Hey there!  We’ve almost made it to Friday.  Yippee!  Today I am sharing the Christmas decor in the foyer with you!

My in-laws have a formal entryway, which I love.  Isn’t the tile pretty?  This year my mom-in-law wanted drama in the foyer, and that flocked tree gives us just that!

 We’ll call this our white/silver/crystal vignette, okay?  🙂  I love themed trees, don’t you?

 Isn’t that Santa cute?  He looks like he belongs in a Christmas movie!  Or at least a colder part of the country.  😉  That string of little lights is so cool, too — I think they are from Target?

 I asked my mother-in-law where she got that cool snowglobe, and she said it was one of those free Hallmark give-away things ages ago.  It is battery-operated on that stand, and the snow flurries all on its own.

I have seen these pretty boxes all over different blogs this past week!  I think these are Target, too.

Here’s everything all lit up.  🙂  Such a pretty way to enter into the house.

Many of you may know all about the age-old tradition of placing an orange in a stocking for Christmas morning.  Some of you may even know from personal experience!

Style At Home

I can’t say that this has ever been a tradition in my family.  But after a liiittle bit of digging online, I found some explanations for why and how this custom began.

Poppytalk

One theory for this tradition is that during the Great Depression, little luxuries, sweets, etc. were difficult to come by.  So a treat like a luscious orange or even some nuts was a welcome surprise.

Christmas Season

Also, have you heard the story of Saint Nicholas?  No, not Santa Claus, but Saint Nicholas.  He was a man long ago who inherited lots of money, spent his life helping others, and eventually became a bishop.  There is a story that he once helped a poor man who could not find anyone for his daughters to marry because they did not have a dowry!  According to this tale, Saint Nicholas went to the man’s house and lobbed three sacks of gold down his chimney.  And lo and behold, guess where they landed…

Camille Styles

Well, their stockings, of course!  Which means that today, the orange that is in your stocking or mine represents that generous sack of gold.

Southern Living

These days you can find an orange anywhere.  But did you know that there was a time when oranges were scarce?  Imagine what a treat it must have been to find a rare fruit in your stocking!  Especially at Christmas.  🙂

BHG

The theory I love most is simple and sweet — just like the fruit itself.  It is that the orange segments represent the importance and your ability to share the things you have with others during this beautiful season of giving.

After all, isn’t that what this time of year is all about?

I love Etsy for many reasons.  A lot of the little decorating pieces and paper products we used for our wedding were things that I purchased from Etsy, and there was not one thing that I received that wasn’t as awesome (or even more awesome) than what was pictured online.  And if ever you are just bored or find yourself with extra time on your hands, perusing Etsy is a fun little thing to do.  There are so many interesting, beautiful, and downright hilarious things to sift through — it’s a fun event in itself!

During one of my Etsy escapades yesterday, I found some neat-o stuff that I thought I’d share with you today, in case you are looking for a gift…  😉  Because it is December 1st, and the holiday gift-shopping frenzy is upon us!

Custom Portraits by PrintableWallStory

If you search for ‘Custom Family Portrait’ on Etsy, believe me, a lot comes up.  I looked at a bunch of different portrait renditions, and this style from PrintableWallStory was my favorite.  To me, these portraits more than any of the others capture the essence of a family.  And can I just say I love the hipster dad?  🙂

Personalized Lego Trays by FreestyleMom

When I see these Lego Trays, I think about my little brother (who is not so little anymore) and how much he would have liked one of these when he was a kid.  Added bonus is the personalization of the name — I am a sucker for anything with any sort of monogram.  I love the rustic wood edge of these.  They are cool to look at!

Lily Pulitzer Charger Decal by TheGatorbug

What did I tell you about the monogram obsession I have?  I am a firm believer that it’s the little things in life that make life beautiful (how’s that for cheese-ball-y?) and thus little things like this just make me happy.  I mean, why can’t your iPhone/iGadget charger be pretty?  Tell me why not?  This girl clearly gets it.  This is the perfect stocking stuffer, and there are plenty of patterns/styles to choose from.  Plus, it is $6.  What?!?!  🙂

Bibliophilia Literary Post Cards by ObviousState

These are so cool and perfect for your book-loving friend/family member.  Each post card has a quote by an author with a beautiful design.  There are 100 post cards in total, with 50 unique designs.  The 50 designs are doubled — so that you have one to give away, and one to potentially keep for yourself.  Think of the college English majors that would loooove this.  Oh, yeah.

Computer Accessories by Laa766

Again with the mantra…”It all can be pretty.”  This chick knows where it’s at.  Keyboard and wrist rests, mouse pads — all with fun colors and patterns.  You can purchase one of these items or a combination.  I love this idea for friends and co-workers.  What a nice way to spruce up a colleague’s desk!

Organic Wooden Toy Truck by BannorToys

Lol.  Someone needs to pose a monogram intervention, okay?  But really, these are so cute and I think my future child needs one.  My hypothetical future child.  These toys are finished with natural beeswax/flaxseed oil so if they get chomped on, they are soft.

Desk Office Organizer by TheOfficeChic

I have issues.  But tell me this thing isn’t cool!  It’s sleek and modern, and I love that cork bottom.  Great for any office — corporate or home.  Male or female!  Young or old!

Signature Plate Bangle by ScriptedJewelry

Much like the custom family portraits, there are a lot of these signature jewelry pieces out there right now.  This particular one is, to me, the prettiest that I have found.  I love how delicate it is, and I just really like the wire-work.  This is a beautiful and sentimental gift.  I would love to take something my grandmother wrote to me in a card and have this made for me.  She cannot really write anymore and I think that we all have stories like this, someone in our lives who means a lot to us, and wouldn’t it be nice to wear a piece of them always?

Push Pin Travel Map by TheMapLab

I have a couple of friends who like to travel, and this is a very cool map because not only is it perfect for push pins to mark where one has been, but the finish on the countries and places scratch off so that you can clear the brown color when you have been somewhere.  This is a gift that is a constant work-in-progress and something you have forever.  I love that!

While checking out all of this fun loot, I saw a bunch of funny cards that I thought deserved a spot in this post, too.  Most of these are wildly inappropriate for this season, but I just can’t help myself.

by JulieAnnArt

…But really?  I mean…does anyone know?

by SEASandPEAS

This is terrible.  But also terribly good.

by HenPenPaperCo

I just think that this adequately captures most everyone’s decorating sentiment this time of year.

by PabloPanda

Even if you are like me, and totally uncool, and do not know a single Drake song by name, you cannot deny that this is funny.

by TurtlesSoup

And finally, for my Game of Thrones-loving husband, the ultimate Christmas card.  This says everything he needs it to say.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!  Ours was very relaxed, which was great because I felt ready to face the week in a big way this morning.  I love when I can come upon a Monday that way!  🙂

Christmas decor is up and it really has made this time of year real for me.  I feel like the second half of this year has just gone by so quickly…  I am looking forward to trying to slow my pace a little bit and try to really savor this season.  It is my favorite, after all.

I tried my hand at an Editorial Calendar for the month of December — basically scheduling myself for posts each day and giving myself ideas for what to include on the blog this month.  Wish me luck!  I have not ever really created a guide like that for myself, so we will see if it helps me stick to posting once a day.

Peppered in amongst other holiday and non-holiday related posts will be posts about our Christmas decor.  I hope you enjoy it!  We are still at my in-laws’ home so the decor does not disappoint around here.  It seems that every vignette my mother-in-law creates is magical and stunning.  She is amazing.

Sharing just a couple of simple scenes today of our outdoor spaces.

 A pretty wreath welcomes you at the front door.  This thing is giant!

Greenery and a sprig of berries make this little end table Christmas-y.

 Decorating during this season is all about layering.  That silver tray is perfect for morning coffee, books, or tablets — and can you spot those blankets on the chair to the right?  I brought those out there for anyone brave enough to sit outside on a cold morning.

 And back-tracking a little bit… When you’re heading out to the patio, this cute little rug is there to greet you and warm your feet.