another christmas eve house tour




Ah, here we are, another Christmas eve.  It's hard for me to believe anyone out there would be interested in how I decorated this year but just in case there is...here you go.




I went with a tiny live tree this year.  Stuck it in an antique urn and put some white lights on it.
I got the vintage santa wrapping paper at an estate sale a few weeks back for free.







I put the red chinoiserie pillows with the RL blue and white pattern.  It kinda makes me crazy, but what doesn't this time of year?







I apologize up front because I swear I don't know how to photograph this room differently for you all.  My lack of imagination never ceases to amaze me.




This is new.  We set up a bar for parties. Well bar is being generous.  It's a silver tray that I fished out of the neighbors trash and a few bottles of booze.  There is bitters and vermouth which we have no idea what to do with but maybe someone else will.  A party better happen pretty soon though because that whisky is disappearing fast.

Merry Christmas!

66 comments

  1. Your photos are always new. Now I want seasonal throw pillows....

    Merry Christmas to you Janet, your unique talents are much appreciated.

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  2. Janet, I love any chance to look at photos of your gorgeous home - so soothing.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family - thank you for another great year of blogging!

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  3. I never get tired of looking at your stylish home. Love the cushions and I wish I could join you for a festive drink. Happy Xmas! xxx

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  4. Slap some vermouth and bitters in the Maker's and I'll be right over. your home is so beautiful, I love, love, the red pillows.
    Merry Christmas Janet to you and yours.

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  5. Your home always makes me say "aahhh". It's just perfection. Merry Christmas!
    carol from florida

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  6. Oh I'd love to pop by and sit in those chairs and sip something soothing and chat with you...
    Best wishes for a relaxing holiday.

    BTW Your neighbours trash is a lovely treasure. What a great find!

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  7. Cottages and bungalows seem to radiate holiday charm. Yours is a treasure. I've enjoyed your writing this year and look forward to more. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Janet.

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  8. Enjoyed your home tour. So lovely!

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  9. Sublime, bring it on:)
    Merry Christmas.

    Rita

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  10. Your style is just so effortless. Your understated look is just perfect to me. Each time I look at your rooms, I tell myself, "You have to get rid of something now!" Merry Christmas, Janet, to you and yours. I sure hope you come back in 2014. It's such a treat (and inspiration) to read your blog!

    Isabella

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  11. Hi Janet,

    Fantastic photos (as usual) of your fabulous home. Simple, elegant and understated all at once.
    Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and enjoyable holidays.

    From
    DeeJay in Whangarei, New Zealand

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  12. Just beautiful Janet!! Love the tree in the urn and the free santa paper.
    Have a wonderful holiday!!
    xo

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  13. Your home looks so pretty and peaceful. I love the silver tray: How did you know to go look in your neighbor's trash???

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    1. they were having a yardsale and at the end of the day they had created a big trash pile and it was just sitting there on top. it had what appeared to be permanent marker lines on the inside of the tray and was in bad need of polish but i asked them if they meant to toss it and they said yes so i cleaned it up and polished it and turns out it is an old english tray with silver markings. lucky me!

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    2. Those are very expensive on ebay!! It looks lovely in your kitchen. My sister collects them and she too put a tray in her kitchen with coffee and tea stuff on it.

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  14. Merry Christmas Janet! I think your house is perfectly Christmas, I love all of it, it is exquisite!

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  15. Looks absolutely perfect. I nerve tire of your kitchen.

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  16. I love your minimalistic Christmas decorations. Simple, seasonal, and serene. That's what I aspire to, but haven't managed to pull off yet. Your description of the new "bar" and especially the comment about the party needing to happen soon gave me a good laugh! I wish you both the happiest of holidays.

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  17. God I love your kitchen.

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  18. Merry Christmas, Janet! You can always use the bitters and whiskey to make Old Fashioneds. ;-) http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink407.html

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  19. Janet, your home is so 'you'--serene and lovely. Wishing you and your family a peaceful, joyous Yule.
    xxLinda from B.C.

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  20. I never get tired of your home Janet. I love the elegance, the simplicity and love, love,love those red pillows on your sofa. Hoping you have a happy Christmas with your loved ones. I am going to start paring down after Christmas. My problem is I have clothes to clean house in ( I help an elderly couple every other week) that I would love to get out of my closet but I need them. Maybe I just need to start over with some new old cleaning clothes. And I am so doggone sentimental. My sweet Mother just passed away in November and I am having a hard time parting with her special things that meant alot to her and myself . Yesterday my DAddy brought over her set of white ironstone that she used every holiday. I am using it tomorrow when I have my daughter and her family here and my daddy and brothers and his wives. Mama was so proud of those dishes. She didn't buy much for herself, mainly just always giving and thinking of others. Lynne in Georgia

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  21. Merry Christmas Janet. I've really enjoyed reading your blog this year.

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  22. please never stop-i love your photos and writing xxx

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  23. Merry Christmas, Janet. Your house looks festive....and so clean.

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  24. What a beautifully, minimalistic way to decorate for Christmas...just enough lights for atmosphere, a tad of red for color and absolutely nothing overdone! Have a wonderful holiday and I'm looking forward to your future posts on leading such a minimalist lifestyle. Debbie

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  25. I love your charming, warm living room this year! The red pillows are really wonderful next to the blue. I have some red berry branches next to some blue & I white porcelain & I get a thrill every time I walk by! Thank you so much for your insightful posts on simplicity, I find myself reading them more than once. Merry Christmas to you & yours! Kristi near Seattle

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  26. Thank you for sharing. Your home looks peaceful and stylish. Love the new beverage nook, and the idea of a live tree, to be planted later. I'm inspired by how just altering a few items, pillows, throws, plants, etc., change the entire seasonal feel of your rooms. Cheers and Merry Christmas Janet!

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  27. What do you mean we might not be interested in seeing your Christmas look again? I LOVE seeing your home again and really appreciate that you are willing to share it with us! I'm not looking for something "fresh and new", I want to continue to enjoy your consistently inspirational aesthetic which had me following this blog in the first place. Just keep doing what you are doing...love it!

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  28. Love looking at your house Janet! I have 2 weeks holiday @ home, and I have started a big declutter. Hope I will be ok with getting rid of stuff, and not get too emotional.
    Merry Christmas, Janey

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  29. Love it! Thanks for sharing photos of your beautiful home! Merry Christmas!

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  30. Was hoping that you would post holiday pictures of your home again this year. Thanks! Hope that you have a wonderful Christmas.

    kris from ann arbor

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  31. Your home looks beautiful. Please refrain from saying that you can't imagine anyone would want to look at your decorations. We look at your blog because we enjoy it - it sort of feels like you're questioning how we spend our time. You should be proud of your efforts.

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  32. You can use those bitters to make the Antipodean thirst quenching Lemon, Lime & Bitters. Although it's probably a bit too cold to drink that where you are!
    I love, love, love to see how you decorate at Christmas (or anytime really).

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  33. Always interested, always love it! Merry Christmas!
    Lynn

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  34. Janet, just love you and your house! I hope you have the merriest AND most peaceful Christmas!

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  35. I love your house! (I copied your cabinets and counters in my kitchen remodel! ) Merry Christmas!

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  36. I love your simple, tasteful Christmas decorations. Not a single tacky, plastic, glittery thing in site! Your home is always so inspiring.
    Merry Christmas to you and your family.
    Betty

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  37. Merry Christmas Janet. I love the way you decorate. Thank you for sharing and have a lovely New Year.

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  38. Janet please don't be so hard on yourself! You can't believe how often I think of your wardrobe and decorating style and how you influence me to pare down. Seeing your lovely home (love the ultra simple Christmas decor) and your clothing posts reminds me that the classic style doesn't have to be over the top.

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  39. Oh Janet, In my eyes, your house is perfection and your holiday decorating is, too! Now, may I ask a personal question? Thank you. As a person who is a lax housekeeper I would like to know: is your house always as clean as it appears in photographs? I think your answer may be "yes." Do you have cleaning help? I think your answer may be "no." If so - please tell us how you do it. Does Larry help? Can you share your routine, if you have one? Special chores on certain days? X number of hours per day? Monthly chores charted on a calendar? Do you constantly declutter? What is your arsenal of cleaning tools and products you have found work well? How do you structure your day/week/month for cleaning so you still have time for the fun things you do in your life. You are such a smart cookie - your answers could help a lot of us who have a lot of creative interests that seem to overtake housework time. - hugs from Jan in Pasadena

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  40. Janet, as so many others have already pointed out - seeing your beautiful, calm, stylish home never grows old. In fact, it continues to inspire me to get rid of everything I don't love. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas. My hubby and I are spending Christmas in Las Vegas, it's definitely "different". We've seen some of the most amazing Christmas decorations, everything is "over the top" Vegas style. I'm glad we got away but it will make me appreciate home all the more.
    Merry Christmas - Barbara in Northern California

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  41. Of course we care! It's lovely! Merry Christmas!

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  42. Of course we are interested in your home. When I'm visiting a friend, I don't expect her house to look radically different every time I come. I'm there to enjoy her company. It's the same with visiting you. I enjoy seeing how you make small, doable changes to reflect a feeling, a season. It inspires me to know that I don't need an attic or basement full of things to feel refreshed. Thank you for another year of blogging and sharing with us a better, simpler way to eat, clothe and decorate. I'm looking forward to visiting with you in 2014. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
    ~skye

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  43. Always love to detect the differences when you post pictures - please keep doing so if you can bear to!!

    Happy holidays and enjoy your family, greetings from Switzerland x

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  44. All is calm.....all is bright. Sums up your blog perfectly!! Thanks for sharing with us. Merry Christmas and all the best to you in 2014!! Susan

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  45. Thank you for opening your house to us, Janet. Your house is beautiful and you have just the right amount of red cozy up your home (red has come back this year!) Merry Christmas to you and yours from upstate NY!
    Yuko @ northfield gate

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  46. Whoever commented seeing your home feels like a return visit to a friend, I agree! I love seeing your seasonal home changes. I believe I may be plunking a tiny tree in one of my urns next year! I love that idea. Anyway, Merry Christmas!

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  47. Janet,
    Can I clone you. I like your crazy calm Christmas.
    PvE

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  48. Janet,
    Can I clone you. I like your crazy calm Christmas.
    PvE

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  49. Merry Christmas! I LOVE the pillows. Blue and white with red is one of my favorite favorite combinations.

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  50. Dear God, I though I commented last night. Work has drained my brain.

    Merry Christmas my beautiful friend.

    Let's plan a trip to the East Coast for you in 2014!

    That would rock the new year.

    xo J

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  51. Janet -

    Merry Christmas. I too never get tired of your house. Thanks for sharing. I love the reminder to keep things simple and enjoy what we have. Thanks for your efforts. I know the blog is free for me and I love coming here for a quick pick me up. Thanks so much.

    Ann

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  52. Merry Christmas, Janet! I missed this post as I was busy cooking all day Christmas Eve. Your house looks gorgeous. I love the spare, natural decor. I smiled at your 'bar' as I do the same thing and put lovely bottles of booze out that I don't drink nor do I know what to do with lol. I love wine, myself.

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    Replies
    1. haha lisa, good to know i'm not alone. we're both suckers for pretty things. x

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  53. Janet, Just love your home and decor! Going to try your salad for lunch! Hope you had a lovely Christmas. xx Kim

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  54. Happy new year ! Your posts and house are lovely ! Thanks for sharing !

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  55. I agree with all above...I never tire of seeing your home photos nor the way you decorate. I learn something new from you every time you post. I just love your blog.
    My home is 1,095 square feet and I feel it's pretty minimalistic. I'm curious how 'big' your house is and how you decide what stays/what goes! would be a great topic for the January 'purge' we all seem to crave! Happy Holidays and keep blogging...

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    1. hi and thanks. the house is 970 sq ft. that is a good topic and i will try to write a post on it. thanks!

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  56. Love your copy of Moby Dick, looking forward to your resolutions post.

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  57. You've decorated beautifully your home for Christmas. You seemed to have many quests in the Christmas Eve. I hope you'll have a happy new year 2014!

    Greetings from Finland,
    Satu

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  58. Janet, your home is wonderful and your posts so thoughtful and full of inspiration. Loved your description of the "bar", how it came to be and what it contains. It made me laugh as you described it so well and also because I, too, don't know what to do with bitters and vermouth! Thanks for what you do and share.

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  59. But the red in that room really pops! Love those pillows...

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