FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR 2015 ~ Part 2 {Christmas in Our Kitchen}

Continuing my little house tour...

Today we're in the kitchen, the hub of our home! It is not only our kitchen; it is our everyday dining space, our homeschool room, a room for parties, morning coffee spot, a gathering place. Life happens in the kitchen!

For Christmas decorating, in this room, too, simple was the key. Truly, the only thing that took any real effort was the tree. (I talked about our kitchen tree last year.) Other than that, I just added a little bit here and there throughout the week.

Would you like to know my best Christmas decorating tip?

Buy good quality faux greenery and berries!

Of course, fresh greens are the best. They are beautiful and smell glorious! But we like to decorate right after Thanksgiving and fresh greens simply won't keep that long. Besides, we have a wood stove which dries everything out in a few days. So I have learned to compromise by buying good quality artificial greenery -- greenery with authentic color, the kind that you have to look twice (or touch it) to see whether it's real!

(I have found some great deals at after Christmas sales. One year I bought a bunch of faux cedar sprays marked down at Target and I used my wire cutters to snip off separate pieces in the sizes I needed.)

So after the tree was decorated with the popcorn garland (faux), dried oranges (real), and pineapple-shaped cookies (real), I tucked my (faux) greens into the nooks and crannies.

Anything looks Christmasy with a sprig of cedar or a spray of berries beside it! 

Welcome to our farmhouse kitchen! 

Even the coffee tray gets a little Christmas cheer.

We light the candle for dinner each evening.

A old dough bowl filled with faux pomanders. 

(I showed how I made them ~here~.)

I'm not sure if you can read the title, but the old book is A Christmas Carol.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations: the cornhusk nativity.

Thanks for stopping by!

FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 1 {Christmas in Our Living Room}

FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 2 {Christmas in Our Kitchen} (You are here!) 

FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 3 {Christmas in Our Dining Room} 

Linking with The Nester's Annual Tour of Homes :: #idhtbptbbchristmas

FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR 2015 ~ Part 1 {Christmas in Our Living Room}

When we mentioned that we might not put our Christmas tree up this year, the younger members of our household did not approve. These "younger members" are not exactly little children (they are 14 and 22!) and they were certainly not indifferent to the challenges of returning to "normal" life. But these girls love family traditions and they immediately decided to make it possible.

When Ryan was home for Thanksgiving, he and Kati retrieved the large box with the living room tree from the attic, and on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, right on schedule, Kati and Bekah brought down the trimmings. Just the basics, but it was enough. The tree was decorated that evening, the strains of Bing Crosby singing in the background, and over the next few days we all managed to deck the halls to the girls' satisfaction. 

Memory-making is important!

I have conducted a little house tour here at Thinking About Home every December since I began blogging. (Christmas tours 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.) 

I am inviting you in again, only this year we will take one room at a time. It seems simpler that way, and, believe me, we are trying to keep things simple around here right now! 

Welcome to our Christmas living room...thanks to the girls!

You may notice the highboy as you peek at the living room.

Yes, it's still here...and yes, it is unpainted. :)

The tree is decorated with family ornaments collected through the years.

I bought this little twiggy tree after Christmas last year and then totally forgot about it until Kati brought it down from the attic. It's new twice! (That's one advantage of being forgetful.)

Pinky often makes an appearance in the Christmas photo shoot.

We purchased this primitive table for a song at an antique show last summer!
(I moved the old table up to my bedroom where it now serves as a desk.)

Kati designs a calendar with her nature photos every year. I really love this December shot!

A few greens, a little potpourri...

...and that wreath on the door never did get its bow.

Decorations are simple and few, but "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." (I'm glad!)

FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 1 {Christmas in Our Living Room} (You are here!)
FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 2 {Christmas in Our Kitchen}
FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS TOUR ~ Part 3 {Christmas in Our Dining Room}

Linking with The Nester's Annual Tour of Homes :: #idhtbptbbchristmas

Weekend Snapshots: A Musical Beginning and a Sweet Ending

Kati came across this photo online and showed it to Bekah with the words, "This is you." 

It is true. Kind of. This fall, we lagged behind our goals in history, math, and science. Morning Time was put on hold. Bekah missed several PE classes and we cancelled all of our Keepers at Home meetings. But not once  --not once!-- did she miss choir. 

Choir was very important to us this term! We learned this summer that a local music teacher (also a homeschool mom) was offering a new choir class, and we jumped on board too quick to talk about! Music is one of Bekah's loves, and she was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn choir singing. Remember "shining eyes"? Hers were shining! 

So with the help of Kati and my dear friend Barbara who provided transportation numerous times, and with the careful arranging of medical appointments after choir lessons, Bekah was able to attend every one of the lessons and rehearsals. On Saturday afternoon, the newly formed choir participated in a wonderful Christmas recital of student musicians. 

Bekah provided the piano accompaniment for one of the choir's songs, "Holly Carol." This is a video of that performance...

Sunday found us enjoying a "sweet" afternoon. The weather was crazy-warm. Ron cooked chicken on the grill, not our typical December fare, but it was good. The children played outside...and there was no need for jackets. But before the children went out and before Kati left for a Christmas party with coworkers, we all enjoyed a seasonal but cool dessert that Kristin brought: a peppermint-fudge ice cream pie! Yum!

After dessert, we all recorded our predictions for the new baby's birth date, weight, and height. Sweet anticipation!!

The sweet ending to our afternoon was Grandy. Chocolate-peppermint candy canes. (Isn't anything better with a little chocolate?)

Did I tell you that our oldest grand is now 13?!