafe. They have quickly become one of my go-tos, but just a heads up they are currently only open the first two weeks of every month. Two on, two off.

I designed this gallery wall using some of the family’s own sentimental pieces, and building around those with a supporting cast of pieces that represent both their happiest memories and this new adventure, (‘This Must Be The Place”)

You know what’s fun about colonials? All the segmented rooms! I love a sweeping open layout, don’t get me wrong - that’s what I am most used to! But I have never done so many separated rooms as this home, and there’s something about having the freedom to do big and bold things in just one space that you don’t necessarily want to commit to all over. You know?

Case in point: Cavern Clay, by Sherwin Williams

The client decided to keep their dining room furniture in the move, including that beautiful rectangular linen shade light fixture . In addition to adding an arch mirror, the wispy pampas grass and some punchy art from Upton, I wanted to wrap this room in something bold but still organic. Terracotta came to mind one night right before I fell asleep and I couldn’t wait to find just the right shade for this room!

We all instantly liked black paired with this magnificent color, and strategically peppered it throughout the space on all sides.

We wanted to keep this space really simple and minimal to make the dining room high impact. But the trick was not going too far the other direction. Using natural materials that echo the organic feel of the dining room really works to marry the two rooms, and a few winks of rust/orange/terracotta in the pillows are all we needed to complete the connection.

That’s a wrap on this leg of our reveal! Wednesday I’ll be back with the Family Room, both Offices, and their daughters’ Bedroom - the sum of which include two wallpapered walls, bold built-ins, and some serious Pearl Jam appreciation. This home has been the most fun and thanks to the fabulous client, a lot of laughs along the way! So excited to welcome you all into this space so full of joy. More Wednesday!

Thank you so much for coming by!