I know, I know. I realize it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. Honestly, I do. I know that sometimes that wonderful day of thanks gets lost in the shuffle between Halloween and Christmas. I know that we all need to slow down and truly appreciate each holiday as it comes. And I really am thankful and I really do enjoy Thanksgiving. Really!
But, here’s the thing…deep breath…I can do this….I can come right out and say this…
I decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Like waaaaayyy before.
Please don’t throw a turkey at me! š
There are several reasons for this. One, I’m a blogger and in blogger-land we are working a season ahead to try and bring you ideas and inspiration that you can incorporate in your own home whenever you decide to start your own decorating.
Two, it takes a LONG time to get it all done. I mean, between all of the other daily craziness going on in my world, getting these halls decked just requires a good chunk of time. Frankly, it feels soooooo good to have it all done before Thanksgiving so that I can go into the Christmas season knowing that I can simply focus on the things that really matter and not worry about garlands and untangling that ball of light strands.
Of course, this year, I had a little bit of extra motivation to get started when a big box arrived from Balsam Hill. And after pulling out this gorgeous Magnolia Leaf Garland I couldn’t resist the urge to start decorating my mantel. I cannot even explain to you how realistic this thing is! The Balsam Hill catalog even provided the inspiration for the top of the mantel and I scored these beautiful old bottles at a local antique store.
Combined with battery powered candles they give off the most gorgeous glow.
Now, I haven’t gotten around to decorating my banister yet because I plan to use fresh greenery this year but I will definitely be adding this Magnolia Leaf teardropĀ .
And this battery operated tabletop tree is so perfect in our upstairs hallway next to the paper Advent houses that were mine when I was a little girl. Opening the doors and windows are definitely a highlight each year!
And, ok, so since I’m all about transparency, I guess I might as well go head and come out with the rest of it.
You see, the thing is, I just really LOVE Christmas. And decorating my house early just makes me feel good.
This time of the year when the days are shorter and it’s cold and dreary, heading into the attic and pulling out those familiar boxes filled with treasured pieces is simply good for my soul.
And hearing the beautiful strands of Christmas carols when the rain is pouring outside is so comforting and uplifting that who can blame me if I feel the urge to break out my CD’s the week before Halloween.
Don’t throw a turkey at me. š
How about when it comes to decorating for Christmas we all just take an ‘I’m ok, you’re ok’ approach?
Because, at the end of the day, all of us who love Christmas are kindred spirits anyway, right?
And we kindred spirits know better than to throw turkeys at each other!
Happy Saturday sweet friends,
*discolsure: I’m partnering with Balsam Hill this holiday season but all opinions are 100% my own*
How beautiful! I completely thought your greenery was real! Love the green against the glow of candles! The holidays speed by so fast these days I say celebrate Christmas as early as you please!
It all looks so beautiful. x
It looks beautiful! I have decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving a couple of times because I just love Christmas too!
Love the Magnolia garland from Balsam Hill.I also thought it was real! It is so realistic!!I will be checking them out! Your mantle looks gorgeous! Can’t wait to see the rest!
Oh my gosh I’ve wanted magnolia garland for years! Definitely checking out Balsam Hill.
Vanesssa, I am right there with you doll. We already have up one of the little trees with lights and ornaments in the front room. I have to say it makes the magical glow of Christmas light up in my heart! I have a couple of bottles like the ones on your mantle and a few other things I might toss up with some of the battery operated candles myself – right now my mantle is *gasp* not decorated at all!
This is just lovely!
Love that wreath and tear drop, and your mantel looks totally amazing.
Just me a non blogger….
Your home looks amazing for the holidays and you are just starting?! Wow. Love the garland and tear drop. So beautiful.
Being in Minnesota and already experiencing a few snowflakes with a storm brewing for Monday…it is tempting to just bring it all out and start today:)
Here’s my problem…your blog and a few others I follow have inspired me so much to embrace each season and have brought out my creative side in decorating. I have enjoyed so much this year all the harvest ideas and my home looks so pretty. I even turned my ceremic and wood pumpkins around so the faces only showed on Halloween and then back to looking like an uncarved pumpkin.
Kids are away at grad school and college. Everyone will be home this Thanksgiving but we are having dinner at my son’s future inlaws on Thanksgiving. So do I…take it down and start my holiday decorating or wait until they leave and transition?
What’s a girl to do??!!
june
Hi June, the non blogger. I’m a non blogger too, but I’m a HUGE blog reader. Just wanted to tell you that I also love my fall things – maybe even more than Christmas and I’m sad to take them down when the time comes. What struck me as funny is that I also have pumpkins that I turn during the season. September and November….no faces. October….jack-o-lantern faces show. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do that. Love that I’m not alone.
Hi Kate…I cannot tell you how many friends have said “what made you think of that?”.
Happy to know that I’m not the only one out there.
Struggling a bit with my empty nest so it was a way for me to embrace the season (fall being my favorite)and not let those Halloween memories flood in so early.
So my husband is laughing at me this am. We are being hit with a very very big snow storm and I would not let him bring in my pumpkin stake yesterday that greets people at the top of our driveway:) Oh well.
Until our children were grown & married, our Christmas decorating began the day after Thanksgiving – by hanging our Christmas wreath above the mantle. 43 years ago, we were fully decorated in a weekend. As we age, Christmas decorating takes longer & has crept up a bit each year. Here is our Solution: We leave our dining room table set for autumn while decorating the rest of the house for Christmas. Having double shuttered doors at both entrances into the dining room helps with this. So for us, treasured boxes of Christmas decorations will start coming down from the attic next week.
HMMMM – even though my living room and dining room are open to each other as well as the kitchen now that we have taken a wall down…I can make that work. My full size tree goes in the family room level which is down one level. I can keep it more wintery on the main floor because we will have snow I’m thinking by then here in Minnesota! It might actually be fun to see the unexpected as you entire our family room level:) Thanks for helping me think outside the box. This perfectionst mom is working hard at loosening up.
Like you, I decorate early because there is soooo much to do and honestly, I can’t stand to do all that for just 2weeks. It’s so nice to sit back and really enjoy the season with little stress. Mine is usually done by (Halloween) and I too take a lot of joking over it. Late this year. Tree went up today with several more to go.
Happy Holidays & Blessings to you & yours.
Deb
Hey ya’all……I too am from minnesota……but have some major georgia in my life ( my man)…..I usually start the day after thanksgiving….last year I did 13 trees! I have a 100 year old house…..the biggest tree is loaded (thousands) of ornaments…and things my 3 children made through the years….my sons baptismal id bracelet….ornaments my mama started collecting for me back in the early 70s…..I put a broche from each gramma…..special cards….my dad’s last key chain….a necklace and bracelet I wore when I was a flower girl…I decorate it inside and out anddddd all the way around!
I have an all teddy bear tree and a snowman tree in that room too! My piano room…I have a huge dance tree…..I put my oldest daughters toe shoes for a tree top….small costume pieces from my kids and my grand babies dance stuff…..a disney tree in my dining room ….I made a Santa hat with Mickey ears for a topper….a Rudolph tree in my mud room with antlers for a topper….a tall shinny wooden tree in the powder room…Charlie brown tree in kitchen….and a white twinkly tree on my front porch with a sash dated 2015 ….glitter balls…top hat for a topper and champagne glasses hung all over it! And a few cute trees here and there….this year my son is getting married dec 6…. Sooooo I am starting to decorate tomorrow…so to be relax and ready for grooms dinner here!! His wedding is a winter wonderlanddddd…..soooo exciting! I made his boutineer from a snowflake broche of my mothers! Sweet! Happy decorating! Laudi
I like having ideas early. Love that you have a sponsor for us to check out. Liked the mantel idea. So you see I may not start now but I’m thinking now…and im very appreciative of your hard work to inspire me!!!
Love all the Balsam Hill items you’ve so wonderfully displayed. I will be checking them out for sure! Here in Canada, we don’t have the dilemma that you do in the US with trying to decide when to decorate for Christmas as our Thanksgiving is in Oct. On one hand, I don’t know how you can “do” TWO special holidays so close together but on the other hand, I think it’s nice how you have Thanksgiving as the big “kick off” to your whole holiday season. I just took down my fall dĆ©cor and will be starting Christmas after Remembrance Day on the 12th.
That tree is adorable and I love the uniqueness of the magnolia garland. It would be hard for me to put that away after Christmas. Your home is looking beautiful. I think we should have the freedom to decorate whenever it appeals to us and for whatever reasons we choose. I tend to decorate for Christmas towards the end of November. It helps that our Thanksgiving here in Canada was in early October. Right now I’m trying to squeeze in some painting after work each day to get our main floor painting done before Christmas. I love the inspiration from blogs like yours that are giving us sneak peeks and inspiration.
Thank you so much Elizabeth!! So glad you stopped by! š
Vanessa, that magnolia garland looks so realistic and those antique bottles are gorgeous on your mantel. You are much further along than me! I need to bring my ideas to fruition!
Your decorating is beautiful and not all red & white candy canes and Santa’s. It’s perfect for this time of year in my book. Cheryl Ann
The garland is gorgeous as your mantel is….it looks so very real…I love magnolia garlands, but they turn brown quickly…so this is a great alternative!…I used to start decorating in October to be done by December 1st for the Christmas tour…but not going on this year, so I am starting later and doing more simpler things!…well, as simple as I get!…
Vanessa, your home is simply beautiful. You truly have such a wonderful gift. Thanks for the inspiration. I am a bit behind in my usual decorating for Christmas…but I think I may change things up after seeing your site. I love thinking outside of the box when it comes to decor. LOVE your site. Wow!
Thank you so much Becki!!! What an absolute treat to see your comment pop up along with your friend request on FB. š I’m thinking you and I need to have a coffee date sometime!
I def thought that the magnolia was real too! It looks amazing! I know it really is so tempting to decorate early but I do hold out for the day after thanksgiving. It’s my Black Friday tradition & can’t wait to bust it all out tomorrow along with some of my new holiday purchases! Happy decorating!
Your holiday decor looks great! I love all the candles on the mantel. I bet it’s stunning at night!