Welcome to our home! I've been anticipating this post all day and excited to share our cottage with you! We were a little behind on pulling out Christmas decorations this year (and almost behind getting in on
the Nester's Christmas tour, but I will get this in before midnight, I promise!) but I'm so excited that everything is in place and we now eagerly anticipate Christmas day!
I love putting out all of our Christmas decorations as we got married at Christmas time two years ago and most of our wedding decorations got transformed into Christmas decorations (all handmade by my Uncle Ronny!!). If you visit my parents house, their tree will remind you of how the Sanctuary was decorated that day as all the ivory bows grace their tree. Our home with all the cranberry and gold bows resembles the beautifully decorated third floor of the Speir and Brogdon Building in Richmond Hill where we danced our first dance as husband and wife and shared the Lord's supper with 400 of our closet friends. Oh, I just love having all of these reminders in my home this time of year!
Our front door. Maddie wanted to join the tour and welcome you to our home:
Even the front door gets a bow from our wedding:
Our front porch (this is sitting on a rectangular table we have on our front porch--some "greens" from Pike's throw away pile, a poinsettia and if you can't tell, the balls are little Christmas ornaments).
Complete View:
Welcome Inside:
The focal point as you walk into our home, our mantle (if you look close their are little pieces from our topiaries placed throughout the garland):
Upclose of the stockings:
Robert & Abigail:
Kristin & Maddie:
Our centerpiece on our coffee table in the living room-made of bows and topiary pieces from the reception:
Our Dining Room Table:
A topiary hanging upside down from our chandelier:
Our Nativity Scene in our Living Room:
Love this!
Our Half Bath Downstairs:
My favorite part!
On up the stairs:
To the Guest Room. We love seeing who the Lord brings us to stay here! (This room has also been named "Amelia's Room".)
Our Nativity Scene that we decided to put in our Guest Room this year:
Guest Bath:
In case you can't see, the bears are The University of Georgia Bears :)
Back downstairs:
Table By the Front Door:
We do have the missing window for this church to fix it, but we enjoy the story of why this church is missing a window and we believe it gives it character so we leave it just the way it is! :) And well, an UGA sits on the corner.
Our shutters we found on the curb and put on our wall. I believe
the Nester would be proud. They get a bow for the season as well.
The random Christmas items placed around our home:
And finally the big finale. If you've been following my blog for awhile now, you remember the
Christmas Tree Extravaganza last year. Well folks, for the first time in my 30 years, I gave in and I didn't go to a tree farm to cut my tree down. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I now live in the city and we needed to be frugal this year. So I decided this year we would have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I was okay with it, I had peace. So we went to Pike's Nurseries and they had their Frasier Firs on sale---Jesus gave me the biggest one---(and the heaviest one on the lot--says Robert)...it has 4 trunks intermingled on the inside. The year I decide to be frugal, I end up having the biggest tree in my life...and we paid $24.95 for it. Yes, I believe Jesus likes to give good gifts to His children!
The Toppings :)
Up close view of the side:
Up close of the handmade bows:
View from the dining room:
Cool picture of the red goblet and Christmas tree if you look close:
One last picture of our tree:
And finally I share with you a special ornament that says, "Celebrate His Gifts" as this is the purpose of the season. Eight years ago I celebrated my first Christmas as a true believer. Understanding fully what it meant to have Jesus come and be born in a manager--to later die on the cross for my sins. To fully know what it means to have Jesus as my Bridegroom, as my Beloved. To know that He calls me Beloved one. As I celebrated this for the first time eight years ago, I pray for you this Christmas that you know and understand fully what it means that Jesus came to have relationship with you. As the story is told in Luke 2, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; HE IS CHRIST THE LORD."
Our front porch (this is sitting on a rectangular table we have on our front porch--some "greens" from Pike's throw away pile, a poinsettia and if you can't tell, the balls are little Christmas ornaments).
