This year is our first Christmas as a married couple. Our first Coughlin Christmas is certainly one to be joyful about. We are starting new traditions and keeping some of the old. And with new traditions, come new ways to decorate for the season, for our home, our Christmas as Maria & Andrew Coughlin.
My goal this season was to decorate our house simply. It's so easy to get caught up in all the commercials, the ads and truly believe that you NEED lots and lots of decorations and things for your house to feel like Christmas.
In reality, you just need a few simple, classic pieces that will put you in the spirit. I got a lot of my inspiration this year from my Christmas Pinterest board, various blogs and my backyard. I didn't buy much to decorate, I just used what we had and added a few pieces from the yard (or my neighbors!) to spruce it up.
We visited Clarks Christmas Tree Farm in Little Compton for the second year in a row. We picked out this 5 foot beauty and brought her home. After a long day of sanding sheetrock, we decked the hauls and decorated the tree. The first ornament up? Our new married ornament! Thanks Mom!
One of my favorite things about the month of December is going to the mailbox to see what Christmas cards lie waiting in the box. I love seeing what photos people chose, what joyful saying is printed on the front and how we have all changed in a year.
I wanted to create a space where I could display all these beautiful cards. I searched all over the internet for ideas, and I kept going back to one. A simple garland with cards tied by ribbon or mini clothespins.
Holiday Dinner Parties are also one of my favorite things about the month of December. We hosted a Christmas dinner with Andrew's family and I decided to again, keep it simple. I used our beautiful gold foil napkins from C.Wonder and added a little greenery from the back yard for the table settings. I also clipped some holly from my neighbor's tree (with permission of course!) and adorned the 3 tiered tray I recently picked up at Home Goods for the centerpiece.
Add in there a pretty Frontgate copper tray with all the fixings for a rich, warm hot chocolate, and our dining room was ready for a holiday party.
Looks pretty festive, right?!
Try not to get caught up in the hustle & bustle of the holidays. Keep it simple. And ENJOY these next few days before Christmas. Merry, Merry from the Coughlins!