Holiday Helper - Sharing my December decorations

For this week's edition of holiday helper, I thought I'd share with you my holiday decorations. Maybe you'll find something inspiring in my photos; if not, maybe you'll be entertained at least. Above is a shot of my home from the middle of the front yard.

As some of you know, I live in a college town of roughly 75,000 people. I live right in town in a ranch style house built in the '50s.  (Fun fact: my grandparents built this house, and my mom grew up here. I've lived here for 22 years now.) Here's a pic as you walk to the front door.

And here's a shot as you enter my living room. (I turned on the lights for subsequent pics, so you can see details better. This is the way it looks with only the holiday lights.) When I get home in the evenings in December, I like to sit in the semi-dark with a glass of wine and listen to music while I stare at the lights. It's a relaxing way to end my day.

There's my slim-line Christmas tree with some decorations on it finally. The holiday pillows on the chaise are some that my mom made more than 15 years ago.

My nativity scene needs some work - I've broken Joseph and one of the wise men and a couple of animals. We're barely hanging on as a scene at this point.  The old-fashioned Santa doll is hanging out in the antique chair with his bag of goodies next to him.

Here's a view from the fireplace looking toward the front door.

And here's a view standing in front of the television and looking across the length of the great room. Note Lowder-dog and Charlie-dog hanging out on the couch like kings.

The nook in front of the television...

Here's a brighter look at that nook. Most of these decorations belonged to my grandmother.

Can you see I was watching some Big Bang Theory while I took these pics? Lol.  (My grandmother painted the wooden stocking; I had to put a big bow on it to cover up the fact that she painted my married name on it. Hahaha!) I've never put the little tree by the tv before, but I think I like it there.

I did something a little different with my mantle this year. Note the dachshunds on center stage. The reindeer decoration belonged to my grandmother who gave it to us when Kelsey was a little girl because she loved it so much. The labels for the reindeer fell off at some point, and Kelsey wrote in the names herself but spelled them wrong. It's adorable, and I love seeing that error in her little girl handwriting.

And another view from a bit further back - do you see those wise men in the bottom right corner? My mom and I made those about 18 years ago.  The vintage Santa print is one that I snagged at Christmas Village a few weeks ago.

I love this pic even though it's a bit dark because Lowder-dog is snoozing so nicely on the couch while Charlie hangs out on the chaise. My dogs rule the roost 'round here.

Look at my pretty old man wearing his red jester's collar - so  handsome! (Lowder-dog recently turned 13.)

A couple of close-up shots for you - blocks and pups and snoozes. That tiny tree and tablecloth are from the '50s.

(I don't love the snowflake throw, but I need to manage the dog hair and keep it off the chaise as much as possible. At least it's festive, right?)

Here's a straight-on shot of my sofa table followed by a shot looking down. I love this arrangement because it highlights some of my favorite pieces. The mouse with giant ears was in my grandmother's house under her tree while I was growing up, and it brings back great memories. The antique Mr. and Mrs. Claus belonged to my great-grandparents and dates back to the '30s. The vintage rough-hewn Santa on the left belonged to another grandmother. I made the banner using vintage feeling Daisy D's scrapbook paper.

There aren't any presents under the tree yet. Guess I need to wrap some this weekend.

On the other side of the mantel facing the kitchen, I have added my collection of snowmen. I'd like to continue expanding this until every bit of space is taken up by the snowmen. It's a work in progress for now. I'd like to add a large chalkboard frame behind all this and write something festive on it. I'll be keeping my eye out for one of those at a reasonable price or may try to make one. I'd actually like to have it up year-round.

This year, I put my stockings in the dining room. They really aren't my fave designs, and stockings aren't that big a deal in my house anymore. I still felt the need to hang them though. See my fab needlepoint dachshund stocking? That was another goody that I snagged at Christmas Village.

My dining room table is still a mess with a big painting project, and my kitchen needs some touch-ups before I share any pictures of it. I may share those pics later though.

And here's an overview shot standing in my kitchen looking out toward the front door.

One last shot of my slim tree as I head out the door... Sometimes I think I'd like to replace it with a fuller tree, but I think this one fits the vibe of my decor quite well.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my decorations. As you can see, I like an eclectic approach to holiday decorating with a mix of textures, colors, and finishes. For me, the fun is in the unexpected and in the memories that surround each object I display.

Have you decorated yet? What's your plan or approach? I'd love to see what you do for your holiday decor.