A Yuletide House Tour

Hello, dear friends.  I've got an early Christmas present for you today.  It is a heavenly house tour, compliments of my friend Jennifer.

Jennifer has been a reader of this blog since the early days.  We have been corresponding over the years, and I even did a holiday house tour a few years ago.  I have followed her on Instagram where she provides my daily dose of eye candy.  

Last week, I dropped Jennifer a note and begged asked her if she would be interested in doing another house tour and lucky for us, she said yes.  

Without further adieu, I present my friend, Jennifer.

How fun to be back on Katie's wonderful blog with another little Holiday Home Tour. Our last home tour highlighted our first southern Christmas spent in our new home in Davidson, NC. We are now very happily ensconced in our new community and ready for our 5th Carolina Christmas! I am always more than ready to hit the attic and throw open our boxes of Carolers, Nutcrackers, Ornaments, and Ribbon, all of which seem to have a story and a memory attached, and get to work dressing up our home up for the holidays. 

 As luck would have it, we had a rare early December snowstorm just as the decorations were going up- perfect for us given that all of our previous Christmases were New England, Northeastern and Midwestern ones and usually snowy! Katie recently visited our old hometown of Madison, CT - a picturesque little New England spot on the Long Island Sound and the scene of some of our happiest holidays when our kiddos were little.  

Our new hometown of Davidson, NC feels very much like a southern Madison to us..... all of the charm, but just a little warmer and on a large lake vs. the sea! No one was happier about the December snow than our big, lovable Golden Retriever, Sully, who you will see loved getting in on all of the decorating action and seems to make an appearance in almost every picture.

We have found the Carolinas to be very friendly and welcoming, and love entertaining our friends and neighbors over the holidays here.  Those "little ones" in Connecticut are now in their twenties and living in nearby Charlotte, and are great helpers with our holiday gatherings and enjoy mixing their fun friends in with our other guests.

Our decorations are very traditional - and include well-loved collections of Carolers, Nutcrackers and anything plaid!  I use tons of cheery red tartan ribbon, with plump red berries tucked in. Because we love blue in our home, I also tuck artificial blueberries into the tree, mantle, and arrangements around the house. 

We set the table with Christmas dishes received Christmas #1 of our marriage, and I have a hard time resisting adding new pieces to the mix. Like Katie, I am a total Home Goods junkie and have found way too many "treasures" to add to my Christmas stash. 

Our upstairs den has taken on a bit of a woodland theme - and now everywhere I go I seem to find yet another big Christmas moose, bear or deer!! Seriously.... how many Christmas animals can one crazy lady bring home!

Another wonderful tradition in our town is an annual early December three day celebration called "Christmas in Davidson". Truly, "Christmas in Davidson" is one of the cutest small town events I have ever been a part of ....... picture Carolers, Nativities, Nutcracker Ballet Dancers, Handbell Choirs, Gospel Singers in the local barbershop, Hot Chocolate and Cookies served in the local shops, and an amazing Musical Gala held at beautiful Davidson College, and  that is "Christmas in Davidson". The weekend culminates in a huge parade down Main Street chocked full of Clydesdales, Cub Scouts, bands and shiny firetrucks. 

We hope that wherever you are celebrating the holidays, that yours are filled with joy and all of the people and things that bring you great happiness!

Thank you, dear Jennifer, for the wonderful tour of your breathtaking home and your lovely town.

By the way, sweet Sully has his own Instagram. 

Are you still stumped for a gift idea?

My gift guides can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.

Until next time...

Cookie

Jennifer's fur baby that passed away 2 years ago

Linked up with:

Silver Pennies Sunday
Sundays at Home
Amaze Me Monday