This will be our first Christmas at the ranch. The holiday season has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love the energy and feelings that fill the home during the month of December. It’s a wonderfully busy month, full of delicious celebrations and beautiful décor.
While living in Florida, I knew exactly where to place each decoration. Everybody had a spot. Some items had taken up their place of residency for years. This year was going to be different though. Nobody had a spot. This was my first time decorating the ranch. I was excited and anxious at the same time.
Many people will admit that before even closing on a new home, they already know where the Christmas tree will go. I can walk into most strangers’ homes, and know where I would put the Christmas tree. This was different though. At the ranch, I honestly didn’t know. The house openly spans from one end to the other, with few walls along the way. Finding the perfect spot for everything, especially the tree, was going to be a challenge.
We started by trying it in several spots. This was quite an adventure dragging it around the house. We finally settled on a spot near the french door entrance. The tree stands directly in front of a window. It is also visible from most areas of the house, making it a worthy spot. Let’s be honest: It’s an honor to be the window or corner of the house who gets the Christmas tree!
We have several smaller trees, along with our bigger one, that also needed homes. We decided to frame our front entranceway with two pencil trees. We put our medium sized tree in the dining room. This tree is very special. We refer to it as our “Travel Tree.” We collect ornaments whenever we travel. The tree serves as a happy reminder of all the wonderful vacations and places we have been lucky enough to visit. We also have an obsession with macaron cookies, and always stop at a bakery that specializes in them everywhere we visit. I (crazily) keep the boxes. We put these boxes under the travel tree, each year. The boxes resemble presents, and often spark conversations. Even the tree’s skirt has a story: It was a blanket we used to go on a picnic while we were in Paris. It’s a very special tree. It was the perfect tree to go in our dining room…so many wonderful memories and stories, in one of my favorite rooms. Perfect.
The farmhouse at the ranch is lined with windows. I love wreaths on windows, but I wasn’t quite sure if it would be too much to put a wreath on each set of windows. Well, I tried it, and I loved it so much that I decided to put the wreaths on both the inside and outside of the house so they were visible from both places. This was a lot of wreaths, but luckily I found them for $3 each at Walmart! I think in total we used 24 wreaths.
I love the classic look of garland, and there is no shortage of it in my decor this year! It’s draped throughout the house, above the windows, kitchen, and breakfast nook. We framed an archway in the dining room with it, and used all the leftover pieces for the barn.
Yes, we definitely decorated the barn! We hung garland and wreaths above the stables and from the hayloft. I anticipate a barn tree at some point in the future. The barn and the animals in it are a part of our home and family. Decorating it was a must. It is a fitting setting for Christmas decor. When you look at a Nativity display during Christmas it sparks a special feeling. This is what I think of when I see the straw-filled floors of the barn decorated for Christmas.
The barn was decorated and the trees and wreaths placed throughout the house, but we still needed little décor items to tie it all together. This is where my Aunt Theresa came to the rescue. Growing up, she always had her house done up like the “pages of Better Homes and Gardens” (as my mom used to say). Maybe this is where I got my love for home decor from? She sent two large boxes full of beautiful farm-themed Christmas decorations. It took me awhile, but eventually every item had a spot.
Everything was nearly perfect, except one last detail: The Poinsettias.
This is a very special part of Christmas for me. My father loved poinsettias. Growing up, he would buy one every time he went to a store in December. By the time New Years came, our house was full of the vibrant red flowers. The first Christmas after he passed, Nick surprised me by filling our home with them. It was so special and meaningful that I decided to continue the tradition every year. I buy as many as I can, and get more throughout the month. I think of my dad every time I look at them.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of all the holiday decor, and that you have a wonderful holiday season. It’s easy to get caught up in the gifts, but I can promise you, it will always be the moments spent watching holiday movies, baking cookies and laughing around the tree that you remember.
Merry Christmas.
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