Best Ideas to Steal from the Christmas Tours & Link Party

Hi all, thanks so much if you've been following along with the
 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes, and for your sweet comments about our home.
 Today I'm sharing my favorite details from the tours that are easy to incorporate.
 In case you haven't finished (or started!) your decorating yet there are some fun ideas
 to steal. We'd love to see your Christmas home in the Link Party at the end of
 this post, which will show up on all of our blogs today.

The details...

Just as every room needs a touch of classic black, so does a porch! 
Shine Your Light

Wreaths aren't just for doors and windows.
Evolution of Style

Spiff up black plastic pots with plaid wrap and gold trim from the
 Dollar Store. 
Provident Home Design Company

Simple centerpiece ~ burlap runner and candles interspersed in garland. 
Blesser House

Clever gift wrap created from calendar pages. 
 Life & Home at 2102

How fun are whimsical patterned Christmas sheets for the littles!
Dixie Delights

On my thrifting list ~ vintage ornaments and brass container.
The Pink Clutch

Think outside the box when adding fresh greens to your decor. 
Driven by Decor

Use an unexpected vintage statement piece on your dining room buffet. 
Primitive and Proper

Frame a favorite quote or Christmas carol.  
This is our Bliss

Gold gift tags do double duty as Christmas ornaments.
Simply Sarah Style

Style your coffee table by displaying Christmas cards in a pretty glass box.
Classic Casual Home

Use textured greens and pine cones to contrast with shiny metallic ornaments.
The Tale of an Ugly House

Wrapped gifts in a rustic container make a festive centerpiece.
This is Happiness

Don't save your special china,
bring them out for your family to enjoy everyday. 
Suburban Bitches - Tricia

Make a chic leather and buffalo check pillow from a Target placemat. 
Suburban Bitches - Erin

A story a day Book Advent Calendar.
Our Storied Home

Spruce up a piece of artwork with greens and an ornament.
Rough Luxe

Now it's your turn friends, we'd love to see your Christmas Home Tour!
Link up with everyone below.

15th Annual Girlfriend Party

Happy Friday friends!

I'm sharing some highlights of my 15th Annual Girlfriend Christmas Party,

 but be forewarned - THE PHOTOS ARE B-A-D!! 

I'm SO sorry, I would normally skip the post rather than use photos like this, but so many

 of you have asked about the gifts, and menu. I tried to quickly snap a few with my phone

 while greeting the girls, getting drinks and putting food together. My house was dark and

 when I lightened them it went from bad to worse, so forgive me!

The Hostess  

My friends said I looked like a 1950s housewife, cooking in my dress and heels, 

with a drink in hand. Haha!   

The Invitation

"Spread Cheer" with an appetizer spreader attached, details here. 

The Drinks

Pomegranate Martinis

Wine

The Menu

Stilton Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Grapes with Goat Cheese & Crushed Pistachios

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes

Artichoke, Mushroom & Roma Tomato Pizza

Zuppa Toscana 

The Dessert

Coffee with Baileys

Warm Molten Chocolate Cakes 

The Girls

My beautiful girlfriends gathered together. 

The Buffet

Simple decor of evergreen branches, clear vases of pink flowers, and candles down the

center of our island. This was before the food was out and arranged.

On the silver tiered stand I serve the soup in ramekins and then use it to serve

the Molten Chocolate Cakes when they come out of the oven. 

The Gifts

Each girlfriend brings five gifts (all the same) and draws five names when they arrive,

 those names will be the recipients of their gifts. We go around the room and each one

of us tells what our gift is and hands them out. Our limit is around $5 - $7ish, but not 

everyone sticks to it, and we have some savvy bargain shoppers.  

   

Plaid Scarves

Coffee Mug with Chalk for a message & Cocoa Mix

Seasonal Candle 

Movie Ticket 

Seasonal Room Scent (Winter) - Bath & Body Works

Mix of Chocolate covered espresso beans & peppermint candy & cute socks

Pretty glass tray

Book - The Magic of Tidying Up

Fig Jam to tie in with the 'Spread Cheer' invitaion

True Blue Spa Hand Lotion 

Clean Freak Dry Shampoo & Headband (my gift)

I'm blessed beyond measure to have these wonderful friends in my life, some

 of them since our kiddos were babies, and others since toddlers. Our get together is

my favorite way to kick off the holiday season! 

 Switching gears...

if you've been following along with 2015 Christmas Home Tours today is your

chance to show us your beautiful Christmas decor!

Link up at Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life Link Party today to share yours!

Our Christmas Home Tour 2015 ~ Part 2

Hi friends! Thanks so much for checking back for Our Christmas Home Tour ~ Part 2.

If you'd like to catch up with Part 1 ~ our Living Room and Dining Room, go here.  

I'm thrilled to be joining a talented group of bloggers that Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life

rounded up for another year of fabulous inspiration! If you haven't seen her beautiful

tour you're in for a treat, it's a must! 

Welcome if you're stopping by from my stylish friend, Shannon at Burlap & Lace,

it's easy to fall for her chic style. 

Today I'm sharing our Family Room and Kitchen, the simplicity of fresh greenery,

a few special touches and pops of pink paired with my neutrals won me over this year.

I was able to capture a little bit of our Colorado snow for you before it melted.

Detail Boy, (don't know where he gets it) my teenager, gets credit for the wrapping the

 tree branches in lights.  

I'm not sure why our chimney lights looks white, but they're all red, 

a long time tradition to make it easier for Santa to find.

I decorate the three large window boxes on the front of our home and urns on our

porch with greenery from our yard. 

Come on in...

if you'd like to start with the entry go here for Part 1 of our tour. 

  

We have an open floor plan, and the kitchen and family room are the hub where 

everything happens. We love to cozy up in here with the fireplace, I didn't 

think you'd appreciate a photo, but our tv is in the built-in behind the tree. :) 

I made the fur trimmed stockings last year, and purposely designed a generous size.

I love filling them to the brim with treasures, for certain you'll get your favorite

 candy along with and a new toothbrush. Haha!   

It's one of our favorite traditions on Christmas morning. 

Our neutral backdrop makes it too easy to change up the colors, which works perfectly

with my indecisive personality. This time I brought out a couple of my favorite Ikea

 black and white pillows to pair with pink. It doesn't even look like the same room as

  my Fall Home Tour.    

Another one of my infamous abstracts - I scribbled with a pink sharpie. 

I added a necklace of gold and silver bells to give my demure lady bust a bit of whimsy,

 and the pink poinsettia gives some color to our shelves.  

I kept our coffee table simple with a bowl of gold beaded apples, and

a few accessories on an acrylic tray. 

Our Kitchen

If you're new here I gave our kitchen a budget makeover with a LOT of paint and

 DIYs not long ago. I still love my formica countertop on our island. You can check

 out the reveal here. 

I love changing up this functional vignette seasonally, the silver pitcher and

 trophy hold cooking utensils and a huge brass tray I found thrifting corrals 

all the other necessities, flowers and wine. :) 

One last look at our tree...

...and our sweet Rio girl, being a good sport, once again.

If you'd like to check out our Christmas Tour from 2014 go here,

I kept the pink, but the living room and dining room have complete new looks, 

no surprise there!

Next up on the tour today is Laura @ Decor To Adore.

You can find the entire Christmas Home Tour schedule at A Stroll Thru Life.  

If you'd like to keep up with the projects and happenings around here you can

keep in touch by

Instagram - Pinterest - Bloglovin  

 Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, Merry Christmas friends!