2016: A Year in Review

2016: A Year in Review

As I write this post the Christmas lights are still flickering on the tree and the entire house is quiet save for the sound of the washing machine. Being able to write in the early morning hours with a steaming cup of coffee and quiet reflection feel like stolen moments of luxury. It’s my favorite way to start the day. When I look back on this year, the words that come to mind immediately are “intentional growth.” Here’s a look at 2016: A Year in Review

Santa’s Florida Kiss Cocktail

Santa’s Florida Kiss Cocktail

Each December we usually host some sort of end of the year party between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Depending on what kind of party we’re having we almost always have some sort of signature drink. This year our home is decorated with a lot of natural elements so we thought it would be fitting to give a nod to our fellow Floridians. In the process, we created Santa’s Florida Kiss. Here’s a look at what you need to make your own…

Nature Inspired Christmas Home Tour
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Nature Inspired Christmas Home Tour

Over the last few weeks I’ve shared with you our traditional Christmas at Bliss Barracks, our romantic Christmas at Loblolly Manor and finally our nature inspired Christmas at Journey’s End. It feels like it has been a whirlwind of decorating and planning since the beginning of October but I wouldn’t change a minute. Here’s a look at our home, Journey’s End, decorated for a Nature Inspired Christmas…

Nature Inspired Christmas Breakfast Nook
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Nature Inspired Christmas Breakfast Nook

One of my favorite parts about having people over for dinner is the simple act of gathering around the table to share a meal. I know that may seem kind of old fashioned but it’s true. Over the years, I’ve come to realize it’s in those moments gathered around the table where so many amazing things happen. Here’s a peek at how we created a Nature Inspired Christmas Breakfast Nook…

Nature Inspired Mantel and Christmas Tree
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Nature Inspired Mantel and Christmas Tree

Remember yesterday when I told you guys that we had an open floor plan? Well if you walked through the front door and looked straight ahead, you would see our mantel. Every time I decorate the mantel not just for Christmas but literally for each season, I think about our carpenter. At just over 7 feet long, it’s one of my favorite features in the entire house. Here’s a peek at our Nature Inspired Mantel and Christmas Tree…

Simple Christmas Decorations for the Dining Room
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Simple Christmas Decorations for the Dining Room

As I mentioned on the Christmas Front Porch Tour yesterday, we chose our color palette and theme “Heaven and Nature Sing” early in the fall so I knew all of the spaces would have as much greenery as they could possibly have. This year, we decided to add greenery to the chandelier in the dining room and once we did that it was like everything else fell into place. Welcome to a Simple Christmas in the Dining Room…

Holiday Gift Wrapping Station
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Holiday Gift Wrapping Station

Gift wrapping is another holiday task that really takes up a good bit of time depending on how many gifts you have to wrap. To help keep gifts and gift wrap organized, I set up a gift wrap station each year. You can use something as big as a work table if you have room or something as small as a card table in your bedroom or home office. Setting up a gift wrapping station doesn’t have to be super elaborate and you can make it has festive as you want. Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting up your own gift wrapping station…

Christmas at Loblolly Manor Home Tour
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Christmas at Loblolly Manor Home Tour

If you’ve been following along this week, you’ve probably already noticed how differently Loblolly Manor is decorated from Bliss Barracks. It definitely feels like a celebration given this house had to be rehabbed from the studs. It was a ton of work but we rallied as a family and here we are almost a year to the day later, dressing her up for the holidays. Welcome to Christmas at Loblolly Manor…

Christmas Dining Room at Loblolly Manor
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Christmas Dining Room at Loblolly Manor

The week before Thanksgiving I took a few days off to help my mom put the finishing holiday touches on Loblolly Manor. As soon as I walked through the front door this wave of nostalgia totally hit me. It’s been almost a year to the day since we started moving all of the furnishings into Loblolly and making the jump from house to home. We were so swamped for time last year the only thing we put up was the tree but this year, it’s a bit more festive. Welcome to Christmas in the dining room at Loblolly Manor…