I’m excited to be Linking up with Jennifer Rizzo for her Holiday Housework Link Party 2017 for a chance to featured on next year’s Holiday Housewalk 2018!
Happy Holidays and welcome to Camp Paradise! I’m so glad you found our lakeside cabin in The Northwoods of Wisconsin! If you are coming from Olivia’s home (at Reinvented Collection) on the It’s a Wonderful House Christmas Home Tour, it’s the one time I can say “Welcome to the South!” Our home, here in Minocqua, is pretty far north, but Olivia’s home in Alaska is even closer to the North Pole!
Are you still in awe over Olivia’s decor? I know I always am! She is such an inspiration to me!
I’m so honored to participate in this tour with so many amazingly talented bloggers brought together by Olivia to share our Christmas Decor, opening our homes to help give you some inspiration for your own house this season. Thank you Olivia for including me!
I thought I’d give you a tour with my Christmas Trees as the guides. We have three main trees, each serving a special role and space in our traditions.
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Our largest tree is a 12 foot faux balsam from the Martha Stewart Collection at Home Depot.
We place this tree near the fireplace in front of the big windows. This way it’s lights can be seen and enjoyed from outside as well.
All the ornaments, ribbon and fillers I bought maybe eight years ago and I am still in love with the entire tree! It’s my “big girl” tree, my elegant tree for our great room that’s full of big sparkly ornaments in gold and burgundy and a perfectly plaid ribbon. I usually prefer white lights on my indoor trees. The wonderful thing about this tree though is that I can change it from white lights to colored lights with just a step on a button.
My biggest secret to decorating a tree is a variety of spikes, sprays and large flowers like the poinsettias in this tree. Tucking these pieces in gives a 3D vision and fuller feel to your tree. I even like to use them to shoot out from the top of the tree.
I absolutely love adding in pinecones and feathers to my trees. My most special layer on this tree is my feather garland. It wraps around in layers between my plaid ribbon.
Playing Christmas music is even more fun with vintage records on a portable turntable. We can listen while cozy and enjoying the sparkling lights in the evenings. It’s hard to go to bed each night in December because we don’t want the special moments to end. It’s so peaceful and magical.
In a corner of the Great Room is the most special tree of all. This tree holds my kids ornaments. It’s a collection of ornaments they have made since preschool, their handprints and photos. I store each of my five kids ornaments in their own box and it is so fun to watch them take them out and place them on the tree each year. They reminisce and tell stories about the ornaments as they put them on.
We have collected ornaments from our family travels too and I spread these ornaments between their boxes. These bring back wonderful memories as well!
Our Northwoods Santa hangs out near this tree. A patchwork tree skirt quilted by my mother-in-law adds to the special nostalgia of this tree.
Topping off the kids’ tree is a Frosty the Snowman style top hat. Curly-que sticks add to the festive fun.
In the basement family room is our third tree. It came to life as I began to collect “Northwoods” ornaments.
It started the year we bought our cabin. I had each one of my kids choose a woodland animal ornament and found a birch bark garland. We added some sparkly snowflakes and sprays of sparkly, silver sequins. We had a winter woodland tree.
I added a wool camp blanket as a tree skirt and our traditional Santa with vintage coolers and thermos around the sides. Favorite Christmas books collected over the years are waiting under the tree to be enjoyed.
Last year on a holiday trip to Target I found these wonderful adventure/camp/cabin ornaments and garlands. Each and every ornament was meant to be in our home! There were felted mugs of hot cocoa complete with marshmallows, buffalo plaid ornaments galore and plush canoes, backpacks and tents. It’s so fun because all these items that never go out of style for me are popular right now. I scooped them all up!
There are so many gorgeous homes on this tour! If you missed any posts thus far find them below and continue to follow along and be inspired this holiday season!
I am the last stop today on the Wednesday Tour, but we will see you tomorrow as we kick off Thursday with Our Crafty Mom.
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Hi Kristen! Your Christmas decor is beautiful! I love the woodsy at home feel!! Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much Rebecca! I’m so excited you came for a visit and appreciate your sweet words!!
Your Christmas decor reminds me of home. I grew up in a northern community in Canada, we went for treks outdoors to find out all natural trees playing and singing the exact Jim Reeves album you have in your post.
I moved to the city long ago, but every year we play and sing Jim Reeves and its each of my sons favorite. Your home is so gorgeous and I am sure you are instilling loving memories of home now, like we had a generation ago. Love it.
How fun to hear the memories my post brought back to you! Isn’t it magical to grow up that way! This comment is one I will treasure! Thank you!
Your home looks so pretty decked out for Christmas. I know your family enjoys having multiple trees, I know I would! My vintage loving heart beat a bit faster when I saw your vintage cooler by the tree. That looks great! I have my dad’s old stereo but it doesn’t work. I need to get a small record player like you have so that I can enjoy listening to his old albums. I so much enjoyed the tour of your home!
It was so fun to hear what you enjoyed about my post, the ways you were able to personally connect with my decor. Thank you so much for your compliments and taking time to visit and comment! Happy Holidays!
Hi Kristen…I love all of your trees! Each one has its own character and charm, but they all have that north woods feel to them. That bear beside your kids tree is too cute!
Thank you so much! I think I would love to have a tree in every room and decorate them all differently! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking time to leave a compliment!! Means so much to me!
I love your huge tree Kristen! I wish I had tall ceiling for a super huge tree! Your’re so lucky! Love your decor!
Summer, thank you so much! I love having a big tree by our big windows. I make it taller even by adding sprays out the top 😉 Thank you so much for the kind words!
I absolutely LOVE your trees, and I totally know what you mean about having a “big girl” tree. I have one too and my kids try to sneak rogue non-matching ornaments on it just to bug me. Lol
Wonderful home tour and gorgeous home! Merry Christmas 🙂
LOL! So glad you are like me wanting a tree that stays “fancy”. Thanks so much for touring with me!! Happy Holidays!
Kristen, I just love your tree! I dream about having a big girl tree! LOL. I think next year I’m getting my own tree and my husband can do whatever he wants with the other one! He hates themed trees.
That’s a great idea Lynn! Love it! A his and hers tree! Thanks so much for your compliments! Happy Holidays!
Kristin, I love your trees! Your big girl tree is my favorite, and that feather garland is to die for! I bet it gets fragile year after year, but it’s so gorgeous with the plaid and all the spikes.
True, authentic cabin style, and true vintage records. I love it all! Have a Merry Little Christmas!
Rita, Thanks so much! I have been very lucky, my feather garlands have held up very well and after eight years have not even lost a feather! 🙂 The kids love to play the records and even sit and watch it spin and sing. It’s precious! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
Kristin I just want to jump right in the pictures again! I love your book collection. All summer long I look for Christmas books when I am out junkin’. I always buy kids books and I read them to myself, and my sons 12 and 24 still look at them too. I love your home. I say it over and over! I did not say I love your “House” (although it is dreamy!) I mean I love your HOME. All of the ways you have added your touches of love and care, I can feel how much you love your family and how you take the time to make it a loving home for them. You are blessed my friend! A Proverbs 31 woman! I know you are going to have a very Merry Christmas, because you make it magical and merry!
I’m so blessed by your friendship Amber! Thank you for your words, they mean so much because I feel that is my highest calling to make a home where my family and everyone who enters feels special and loved. I feel the same way about your home when reading your posts! Your family and your students are so blessed to be in your hospitality and love. We are kindred spirits, states apart, but connected in faith and what matters most!
Oh my goodness, your home is absolutely stunning! The tree and its surrounding decor is so cozy and festive 🙂
Best,
Kelly
Thank you so much Kelly! I feel the same about yours. So glad we toured together and I was able to connect with your account!
Your home is so lovely and cozy. I love all the whimsical touches. I would love to snuggle in and listen to records.
Thank you so much Dru! I love to style my home for my children and guest of all ages where they will want to linger for longer! Thanks for stopping by! Happy Holidays!