Hi friends! Wow.. it has been a little bit since I have written! I didn’t mean to go such a long time without posting, but life got so busy with work (#SLPstruggle) that I had to put this on the back burner momentarily. But, I am back and ready to jump into Christmas with you guys!! Today, I am going to be sharing some Christmas planning as well as some recent thoughts Jesus has placed on my heart!
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Christmas Planning: Where We Started
6 months ago, we purchased our first home.
Prior to buying our house, we lived in two different studio apartments. Our very first apartment was around 400 square feet. It was teeny tiny, and we were so incredibly tight on money that we ending up reusing a tabletop tree and leftover decorations I had from my college dorm as our decor.
I will say I can’t help but smile as I type that out and think back on that time in our lives because, regardless of how little we had, it was the sweetest first Christmas as a married couple. I can look back and truly see how far Jesus has brought us. It is such a reminder of how blessed we are now to have a home that is ours!
The second apartment we lived in was still a studio apartment, but it was double the size as the first. We had a little extra money that year, so I purchased a 6 foot, flocked Christmas tree from Walmart. It is such a pretty tree if you are looking for one on a budget.
Here is how I styled it in our apartment.
Christmas Planning: Where We are Headed
When we moved into this home, I sold a majority of my Christmas decor because I really wanted to start from scratch and see what style fit our new space.
The last few Christmases I have went with a traditional red and green theme with pops of farmhouse style. This year, I want a more vintage and old fashioned Christmas, something that is organic and classic. I still want it to be cozy and focused on the real meaning of Christmas- Jesus’s birth! So, the nativity is going to obviously be a major focal point in my decor.
Christmas Planning: Organic Nativity Theme
I LOVED Sharrah’s Christmas decor this year. She had the exact feel that I am going for, and she nailed it as always.
She used this nativity star from Hobby Lobby as her tree topper.
When I saw it, I knew it was the perfect one for me as well. I’ve been on the hunt for one, and this one is absolutely stunning. (FYI- it isn’t an actual tree topper, but rather a wall hanger. If you go look in store, it won’t be with the other tree toppers.)
This print is also something I picked up while at Hobby Lobby. I thought it was a simple yet sweet reminder of Jesus and His birth, and it would look beautiful styled inside of my living room builtins.
As far as nativity sets go, I have this Willow Tree set that my mom purchased for me last year. I collect Willow Tree, and it was SO special and sweet that she purchased it for me.
If you are looking for one that is less expensive but has the same feel and style as Willow Tree, this one and this one are super sweet and affordable!
Also, this nativity set is too sweet. I received it as a gift from one of my supervisors in graduate school. It holds such a sweet memory!
If you can’t afford any of these, the thrift store normally has a bunch of nativity sets around Christmas. I have 3 or 4 sets that I thrifted to use in various rooms of my home, and I didn’t pay but a couple of dollars for them.
Christmas Planning: Christmas Trees
Since I decided to go with an organic and vintage theme, I toyed with the idea of getting a real tree. However, I struggle to keep indoor plants alive.. so I settled for an artificial one with feel-real branches.
I loooovvvveeee this one from Balsam Hill. I simply couldn’t justify the price.
I think purchasing a Christmas tree is an investment, so I am okay with spending some money on it. I mean I hope to have it for a very long time! But, even then, I still couldn’t bring myself to pay $800 for it..
So.. I set out on a search to find a similar tree that was more affordable. That’s when I stumbled across this one! The pictures do not do it justice. It is very wide and tall and is absolutely stunning. I love the real touch tips!
It still has a hefty price tag but was less than half the price of the Balsam Hill one. If you are considering purchasing it on Amazon, watch the price because it will fluctuate.
I bought the 7.5 feet tall one since we have taller ceilings in our home, and I purchased it unlit. I didn’t want to run the risk of the lights quitting 10 years down the road and being unable to take them off of the tree.
I ended up also purchasing a small tree for the dining room. I wanted a sparse tree to put all of our sentimental ornaments we pick up from various holidays and trips (a family tradition). This one is pre lit with feel-real tips. So far, I love it! I may even pick up another one at the end of the season to have for our master bedroom next Christmas!
Christmas Planning: Lights
I decided on incandescent bulbs this year since they feel much more cozy and vintage to me than LEDs. Plus, these are super affordable at Home Depot.
Christmas Planning: Garland and Wreaths
Last year, I decided to create my own garland for my mantel. I was inspired by Andrea’s garland from Pine and Prospect Home.
I wanted a garland that looked real and full to use for many years as a focal point in my home for the holidays. I found this garland at hobby lobby last year for $25. That is what I used as my base. From there, I added some pine picks that I cut from a thrift store garland and some cedar picks that I cut from some discounted swags from Joann. I attached them using floral wire and then I added pinecones from outside to fill it in more.
This year, I picked up 4 of these garlands from Walmart. They are such a score for $15, and they are 9 feet long. Many bloggers raved about them last year, and I thought I could fill them in some using real cedar from outside. I love that they aren’t the traditional pine needle tips, but they are PVC needles that look real.
Also, I stumbled across these garlands from Kirklands. I picked up 3 since they were only $20 a piece at the time I was purchasing. They look just like the pine afloral garland that is extremely popular and is $60 a piece!
These wreaths are the same brand as the garland from Walmart. I snagged 2 of them to use on my doors this year. I plan on filling them some with real cedar branches too.
Christmas Planning: Accessories
Noah bells are very trendy this year! I love how vintage they look. I really wanted some; however, I couldn’t find any that were inexpensive.
Then I found this this garland from Hobby Lobby, and I plan on using my rub n buff to make them look like antique brass.
For a tree skirt, I picked a light wicker one in store at Hobby Lobby.
I love one from Balsam Hill one but couldn’t justify the $170 price tag. This is totally the look for less!
Lastly, a few other things that I picked up or thrifted for this year:
Mercury Glass Ornaments- I love thrifting these!
Brass Candle Holders
I hope you guys enjoyed today’s post and found plenty of inspiration for the upcoming holiday season! I hope this post also shows you guys that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a beautiful Christmas!!
What colors/style are you decorating with this year? Leave a comment down below!