Christmas Story Home Tour

Nothing says a good, old fashioned, family Christmas quite like a Christmas Story Home Tour. Don’t worry we didn’t shoot our eye out!

Hello friends glad you could join us this year for our Christmas Story Home Tour. Let me just start by saying we had so much fun decorating this year. Mainly because this holiday classic movie is one of my husband’s favorites, so we might have gone a bit overboard, much in the way I love the Grinch! As you can see, we went super basic on the lights this year trying to keep with the time period, but still lighting up the house. We used all white net light for the shrubs to give the effect of snow, and since I love the double tree effect on the porch last year so much, I keep them but added vintage colorful lights. I also found these cute vintage snow mold style reindeer at Cracker Barrel while out to breakfast with a friend back in October and I had to buy them. They were just too darling to pass up, besides we love Rudolph big time too and they have a vintage feel as well.I did a basic front door wreath, which I added in these pretty copper belles I also found at the same time at Cracker Barrel, go figure! This wreath matches all of the window wreaths on the rest on the house, with the exception to the two new window eyebrows I made for the feature windows, so it would not block the leg lamp and tree. They were designed to arch over the windows like a storefront so you could peer in during the season, because you never know what you might see, lol! What is that? Could it be a pink nightmare checking out the electric sex in the window? Maybe that bunny is lurking around the tree looking for his presents? You just never know where he might be this holiday season.He could be out on the front porch checking out the super easy to build handmade “fragile-e”crate that we built and attached to our hand truck as some unique holiday decor. Yes, we built this, but I am sure as I am posting it here there are knock-offs being created right now that you can buy for some ridiculous price! Seriously it was some pallet wood and 30 minutes of time, not rocket science people. If you pay someone to build it for you, just like Ralphie, you will total deserve a 30-minute sucking of Lifebuoy. We have the stinky original, if you need a taste. This fun vintage find came with the actual soap still wrapped in the original paper and makes a great prop for this room. I actually leave the soap out year-round since this is our Ralphy’s room. Yes, he was named after the Ralphie from Christmas story, I just preferred to spell it differently, it was just cuter with a Y. While I have wanted to do this theme for a while, after his passing last year, it was just too soon. So, when they released “Ralphie Goes Home” this year I took it as my sign.  You can see in his reflection the tree is just on the other side of the room. I love that I used all multi colored ornaments this year, in all different sizes along with my vintage popcorn garland.  I loaded the tree up with ornaments since this is my negative space tree. I love how it looks with all the ornaments, and a lack of greenery. Which is very appropriate for the 1940’s-time frame. It almost has a Charlie Brown tree vibe, maybe next year, right? Across the room, the mantle has a matching garland filled with popcorn garland and ornaments. I used a few of vintage elves hidden across the mantle, which nowadays look similar to elf on a shelf. Which is so funny, because as a kid these were just decorations. Not weird little spy elves that parents made up a story to make their kids behave, I guess whatever works, right? Lastly are our vintage stockings that are officially 25 years old this year and still look pretty good!          The rest of the house may not really say a Christmas Story per say, but I will go ahead a give you a quick walk through of the rest of the trees, since we always put up 8 total, counting the 2 on the porch. You have seen the 3 so far, so 5 more to go!Everyone always loves our giant 20 foot tree in the great room. This year we added a few things into the mix like the handmade tree box Ron built to fit the base. Which matches the new custom built chairs nicely. I am calling this tree the Green Giant this year, since I went with all green decor and lights as well, which I will cover in my Lighting post later on in the season since that was a big part of theme this year. Also I thought Green Giant was funny since in Christmas Story there was the entire scene around the kitchen table with the meatloaf and green beans where Randy eats like a “little piggy”. Plus, I was really loving my green tree from last year, and not feeling particularly inspired, after talking to another blogger friend she advised me to shop my own ideas from previous years, like everyone else does, and just reinvent myself, lol! Thanks Amy you are the best. Next stop is the Owner’s suite, and you all know how I love to sleep under the Christmas tree lights. This was again the first tree up. I went with colors of Life Buoy soap for this tree mostly red with that lovely pecan after taste. I love how it looks with our new fireplace and hearth this year! Such a great add to our home to have a fireplace in every room! I went back with a silver sage and red theme this year to match a Christmas quilt we already have, but love to snuggle up in every holiday. Again nothing beats those DIY barn door shutters we added to our space, they block out all of the cold and light bleed from those festive holidays lights, making your bedroom quiet and cozy year round. Heading over to our guest rooms, because everyone deserves their own tree! The woodland room got decked out in navy, gold & red this year. We also added a nod to America with a frosty flocked tree, faux bear skin pillows and tree skirt all keeping with the woodland vibe for our Red Rider themed room. I am you could very well shoot your eye kidThe twin room got a smaller slim tree in tones of salmon, burgundy and copper. You may even spy the treat master sack on this tree as he will get filled up for our guests arrivals with nightly snacks in his Santa sack! This was a new tree, to match the new guest bedding update done this fall in all of the spice tones. It makes me think of the family dinner at Bo Ling’s from the Christmas Story, which is actually a tradition in my family to eat chinese food every Christmas Eve from our favorite restaurant Jade Dragon and have been doing it since I was kid. Peking Duck is always on the menu by the way; because it smiles and smiling is our favorite!Last but not least is my Charity Angel tree, with my own Christmas story for this season. She was not really planned to go into the house this year, but I found a place for at our table, as we always do. Where we are serving up Mom’s Meatloaf and tall glasses of Ovaltine, to fill your bellies. Please know that I do not mean for this story to be a downer but I was so heartbroken after this experience I felt like I needed to share it.I was actually going to donate her the tree above, to one of my favorite charities to hopefully raise money for a good cause. Fully decorated, with all the lights, and ribbon. Since I have done several Festival of Tree donation in past I figured why take it directly to a charitable donation site “as is”. I brought her to the donation site and I was turned down for two reasons; they had “too much Christmas” and she had no box. This happened at two different charities, one of which was no surprise as I have heard horror stories, but the other I always donate too but recently have seen a dumpster filled with furniture and other donations near the drop off site. Now I am not trying to be arrogant, but this was a professionally decorated tree that I have been offered cash for, from buyers. However the charities did not want it? I was seriously discouraged, to say the least. So I ask, “why is it that our charities are so broken?” I decided to walk inside to see what the “overload of Christmas” looked like,  this store was filled with things that were not of this caliber at all, sadly it was mostly what I would consider junk. So I have decided to keep her as a reminder to me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sorry if this story is a downer, but I felt I needed to share it, because this is the time of year we are all trying to donate whether it be our time, energy or money but it appears that the broken system has gotten worse.

Update- I decided to give my favorite charity one last donate of clothing this season, since that was thee request last time I was there. I asked again about the Christmas donations, and sited this very article. I was told they were indeed taking Christmas, and I must stopped in on a day when they had volunteers fulfilling their “court ordered community service” (which I did  not know) and not the regular staff. So bare this in mind when you are trying to do good, others are just paying their debt to society clearly with a chip on their shoulder and breaking the system.  

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Did you love this post? Want to see more of my Christmas Home Tours? Well check out the Tours of Christmas Past, here:

Christmas Holiday Home Tour

Home for Holidays Home Tour

Vintage Christmas Home Tour

Christmas Home Tour 2018

Home for The Holidays: Christmas Home Tour