Have a super-sparkly day!

Oh dear god. Have you seen this MasterCard commercial?

 

Every time I see it on TV I watch in baffled fascination, and I’ve realized something weird, crazy-

(shameful)

This commercial is the story of my life. Pure “Eau de Hannah Christiane”, in 30 eye-blistering seconds.

Not only am I obsessed with all things sparkly & glittery, PINK is also my favorite color. Basically, I am a princess/fairy/cupcake-loving 5-year-old, trapped in a woman’s body. It should come as no surprise to you that my Christmas decorations rely heavily upon glittery, sparkly things. If a North Pole elf got into Santa’s special punch and vomited sparkles & holiday cheer all over our house, we couldn’t possibly look more Christmas-y (you’re welcome for the mental picture). See for yourself!

The Tree

True story: before we set the tree up, Mark told me to get anything out of that closet that I might need during the next month. Let’s just say the living room is a little tight right now, and that door cannot open.

I tried really hard not to overdo it on decorations this year. You have no idea how hard “not overdoing it” is for someone whose idea of “normal” is OH MY GOD OH MY GOD PUT SPARKLES EVERYWHERE!!1!

This pic is out of focus, but I had to include it because LOOK AT THAT PUPPY SITTING THERE! Luke is one precious fluffball.

Our nativity scene. I keep thinking that I can DIY a stable, but never get around to it. How cool would it be to prop a chalkboard up where the mirror is right now and DRAW a stable & background with chalk?? I bought these pretty things from Avon of all places- and yes, up close, they sparkle:) The sparkly red paper star is from Marshalls, bought for $4 on Black Friday (blogged about here).

THE BABIES HAVE THEIR OWN STOCKINGS! I had to. I really did (and they were on sale at Kohls, so my conscience is clear). I’m going to stuff them with treats & toys and they will have a real Christmas if it kills me. It’s Luke & Leia’s first Christmas ever! I have to make it a good one. Since we use our fireplace during the winter, hanging these stockings over the mantle was out of the question. (I have yet to unearth my own stocking, but it will go up when I do!)

I stole this little santa hat from the creepiest decoration I’ve ever seen. It bedecked a partially de-stuffed, stoned looking snowman straddling a fake-snow-covered grapevine wreath. (the family member who bestowed upon me this psychotic bit o’cheer will go unnamed)

The Mantle

I think this is my prettiest mantle yet! (For a comparison, check out this photo from last year’s Christmas mantle. I was still trying to find my decorating style and went a little… crazy) The garland is pre-lit and came from Big Lots as part of a set.

The print is inspired by one I saw on Etsy. I designed it in Microsoft Paint and had it printed at Walgreens for $20.

That bottle is from some spiced wine we bought at our local wine shop. I love spiced ANYTHING (hot chocolate, cake, candles, etc.) so I just had to try it. The wine was a dud but I sure love the bottle!

The white ceramic vase is from Target, I talk about getting it here. The candlestick (actually both candlesticks on the mantle) I bought at Hobby Lobby last year for super-cheap! I filled the vase & candlestick with some gold sparkly ornaments.

The Kitchen

I bought this garland 2 years ago at Hobby Lobby’s after-Christmas sale for 90% off, I think I spent $6! I used command strips to hook attach it over the windows. The sparkly star ornaments are from TJ Maxx (I blog about them here). Everything else- ornaments, candles, etc. I had from previous years.

My mother-in-law recently gave me this 3-tiered centerpiece and I LOVE it! I piled the top two tiers with leftover ornaments, and the bottom one is keys, mail, etc.

Even Miss Piggy has been dressed up for the holidays! (I blogged about finding her here)

My favorite part of having decorations up is seeing them after dark. It is literally pitch black outside by 5:20PM, which is when I usually get home from work (what is WITH that?). I love turning on the Christmas lights, lighting a candle, and feeling festive & cozy.

After Dark

You don’t have to be a kid to still get excited over seeing a tree all lit up and sparkling.

Most of these ornaments came from Hobby Lobby in 2009, for our “first Christmas” after the wedding.

I’d love to pile presents under the tree to complete the picture, but those puppies would definitely open them before Christmas! I’ve already pulled bits of green plastic out of Luke’s mouth, I think it’s safe to say that he thinks our tree is edible. Which it is obviously not.

What do you think of my cozy crooked cottage, all decked out in its festive best? Have you had the time to decorate your own cozy home yet? I went around the house and hung random ornaments in bathrooms, closets, utensils racks, etc. and we have a mini-tree in our bedroom, but the kitchen & living room received the majority of my explosion of holiday sparkles. To quote The Hubs, “this is the most good-looking tree we’ve ever had!” (I knew I kept him around for a reason:P)

xo,