Christmas Lite

Biscuit supervises the Christmas decorating

This year, I've decided to go very light-handed with the Christmas decor. I'm growing increasingly fond of a spare look and with work being so busy, I really haven't had time for much fuss!

Above is our beautiful tree.  We got a beauty this year, tall with a lovely shape, and have it decorated with our collection of miscellaneous ornaments.  I would prefer white lights but David likes the colours, and honestly, I don't mind them.  It really is pretty, and it suits the tree, with its multi-coloured, collected-over-time ornaments. 

Below is the sideboard...I'm getting boughs for the basket on the weekend. I switched out one of the framed prints for a Christmas scene (right) and added my sparkly glass garland across the front.  I've had a little faux boxwood wreath on the mirror for a while now and I'm fond of its simplicity.  But this scene needs something more...any suggestions?:

Here is a close-up of the winter print (below).  I wish it was a vertical, but it will suffice.  I love changing out my art seasonally.  I'm starting a picture framing class at a local art college in February and cannot wait to start framing my own prints in some of my collected antique frames.

Below is my little counter-top tree where I get to have white lights.  I used two sets of my sparkly glass garland and little felt decorations mailed from a Swedish friend.  There are also little birds in nests here and there.  In this picture, you can see my new brown drapery panels from Restoration Hardware, flanking the bay window:

We have a very beautiful china cabinet (my favorite furniture item in the house).   I decorated it with a little "D" that I bought for one of David's Christmas presents last year.  Inside are the boxes from my recent giveaway.  I would love to put tiny lights inside this cabinet, but need something with a battery pack as there is no hole for an electrical cord:

I decorated my console table (below) with more sparkly garland and a bowl of pears. Pears make very inexpensive decor and they look great.  Sitting in the sun, the pears ripened beautifully and we've been eating them all week. I started with a bag of two dozen, moving them daily from my cold room to the bowl, and this is what's left!:

On the weekend, I did a little photo shoot with my favorite model, my cat Biscuit.  He really enjoys having his photo taken and is quite vain.  In the foreground is a hurricane with a white candle inside.  I love these and have them all over the house.  I shall never tire of this look.  You can see our Christmas tree reflected in the mirror.  My new drapes match my lampshade:

Usually I splurge on a boxwood wreath for the front door (below).  I say splurge because boxwood doesn't grown here as abundantly as in Eastern Canada, so it's expensive here at Christmas.  But this year, I decided on a local fir wreath instead.  It smells great and reminds me of the Maritimes where I grew up, where our house was surrounded with these trees! 

Hope you've enjoyed a little tour of my simple Christmas decor for this year.  Have you simplified this year or doubled your decor??