Porch #121 🏠 Christmas at Home

an ode to vintage ornaments, fake trees, a simple winter mantle, and 5 holiday guardrails

Dec 07, 2023

Hey friends, welcome home!

Our new fake Christmas tree arrived in its brown box a few days ago and as I began the soothing task of fluffing up her flattened branches, I caught myself smiling. Christmas had made its way to Log Cabin Road.

The slim 7’ beauty slipped right into the little nook between sofa’s edge and the nearby wall. The living room’s a cozy one and there was no point in trying to wedge a hefty tree into a tight spot.

We did that far too often in our first little house and it was never a good look.

This is the first time in forever that I’ve decorated only with Grandma’s fragile ornaments. To unpack these ancient beauties from their disintegrating gray boxes turned out to be an act of love that brought back happy memories of those who treasured these Christmas decorations through the 1900s.

I’d like to think Grandma would have been pleased although in reality she would have been shaking her head and tsk-tsking in horror over the possibility of a fake tree. And she certainly would have wanted to fatten up this skinny one ‘cause it bears no resemblance to the freshly chopped evergreens bought off the lot in Queens generations ago.

I lopped off some branches of a blue spruce in the back yard and tucked clusters of the blue-berried evergreen into the tree’s odd gaps to bring a bit of fullness, scent, and texture. And then headed over to the mantle and intertwined wooden cranberry beads, more blue spruce, and gingerbread people on either side of my favorite rabbits-at-the-tree-farm canvas.

And then called it a day.

As you set up your own Christmas home, may I offer you some encouraging guardrails to keep you from going off the deep end in these next few demanding weeks?

🕯️ Take the pressure off yourself to replicate past Christmases in decorating, menus, activities, gift-giving. There’s no Christmas police and memories and traditions can be daunting, overwhelming taskmasters. Choose to do what serves you and your family well in this season. Repeatedly looking back to the ‘good old days’ keeps us from fully appreciating where we are now.

🕯️ Keep it simple. Last time I checked, Martha Stewart doesn’t plan to visit any of our homes. Pull out only the things you absolutely love from your Christmas storage bins. Bake one kind of cookie. Have a signature gift to give to everyone (I’m helping you shop). Let your ‘yes be yes and your no be no’ to any and all requests, invitations, and command performances.

🕯️ Pace yourself. No need to knock yourself out in one marathon decorating, baking, or wrapping sprint. Just taking care of a few things at a time helps us to better enjoy the journey and not get overwhelmed by the sheer number of objects/tasks/ideas in front of us.

🕯️ House Rules podcast is an absolutely delightful podcast from my home muse, Myquillyn (The Nester) Smith. These short and sweet offerings are the perfect guide to simplifying your life right now and forevermore. Enjoy these episodes over the next few days as you’re driving, working in the kitchen, or readying your home. They’ll make a huge difference in how you’ll do this Christmas. Promise me you’ll listen, ok?
10: Hosting Part One: The Mood & The Food

11: Hosting Part Two: The People

12: The Secret to Simple Christmas Decor

13: How to Decorate for Christmas Like a Cozy Minimalist

🕯️ And this is the music that’s keeping us company during his after work nap, quiet suppertimes, and my jigsaw puzzling into the wee hours …

What’s happening ‘round your house this week? Tell us what you’re doing to keep things calm and bright …
Linda

Porch #121 🏠 Christmas at Home

an ode to vintage ornaments, fake trees, a simple winter mantle, and 5 holiday guardrails

Hey friends, welcome home!

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