Pretty Handy Girl Holiday Home Tour Mudroom & Foyer

Last up on my holiday home tour is my mudroom and foyer. This year, I re-used the same wreaths for the front door, but I jazzed them up with silver holly leaf floral picks.

Pretty Handy Girl Holiday Home Tour Mudroom & Foyer

It’s incredibly easy to change the look of your wreaths. Try tucking in fresh clippings like these mahonia leaves:

Pretty Handy Girl's Holiday Home Tour 2014

Or tie ornaments onto your wreath to add some sparkle and shine. Get more ideas for updating your wreaths here.

Pretty Handy Girl's Christmas Home Tour

Inside the front door, I set up the advent calendars on our rustic IKEA hacked chest. Read more

Holiday Home Tour - Kitchen | Pretty Handy Girl

Holiday Home Tour - Kitchen | Pretty Handy Girl

One of my favorite rooms to decorate is our kitchen. There is something about the combination of aqua with green that makes me happy. Welcome to the next room on my Holiday Home Tour, the kitchen!

Holiday Home Tour - Kitchen | Pretty Handy Girl

Updating the window seat with aqua and snowflake pillows is the first thing I do when Thanksgiving is over.

I love adding a little bling to the chandelier during the holiday season. Last year I hung a beaded garland from the chandelier, this year it’s white buds and gold painted eucalyptus leaves.

Holiday Home Tour - Kitchen | Pretty Handy Girl

The open shelves get a new vignette. It’s such an easy swap that gives us something new to look at throughout the season. Read more

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

Welcome back for another holiday room tour! Today I’d love to have you join us in the dining room. Can I tell you a secret? I don’t usually make a big Christmas meal. Instead, I like to make a huge batch of pancakes and bacon or sausage. I’m definitely a breakfast for lunch or dinner kind of gal. In fact, we sit down in the dining room and the whole family enjoys a big brunch on Christmas day. Maybe one year I’ll surprise the family with a ham. Or maybe not.

Apparently I’m old enough to witness a trend go out of style and come back again. I’m thrilled to be able to dust off my blue and white Spode plates and use them on my holiday tablescape this year. Do you have a collection of blue and white plates? Do you use them all the time, only for special occasions or never?

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

It was great to bring out the deer from last year’s tablescape.  They really add the woodland feel to our table.

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

I purchased a mixed green garland from Kroger and pulled it apart to decorate the table and more! Gotta love getting fresh greens from the grocery store.

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

Holiday Woodland Tablescape 2015 | Pretty Handy Girl

Speaking of table, did you notice that my table is different from last year? I finally made this beautiful farmhouse table from reclaimed timbers and Osbourne wood table legs. You can easily make your own table following this tutorial. Read more

Galvanized Metal Star Garland | Pretty Handy Girl

Holiday Home Tour 2015 - Living Room | Pretty Handy Girl

It’s the most wonderful time of year when I can invite you into my home. The house is picked up (for the moment) and I’ve hung the stockings with care. But, most of all, I enjoy having you over for a cup of hot cocoa and good conversation. If you are just coming over from Gloribell’s blog, I Don’t Know How She Does It, welcome! If you are stopping in here first, follow to the end of this post to see all the other bloggers participating in the tour. (You won’t want to miss a single one!)

Just-a-Girl-Christmas-room-tour

Ready for the tour? Handy Dog and I are so happy to have you here with us.

Holiday Home Tour 2015 - Living Room | Pretty Handy Girl

Grab your drink and let’s head to the living room.

Holiday Home Tour 2015 - Living Room | Pretty Handy Girl

You may have seen a sneak peek of our living room earlier this week when I shared how to make these fun rustic metal magnetic window frames.

Galvanized Metal Magnetic Windows | Pretty Handy Girl

Adding width to a starburst mirror was as easy as hot gluing straws to the back. I added some fake snow spray to the back of a reclaimed window. If we don’t have real snow this year, at least we can enjoy the fake stuff.

Holiday Home Tour 2015 - Living Room | Pretty Handy Girl

The mantel is filled with rustic metal, including the DIY Galvanized Metal Star Garland. Read more

La-Z-Boy Leah Sleeper Chair and a Half

Can we take a moment and talk parent-to-parent? You know how parents of grown children will tell you to cherish the moments you have with your children because they grow up so fast. You know it’s true, but you can’t really fathom the speed until you look back at photos that seemed like they were taken yesterday.

That’s my oldest son in the picture above. He was 7 in that photo. Today he is 11 going on 12 in a few months. Somethings don’t change, like his love of reading. But, his feet, his legs, his arms and his body continue to grow. And his brain? I gave up trying to help him with his math homework this year. And, I can’t outsmart this tween anymore, he cataloged his Halloween candy so I can’t sneak any.

I recognize that we only have a short time before this boy towers over me. In a mere blink of the eye, his room will be empty while he’s away at college.

La-Z-Boy Leah Sleeper Chair and a Half

Soon he’ll be packing up his things to bring with him as he moves out of the house. That’s when I will remind him Read more