Oh My! It's Christmastime!

A tour of our Christmas kitchen... would you like to step inside?

If you were here I'd get that teapot of coffee percolator going with something warm and wonderful. 

I keep Christmas cookies in the freeze that can be popped out in a moments notice. 

So join me in my favorite room - our 1950 kitchen. 

Way back on October 31 when Abigail was outside carving a pumpkin I started decorating this space. I had a dream and a vision of a homemade, old fashioned, vintage look this year. 

I started a notebook of ideas that I would jot things down all year long - inspired by this trip back here to Old Sturbridge Village and their candle lit stroll - I knew I wanted something completely different this year in our kitchen. 

Instead of my kitchen 'taken over' by splashes or red and green, tons of 'stuff' and oh signs ... I am sooo not 'into' signs anymore, I wanted something simple that - ready for this - FIT into my decorating that is already in that room... brilliant idea, right?!

Trends may come and go, but staying true to the soul of your home is classic. 

So my vintage plates hanging on the wall got to stay - and honestly, instead of being lost in stuff from Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or even Target (yuck, I've broken up with allllll of those stores!) Instead of lost in that, I feel like my vintage look stood out even more. 

So welcome to my kitchen...

It's hard to know where to start but I think I'll start with the simple kitchen Christmas tree. I made these salt dough ornaments (recipe in Susan Branch Christmas book). They were so easy and fun to make. I hung them on the tree with bakers twine that I already had, clip on flickering battery candles, and twinkle lights. 

 

Next I made the orange and lemon ornaments. I sliced and dried them in the oven for 5 hours, later I sprayed that to help them last. 

They are my new favorite. I love all of the natural this look brings. I makes me feel calm and peaceful (a homemade kind of calm and peaceful that plastic ornaments and too much stuff can't make me feel) I love that I made them myself (even in my teach full time life - they stand as a testament that I can and still do beautiful things!) 

If you want to catch a glimpse of me making these just click here to my insta - click on my saved stories (Christmas) and there you'll find me creating them way back in October! 

On the windowsill are a collection of Christmas mugs and tea cups that are all mismatched (I like it that way) from thrift stores and antique stores. They make me smile... as to the Christmas mini pitchers I've collected for warming syrup or butter for Abigail's pancakes. Those are the things that make an average school, hurry up morning lovely. 

I've also collected recently Christmas mugs that depict quaint Christmas scenes. That is what is on my mug rack. Each one different and lovely. We all have a favorite we like to grab. 

This sleeping mouse in holly makes me happy and so does the top Santa cup - vintage and chippy I love it so much! 

Looking in from the mud room (the way we walk into home after school each day) is the table. And yes, more mugs (but these mugs stay out all year long - Emma Bridgewater and Susan Branch mugs) 

I choose live greens for above the picture window that lets in the prettiest sunlight. And oh how I wish I had only live greens throughout my house now. They do get dried but there is nothing that compares to the natural look of these greens. 

In the middle of the kitchen table in a basket with a vintage linen are oranges studded with cloves - they smell heavenly and I just love the natural look of this as well. 

The table is set with my Woodland Christmas dishes and simple cloth napkins. 

Close by is the heart of our kitchen, the 1920 baking center. 

The shelves have baskets with tea towels - a few favorite Christmas cookbooks (Susan Branch Christmas and the newest Gooseberry Patch Christmas) 

And look at what is hanging in my pie cooling window - oh I found that in a gift shop last December and knew just where I wanted it. 

Vintage Christmas tablecloths line the top of the baking center and a mini stove adds to the charm. 

Peeking into the pie cooling window you can see the stars hanging. 

This year I decided to put our manger up on the shelf right there and I love it more than anywhere I've placed it before. You can see it a bit in this picture but I really need to get a better picture of this! 

Yes, there are days when there are too many dishes, so much to cook but I love this space in our home so much. I feel like I've finally gotten to a place where our decorating is just as it should be - fitting for the time it was built and fitting for filling my heart. 

Last Mother's Day Scott built this wall for me off of the counters and I just love it - it's one more little nook that makes me happy because I can decorate her for the seasons too. Both of these tea towels came from a very special gift shop (back here)

'Tis the season for celebrating home and all the little things that make life sweet. 

Thank you for joining me on a tour. Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas season of joy and hope.