Hi girls! (and guys, I know at least one guy has admitted to reading this). Oh, ever have one of those days? Sheesh, I do. I’ll spare you the details but let’s just say I am in need of a personal assistant to keep from losing my own head sometimes.
I sure wish I could just invite you all over, but I did try my best to get some new photos of my house today so you can feel like we had a little get together. Unfortunately someone has borrowed the tri-pod and I couldn’t for the life of me get my camera to hold still. Lots of my photos looked like I took them from a moving train! So, I have a few shots that are OK but you’ll have to use your imagination on most of them. I also have a really hard time taking photos in a couple of rooms in my house that are naturally very dark. While they look cozy in real life, in a photo it is hard for me to capture a good photo. Guess I need special lighting for those rooms. That is why you will probably get sick of seeing photos in my kitchen on this blog, the only room where light isn’t a real issue.
Do you ever take pictures around your house and then suddenly see a problem with your decor? With a 1930s fixer upper, unfinished rooms are the norm in my house!
The photo above is one of the only ones I have today from a small corner of my dark living room. It is a very large room, paneled on several walls in mahogany. The rest of the walls are heavy combed plaster, original to the house from the 1930s. The room feels a bit like an old English library or a lodge. It has a large stone fireplace, which adds to the cozy feel. It is a beautiful room but hard to photograph! This photo (above) is looking from the room up the stairs into our entry. While you go downstairs from the entry to get to the room, the room is actually level to the backyard.
I try to make the stairway as dramatic as I can with garland, lights and ribbon so it gives a grand feeling as you enter the room! We have our tree in this room, it is a 9 foot tall noble, I’d say about 8 feet across! SUPER chubby! It was challenging to get down the staircase! I will try to take a photo of it that would be worth looking at later. I couldn’t get it all in the shot without a tri-pod.
This is a boat on top of a bookshelf in that same room. I stuck some branches, pinecones and lights in it to make it feel dressed up for the holidays.
As you enter the front door, you can look to the left and see the dining room. You can see a bit of the garland on the railing there. That is bordering the stairway down to the living room. Again, sorry it is so dark!
This is as you walk into the dining room from the entry. This room also has heavy combed plaster walls with antique white wainscoting. It is another large room but we keep our table small and intimate now for game playing. My daughter plays the baby grand, and it is also a player piano so we can turn it on to play Christmas carols for us during a party. Very fun and gives a real festive mood to an event! For the party Saturday my table was much more festive, we had cake plates and a tablecloth. This is where we served desserts.
Now we are coming around the table to our cozy bench and going to look at the room from the swinging door to the kitchen, looking back at the entryway.
These wise men are in my entry. The other one is just out of the picture.
This is back in my kitchen. Notice the stubby candles, evidence of our party the other night! Some of the rest of these you may have seen.
The next two photos are from my kids’ rooms. I try to add little holiday touches to their rooms for fun too. They are pretty bad shots but I thought you’d be happy to see the giraffe is feeling much better after the episode in my hallway just before Thanksgiving. The second photo is my middle daughter’s room, we added some sparkling garland to a mirror to reflect light to a dark corner.
And finally, my bedroom. I will try to give a bit more tour later, once I have a tri-pod and more daylight! Off to a school concert, I am still looking forward to catching up with you all this week!
You obviously have a house with character! Love that! It looks festive indeed, with it’s Christmas finery.
Can I come over for a holiday PJ party? Your home is so inviting. Wow.Happy Holidays from Canada!
WOW! You have a beautiful home. Thanks for sharing.
Have a blessed day…
smiles, kari and kijsa
Melissa, your home looks really beautiful! Easy to get into the holiday spirit at your house! Thanks for sharing these delightful photos.
Hi Melissa, you need to stop apologising! It is so beautiful, warm and inviting looking. Gorgeous wreaths. I am so happy for the giraffe, obviously Christmas is better for him – Merry Christmas & Blessings – Rachael – xo
It’s all just stunning! And it looks like your house is huge! We have an old house too but most of the rooms are not that big. I’ll bet the parties are grand! Blessings… Polly
Oh Melissa, Everything looks just beautiful! I’m sure your family enjoys making wonderful Christmas memories there!
What a treasure of Christmas surprise in each and every room. Your home is certainly beautiful and the bits of Christmas everywhere make it look totally awesome. Blessings, Karen
Lovely! I’ll never have enough of your kitchen.
Your home reminds me of my girlfriend home in West Linn. Maybe from the same era. All that warm wood.
Thanks so much for sharing.
BEAUTIFUL!!! that is all I can say=)
Melissa, I was away from home today…Wife and Mommy duties called….yes, even when the kiddos are all grown up, Mommy needs to be there at times. Anyhow, I am just now seeing your photos. They are lovely. Your home is amazing. I would love to see more of your kitchen. The little bits and pieces I’ve seen, tells me I would love it!!
Thanks so much! Pat
Melissa – EVERYTHING IS JUST BEAUTIFUL! What a delight to see more of your gorgeous home! And those needlepoint stockings are precious! I love your kitchen! Thank you for sharing with us! ((hugs))
xo,
Kim
Melissa your Christmas decorations are wonderful! Your home is warm and cozy and inviting and beautiful. I love that lodge-library look and your kitchen is fantastic. My favourite shot is the one of the wreath at the end of the bed.
(And I’m so glad to see the giraffe is feeling better!)
Happy, Happy Holidays to you!
BFF,
glamorous
Melissa,
Such a gorgeous home. Cozy, so many beautiful details, and very, very inviting! I really enjoyed looking at all of the photos. Your home makes me kind of wish that I celebrated Christmas. I guess that I will have to live vicariously through you, and so many others whose homes look so lovely at this time of year!
Thank you so much for making my day with the tour of your home. It has been such a wonderful treat.
Hugs,
Debbie
PS-I hope that the bathroom got completed, and that you found the stinky mouse!
Thank you for the tour of your most beautiful home.
You are so much like me, or i’m like you, well anyway, if we knew each other we’d make a good team, hehe, keep up the good work
OH what lovliness!!! You have a beautiful house! Love taking sneak peeks into peoples HOMES ~ thanks for the tour.
Have a wonderful day.
Blessings,
Sandy
You have been tagged.If you don’t like this game,feel free to ignore my comment,otherwise visit my blog for more info.
Melissa…Your home and decor are lovely!
I love everything about it.
Thanks for the visit & Happy Holidays…
Priscilla
Everyone else has said it but I’ll say it anyway. Your home is positively beautiful! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Very pretty pictures. I love the white painted bed and the white in the kitchen. The three wise men are lovely in their jeweled splendor.
Alexandra
Your home is gorgeous! I love the wreath in the dining room.
I have been wanting to make one similar for awhile now. I need more “old” ornaments though.
Very pretty pictures!!! I love the wreath on your bed…that was my favorite! And I think you like red a lot too! Your home is beautiful!
Melissa, your home is absolutely gorgeous. I love your Christmas decorating and your photos are perfect, even the dark ones. Would love to see more!
Simply beautiful! All of it!! I love your dining room curtains. I think I finally found a solution to reworking some existing curtains I have after seeing yours. Thanks!
I love your Holiday decorations. The wreath in the dining room is so elegant. Thank you for the tour.
Karen
Melissa,
Thanks so much for the very sweet message you left on my blog. I had to come back over here to peruse your beautiful pictures once again.
Your family is so lucky to have you. You make such a loving home for you family. It truly shows in the care that you put into everything that you do.
Hugs,
Debbie
What a lovely home. I love the giraffe too. Beautiful piano and decorations.
Nan
You are killing me! You’re house is soooooo beautiful! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful pictures! Oh, and thanks for the great blog week! I was too busy to comment, but it was fun!
Well, I feel like I’m a little late getting to your party, I just found your blog, I was drooling..lovely lovely!! Laurie
All these pictures are so beautiful! I have the same issue with my home when I take pictures of it because some rooms are so dark and do not have enough lighting.
Everything is just soooooooo beautiful! You have a GORGEOUS home Melissa!
Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)
What a treat – your Christmas house is just so beautiful.
Do stop by my holiday home when you can:
http://oakrisecottage.blogspot.com/2007/12/my-holiday-home-part-i.html
Carrie
Hello Melissa,
Your home is very lovely, thanks for letting us visit, I really enjoyed your decorations, please stop by for tea
and Merry Christmas to you. Pinkie Denise
Your home reminds me of an old English cottage. So warm & cozy! Thanks for the tour!
Wow..beautiful decorations and a beautiful house. Thanks so much for the tour and there wasn’t a thing wrong with your pictures. They were quite lovely.
bj
Gorgeous house! And I’m so glad to see that the giraffe is back from the dead and ready to party!
Love love love your blog. I have just “put myself out there” with my own home and so I have a real appreciation for you sharing yours.It is just lovely and warm and welcoming. Merry Christmas!
Wow – you’re house is BEAUTIFUL! I love it!
I found your link at Nunnies Acttic…I am bamboozled here….just as cozy as the set of Father of the Bride..I feel like our hearts might beat at the same time…
You may enjoy my 200th post…
Merry Christmas
i just love your home.
it is decorated beautifully.
Wow! Your house truly is “inspired”. You have a beautiful home! I would love to see it in person, photos just do not do it justice, I am sure!
Beautiful decorations! Your bedroom is heavenly.
I think I’m in love.
BEAUTIFUL!
Merry Christmas
What a lovely home!
wow, looks like it’s out of a magazine, very beautiful! thanks for sharing!
thanks for sharing – I especially love the wreath at the end of the bed!Happy Holidays!
your house is dramatic and beautiful! What a beautiful tour. Blessings…
http://happywonderer.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/christmas-tour-of-homes-2007-2/
Such a beautiful, elegant home. Love the Christmas touches in the kids rooms. Merry, Merry! Beverly