Virtual Home Tour-part 1!

Welcome to the third annual Magical Holiday Home Virtual Holiday Home Tour!! Since I have lots and lots of pictures to show you this year, I decided to break the tour of my home down into several days. Today I'm just keeping it brief and simple, showing you some of my living room decorations. Later in the week you'll see the outside, the kitchen and the master suite, along with a few odds and ends from other parts of the house.

So, welcome to my home! Would you like a cup of cider? It's awfully cold outside today!

As you step through the front door look to your left. This is my solution for all the holiday cards we receive. I never had a good way to display them, so this year I got creative! I used a picture frame that Lynn made! Yes, made. And he even custom blended the paint for me! I used a piece of foam core, covered it with wrapping paper and put it in the frame, then hung the frame on the wall! I just tape the cards on. I tried pushpins, but they made the card fronts stick out, so I used tape.

This is the mantle. Before you say anything, I do not like this mirror with it...and hopefully will be replacing it soon. I'll post new pictures when I do, but I didn't want you thinking I didn't have anything on the mantle!

The candles are from the Dollar Tree and are just the right size to group. The glass jars on either side are also dollar store finds. I have lots of pieces like these in my decorating closet. They are so handy for candles, ornaments or whatever strikes your fancy to put in them! I added purple to my red and gold on the big tree, and these purple ornaments with gold glitter were perfect. I have several on the tree as well.

The trees on either side of the mantle are faux trees placed in a flowerpot which I wrapped in muslin and tied with seam binding tape. I copied Lidy's mantle from French Garden House! Hers is much prettier, but I think mine looks pretty good! Lidy used rosemary topiaries, but I made a decision this year to "use what I have" and didn't want to purchase rosemary, although I would love to have one! Also, I added glitter to my pinecones, which Benjie and Jonah picked up for me. You can get a little glimpse of my Dept. 56 Original Snow Village on the right of the mantle. You'll be seeing details of it later in the week.

Here's the overall picture of the tree. It's faux, 9' tall and big! It takes up a big part of the living room, but I LOVE it! My precious friend Phyllis gave it to me. Remember her house from this post? (You have to scroll down a little to see it..it's worth it!). Thanks honey!

A little message for the holidays...see the purple beaded garland?

Santa and Frosty, together again! This is a glass ornament that I got at a Bunco ornament exchange a couple of years ago. Love it!

And the gold glittered hydrangea from the sneak peek post!

Come back tomorrow for more! And check out the links below for lots of holiday pretties!!

If you are participating in the tour, be sure to link your POST url and not your general blog. That way, anyone who drops by later this week can find your tour post! Mcklinky will be open until midnight on the 15th!