This wasn’t the post I was going to write today.
I was going to photograph the dining room with its Christmas dining room decor and give you some fun ideas for inexpensive decorating ideas for your room.
But just as I finished with the last branch and the last ornament and the last furry pillow on the last plaid throw, the sun started to set.
It took my breath away.
The setting sun.
The Christmas tree casting a warm glow over the room.
The tiny houses glowing in the coming darkness.
I couldn’t help it. I had to show it to you. I grabbed my camera and snapped and snapped and snapped away to try to capture that moment.
I hope you like twinkles as much as I do. 🙂
If you entered the front door and turned right this is what you’d see.
The Christmas tree is in the bay window with a furry tree skirt.
And the lights are bouncing off the new paint color in the room.
And these houses twinkling on the dining room table?
They are the ones I bought at the Target dollar spot with the trees.
I just stacked them at different heights on a table runner.
I tucked a furry pillow on the chair with a wool throw.
The twins and I decorated the tree with garland, wood slices and monograms.
The wood slices are all painted with gold and silver on the edges.
I hung the cutest set of platters above the fabric bolt holder I found at an antique store.
Then I hung a boxwood wreath on the front of the piece.
And tucked galvanized presents under the tree.
And the finishing touch to the room?
These stars hung from the chandelier over the village.
I just cut the garland apart and hung them from jute twine.
Here’s the village with the stars over the top.
They are twinkling in the light of the Christmas tree and the lights of the tiny town below.
In the hustle and bustle of the busy that is and is about to be, it’s a reminder to stop and pause and celebrate the quiet moments of the season.
Twinkle on little dining room.
Twinkle on.
Beautiful, natural colors! Decor always looks better in the evening light, so cozy. I love the houses on the table.
I agree--it looks so amazing in the evening light!
All beautiful!
I love the lighted village on the table! so beautiful! Thanks for the giveaway!
It looks sparkly and shimmery and beautiful, KariAnne.♥♥♥ Where did you find the Christmas tree skirt? Pretty please.
My favorite ornament(s)? From my childhood, two tiny white porcelain bells that I have swiped from my parents and hung on my tree for a gazillion years now. They make the sweetest tiny little noise.
My most favorite ornament(s) would be the ones where I traced my babies hands onto a regular size ornament....we compare it year to year to see how big their hands have gotten!
I have a snowbabie star with tiny little wings on the back, it stays out year round. One of my favorites always.
I love mixing inexpensive things with more treasured pieces. The new wall color is just wonderful, especially this time of the day! Keep twinkling! Cheers!, Barbara
It's beginning to look like Christmas around my house also. My favorite at the moment are galvanized deer I found at a local store. Where are where did you find galvanized presents?
Guess where I shopped on Small Business Saturday! Refresh Home! They even had refreshments and 10% off!
My favorite Christmas ornament was your hanging stars...beautiful. I was so impressed with the village on your dining table...I put ours on the mantel...now, I am going to copy your decoration and put mine on our long table. Now , that makes me happy. Thank you for the chance of winning the dishes...won't they look beautiful on my table with my village...God bless you and yours.
I love red and green with h lots of greenery .
Your dining room is beautiful! My favorite ornament is a set of snowflakes that I started crocheting many years ago. I have a few that haven't made it to a Christmas tree yet. And thanks for reminding me! It is time to take them out, wash them and re-stiffen them.
Karianne, Very stunning in a charming way.
OH the room is even more lovely with the lovely lighting and your personal touches! Beautiful! I have many special ornaments...but a tiny indent ornament that was on my parents' first tree in 1953, is close to my heart. Love the platters!
Two plastic airplanes with shiny tinsel tails that hung on our Christmas tree when I was a child and on the trees when my mom was a child.
I have an angel ornament from when I was a little girl that I always enjoy unwrapping every year and finding the perfect spot for it on our tree.
Of course some of my favorite Christmas ornaments are the ones with my grown children's names! But one that stands out for me is a wooden soldier my husband painted when he was a small boy! It is old with chipped paint but I love that hand painted soldier!
Oh, everything's just picture perfect, hard to choose! But, I am partial to houses, and the Target houses are so cute on the runner-! They could be tucked away on a shelf all year 'round, actually!
The email option for the giveaway is not bringing up a keyboard so you can't type a comment.
I love the village on the table!
I have some collections of Hallmark ornaments that I love to put out on the tree. It is a real traditional tree with red/green.
My favorite ornament (although I have many) is a white reindeer that I have had since I was a little girl! Many my children and friends have made are also very special. Love your lovely decor!
It truly does look magical! Shelley
My favorite ornament this year is a Luke Skywalker ornament we got year's ago. My son loved Star Wars (still does, if he'll admit it.) My Luke moved to Colorado this year to attend graduate school and won't be able to come home for Christmas. This is my first Christmas without him.
Handmade children's orniments!
Twinkle on KariAnne, Isn't it amazing when there are those moments in life that holds us breathless ? And some call it being in the present. The dining room in this light is beautiful, but it takes a good photographer to give us those moments.
The tiny little stars are my favorite. Love the Christmas Glow that you captured. So Perfect.
Looking at the tree , my favorite thing that had to go on it were a set of 6 salt dough ornaments, hand-made by my nephew a few years ago with sayings like "I Believe" and "Our Redeemer". A reminder of what Christmas means to me!
Beautiful,simple, and twinkles with love!
Oh my goodness, how beautiful and most of all so welcoming. Looks so warm and cozy . Picturing myself sitting there with you all eating desert.
I just love that room! My favorite is a Santa my daughter made many years ago. I love it and comes out every year.
My favorite is my daughter's first Christmas ornament ... a sweet pair of small porcelain hand painted, pastel baby shoes hanging from a pretty ribbon. Am also loving your Target dollar bin village!
Beautiful! My favorite ornament (out of many) is a glass ornament that I painted when we first got married (47 years ago) of a small boy with his puppy going sledding. My children loved it growing up.
I have a wise man that my husband and I bought years ago when we were out and about. He's funny looking (the ornament, not the husband) but I love finding him every year. You're house looks lovely. I can't even start thinking about decorating for Christmas for another week or two.
Thank you! Beautiful plates!!
My favorite Christmas ornament is a very old black button, with its metal back slightly rusting. It has a remnant of bright red fuzzy thread on it, as if it just came off of Santa's jacket. When our kids were little, Santa would always have some sort of "accident" at our house - he'd tear his pants on the way back up the chimney (leaving a torn piece of red velvet cloth), drop a bag of gifts off his sleigh into our back yard, etc. One year it was the button that fell off his coat. The kids saved it all year and left a note the next year to give it back to him. He said Mrs. Claus had already sewn a new one on and that we should keep the button..........so it's hung on our tree ever since!
LOVE this!!
Looks magical...
You take my breath away!
Beautiful as always!
I love a red sequined ball ornament that my mother made in the 70's
My favorite ornaments on our tree are two plastic M&M's (orange & red) wearing Christmas stocking hats that once topped clear plastic tubes filled with M&M's. We purchased them for my little tree that graced my room in the barracks while we were still dating. 27 years later and they still hold a special spot on the tree and in our hearts!
I cannot select one, but would say the collection for each of my children that was assembled over the years. Either based on a place we traveled (the tin Confederate soldier from Gettysburg or "waving girl" from Savannah, GA) or their interest that year (soccer, ballet, learning to read, Beatrix Potter characters, etc.). They hold many memories and decorating our tree is always a special day.
Beautiful post! My trees are full of childhood ornaments and kids ornaments, but I love classic or vintage ornaments and hope to begin collecting this year!
I have a small, slightly falling too pieces, Scottish Guardsman that a friend gave to me when my now 40 year old son was a baby because she said it looked just like him and I was born in Scotland :) Not the prettiest ornament on the tree but definitely one of my favorites!
I love the creamware! My favorite Christms ornament is a mercury glass cardinal. It is so beautiful as it sparkles from the lights on the tree.
Love It!! Favorite Ornament - The "pain" staking styrofoam ball with stick pins, sequins, beads and rick rack. As a child I never thought of how time consuming these could be to make, let alone all of the stick pins. I have several left from my childhood that have survived time and storage.
Absolutely beautiful! I haven't started decorating as of yet, so I'm enjoying your decorating even more. Gosh, it's next to impossible to pick a favorite ornament - I buy so many. I love my kids' school-made ones and the ones with their thumbprints & handprints. Merry Christmas!!!
My favorite Christmas ornament is the one my great grandmother had. A little white china bell. So small and precious to me. My tree only has lights and ornaments I have collected over the past 40 years. I love them all.
My favorite ornament is a pair of ruby slippers by Christopher Radko. They are beautiful and always remind there really is no place like home.
Gorgeous! Love the stars over the little village of glowing houses. Stunning!
My favorite ornament is one that was handmade from a small shop for our first Christmas together. But I actually love all our ornaments. :-)
I love the Christmas Stars - love the sparkle
My most favorite ornament is one that my Mother gave me for my first Christmas being married. It is a beautiful hand painted angel and has always taken place front and center on our tree. She has since passed away last month and mow it my most cherished ornament on our tree!
My favorite ornaments are the thin glass ones I inherited from my Grandma. They are discolored from years of "snow" sprayed on them and they take me back to my childhood when I stared at them for hours when they hung on her tree.
Every Thanksgiving while the turkey cooks my three daughters and I make a Christmas ornament. Each year it is different and original. My favorite ornament is whichever one we make that year! As I look at my tree what lovely memories I have of crafting and laughing with my wonderful girls!!
The glitter edged pine one my now 35 y/o daughter made in day care
Your house looks absolutely beautiful! I love the twinkling lights. I have a confession -- I have no Christmas decorations. *sigh* I gave then all away. All except for some silk poinsettias and a white yarn wreath. I know, sad isn't it. Well, it started with us downsizing so I split all our Christmas stuff between two of my children. The third was in the service and had nowhere to put anything. When he got back he wanted to decorate so I gave him the few treasures that I kept. We head south for the winter so I thought I wouldn't miss the decorations, but I truly do. This year I don't care if I can only have decorations for one day or one month. I'm going out and buying some Christmasy things -- the first being a Nativity scene. Have a wonderful day!!
Beautiful !! I love the wood bolt holder ? Great find. My favorite ornament is a vintage Humpty Dumpty that somehow I saved from my mom. He is so cute. Thank you for your posts , your always so encouraging.
You have the Christmas spirit and the knack for showering that spirit onto others. Love those creamy white dishes, too. Your home is lovely all decked out for the season.
Oh, and my favorite ornament is the one for my son's first Christmas ornament (it's now survived 45 years of long distance moves back and forth across the country, and packing and repacking).
My favorite ornaments are four little houses from the 50's. They were on my tree as a child, and I have always loved them. Thank you for sharing your beautiful dining room :)
You know I love twinkle lights...the dining room looks beautiful! My favorite Christmas ornament is the first one I ever bought. It's a sled piled high with presents, made out of reeds, decorated with red ribbon and purchased in 1974...our first Christmas. And it is always the first ornament to be placed on the tree...family tradition. Thanks for the giveaway! ;)
Beautiful as always! You take the most gorgeous pictures.
Karianne, the lighting in this room is so warm and comfy. It makes every element and piece of decor look so soft, evocative and serene. The best light is always natural light and often it's hard to find. You caught Mother Nature's rays at just the right time and the result is. Good for you that you grabbed your camera before this soft light slipped away. It's quite moody... but in a good way. Have a great week and happy holidays!
... the result is LOVELY. Oooops. Forgot to add that word above. That's what I get for not proof-reading.
My favorite Christmas ornament is anything Santa - my entire tree is decorated with Santa décor that I've collected for 35 years.
Karianne How Beautiful your home looks! Thanks for sharing! My favorite ornament was a little red Cardinal that you clipped to the branch . She was foil red and had a little wisp of white frost on the area where her wings were. I got to hang this on our tree every year. (My mom still has that ornament and she told me it is 50 years old!) I hope to snag it one day for my tree!
My favorite ornaments are from Hallmark in the 80's. They're Tin locomotives and my boys spent so much time lying on the floor playing with these locomotives.
Lovely as ever. Great use of twinkle :)
My favorite ornament this year is quilted Christmas balls. I have been making them for all my friends and relatives this year! One of my favorite serving pieces was broken on Thanksgiving, so winning the new serving pieces would be great. Thank You for the giveaway!
My favorite ornaments are the ones that have been handed down through the family. My most favorite is a very old plain blue ornament with the date "1950" hand painted on it. Every Christmas this hung on my grandparents tree. Many happy memories of Christmas's gone by. After their passing my parents inherited the ornament and then it was given to me prior to my parents early passing. To a stranger it would appear plain and simple, but to me it holds wonderful memories of Christmas dinners, singing holiday songs, and the love of family. Your house is beautiful. Warm and cozy. TFS
Your table top looks amazing~ but what I like most of all? Your daughters helping you create ornaments and memories. For my tree, I have a cross-stitched mouse ornament in a tiny embroidery hoop, complete with red thread that my mother made. It's my favorite ornament. Merry early Christmas, to you and yours!
Love the houses. What a great idea. I didn't have one favorite ornament on my childhood tree. I had several. One that stands out was a pink glass angel who sat on a white cloud and had a gold wire halo and wings. I thought she was so pretty. My dad thought she looked like an ant because her body was segmented (head, thorax, abdomen). I guess she did look like an ant, but I looked forward to hanging her on the tree each Christmas.
KariAnne, What a magical room! It reminds a little of "old world" mixed with "new world"! I don't have "a" favorite ornament. I have several totes of ornaments. When I was fifteen my mother took her artistic talents and created a cottage business, much to my father's surprise. In fact, he bet she wouldn't sell anything and he would have to bail her out. She designed and painted fifteen different Christmas ornaments and made 100 of each. She sold them at War Eagle Craft Show in Arkansas, one of longest running shows in the nation. An annual event where my mother ended up being an exhibitor for 30 years in the same two booths in the same tent. It was an annual event, with women literally running to the booth every year to get the "new" ornaments. My mother sold out that first year, 1500 ornaments, $1500! She of course had other hand painted wood crafts as well, but the ornaments were a tradition. Each ornament designed by my Mother, cut by my Father, primed, sanded, painted, sealed, packaged for this one show every year. My parents worked all year for this one show. Every ornament my Mother made is special to me and my family. It's our inheritance. Every year we went to War Eagle and helped, even if it was raining and muddy, or hot and dry. My Father is gone now, however my Mother is 89 soon to be 90. Her ornaments live on in homes across the midwest and certainly in our family homes. I have over 300 different ones and I marvel at how the painting and creativity changed each year. Like you, I come from a very talented family. Wishing you a fabulous Christmas season!
So beautiful, Kari! My favorite ornaments are glass ones that my grandmother gave to my children each Christmas until she passed in 2008. I know someday I'll have to pass them on to my kids, but in the meantime I treasure having them on our tree! Wishing you a blessed holiday season!
As a child, I loved my set of ballerina ornaments. I thought they were so pretty and dainty. I still hang them on my tree every year!
I love your decorating and try to use many of your ideas. My favorite ornaments are a snowflake collection. All kinds. Macrame, ceramic, both inexpensive and pricey. Love them all. But I have an vintage elf ornament that is almost 50 years old I received as a gift when I was a child. It's ugly, but I love it. Lots of sentimental memories go with it.
Beaded crosses I bought when my brother died.
I wondered if we would tell you our own Christmas favorite ornament or one of yours. I see people are doing both. Mine is an angel my sister and I made for family and friends out of an oyster shell. We call it our "Southern Angel". Her hair is made from Spanish moss that hang from the trees near the Georgia beaches where we gather the shells. Her wings are made from the cotton burrs left after the cotton is picked. My sister and I have been in Georgia for almost 25 years.
Absolutely gorgeous room. The light is dazzling in the room. My favorite Christmas ornament is a set of 12 Days of Christmas ornaments by Denise Calla. All my ornaments are 12 Days of Christmas but this was my first set and my husband and daughter collected them for me to give to me after I had packed up all the Christmas ornaments we had collected over the years so my daughter could have them for her own home.
My favorite ornament is actually the garland! And the layering of it..I always have the hardest time making my garland look 'right'! Everything is so beautiful
I love how you cut apart the garland and hung the stars off your chandelier. My personal favorite ornaments are the ones my kids made at school with elmers macaroni and glitter! Thanks for the chance to enter. Love your blog!
Beautiful home! My favorite ornaments are the ones my children made when they were young. And the ones handed down by family. So many memories.
Oh my gosh! Love everything in this post! I love my ornaments I brought back from visiting different countries with my boys when they were younger. Brings back memories and laughs. Merry Christmas!
Beautiful as usual! Love the fabric bolt holder! My grandpa Leo Rudolph bought a plastic Rudolph the red nosed reindeer for the tree the year I was born. Of course it's my favorite ornament! It's 68 years old this year and looks pretty good for its age, just like me!
My favorite ornament is a pair of gold porcelain ballet slippers tied with white satin ribbon, that I've treasured since I was a child. Thank you for the giveaway and for your sharing your beautiful home and designs with us!!
My favorite ornament was given to me by my mother just before she passed away. It is very important to me.
Oops! Also love the German glass ornaments my husband's grandparents had when they set up housekeeping! I think they're about 100 years old now and really too fragile to hang on the tree. They have a place of honor in a cut glass bowl on the dining table.
Beautiful room! My favorite ornament is not exactly an ornament, but the creche my mother and father passed down to me. While it has seen better days, it is a reminder of what Christmas is all about with so many wonderful memories of Christmas passed.
KariAnne, The dining room looks magnificent! I love it. I have so many favorite ornaments, because each ornament we have is associated with a special memory of a place we visited, or friends we've know, but my most favorite ornament is actually a set of glass balls, that belonged to my Great Aunt. She passed away when I was about 10, and for some reson she left me her school books from the late 1890s, 2 brooches, and her christmas ornaments. what most 10 year olds would want with any of those things is anyone's guess, but I loved them all. I stil have the books, the brooches, and the ornaments. They are so fragile, that I have them in a very big old mason jar, and they sit up on a shelf in my living room during the holidays. this way I get to enjoy them, and the christmas lights reflecting off of them, but I don't have to worry about rambunctious tweens or crazy hound dogs accidentally bumping them and bringing them crashing to the ground. I hope you and your family have the most wonderful holiday. Sarah
Kari Anne, You are one of those Twinkle Light People!! Love your de orations and the new dining room color is magical. My f orite ornaments are two tiny plastic bells from my childhood tree. They are 60+ years old, being plastic is the reason I think I still have them. wishing you and your family all the Christmas Blessings in the world.
Loved the glowing dining room! The best part is that you got to have your sweet girls help!
I love how you captured the light! Just beautiful! My favorite childhood ornament (not really an ornament) :) was our manger. I can remember just sitting and staring at the baby Jesus for what seemed like forever trying to picture in my mind how it all happened. The wonder of God coming down in the form of a baby still captures me. My mom gave the manger to me and I love sharing it with our kids and now grand kids!
Beautiful! LOVE your decorating style!
Oh, I love. Thanks for sharing. Last night, as I turned all the lights out, the timers were still on, and it took my breath away. I love magical lights. I also love so many ornaments. My favorite? So many. One requires a very long story, so I'll spare you. One is a glass mushroom that was my grandmother's. (Gramma) another was her very old and delicate glass house. I love your PF collection, and in the holiday collection, Wayne the weathervane spoke to me. Of course platters speak to me too.
I have ornaments given to me from the time I was born (1964) to the present, and started the tradition with our daughter when she was born. Last year I carried her collection as precious carry-on from Canada to California where she now lives with her husband. They "tried" to make me check it in at one layover, but that box was NOT leaving my sight! Her collection now adorns their tree, and I look forward to grandbabies and the fun I will have starting them off on their own tradition <3
Love the fur pillow! Have one just like it:) my favorite tree ornament is a white ceramic scroll that reads: "Alpha and Omega" in evergreen. That sums up Christmas for me.
I have GOT to get to Target!!! So, so pretty!!! Favorite ornament? Oh my . . . how to choose from among your children? lol! I guess the one I am most proud to have is a gold-painted glass cluster of grapes that hung on my parent's first tree. The other is a gold glass starfish encrusted with sparkles, that I bought on vacation at Pawley's Island. It's gorgeous.
Christmas in the dining room is stunning! And I think you really captured the sunset at just the right moment, so beautiful. My favorite ornaments are the ones my kids and I made when we lost all our ornaments moving back to Texas because my mom, their grandmother, was dying of breast cancer. They had collected and brought along a couple of sacks of pinecones from Colorado so I used those, bought some Elmer's glue, glitter in various shades, some gold string and some tiny red ribbon. We sat at the kitchen table with the pinecones divided evenly among us, gluing and glittering, tying on gold string loops and topping them off with red ribbon. They actually came out beautifully and the kids were so proud that we'd made our own ornaments. It made a very sad Christmas so much brighter.
I am also doing a lighted village on my table. Loving how peaceful it looks. I think I will leave it like this all winter long!
Love the dining room!
Each ornament I hang on our tree is special. My favorite are the ones that have a memory attached to them. Love your glowing houses !
My favorite ornament is a small stuffed gingerbread man that was on our tree every year when I was little. Now it's on my tree. :)
It seems that I am not alone when I say I have more then one favorite. Is it the ones I made as a child or the one my husband got as a small child or perhaps it's the mercury style ornaments I have been collecting for years? Or maybe I don't play favorites and love all of them!! ;)
Your whole room has that twinkle factor! My favorite Christmas ornaments are my mother's colored mercury glass clip on birds with feathered tails. One year, my mother decided to forego the traditional evergreen Christmas tree and instead used a dogwood tree that had fallen in an ice storm. She meticulously wrapped every branch in white medical cotton she purchased from the pharmacy to create this magical snowy, naked tree. Our shiny glass ornaments never looked more brilliant and the tree was a standout! Her birds seemed perfectly at home in that tree too!
My favorite ornament is the etched crystal bell we rec'd the year we married. Your dining room is beautiful!
Your home is so beautiful. My favorite ornament from my tree is an odd, rather ugly looking elf head. Imagine a toy plastic head with a pinocchio-esque nose and a felt red elf hat with a bell at the end from which the ornament hangs. Now put a beard on the elf... but not just any beard. Picture a curly, blonde/graying doll-hair beard on that elf, and there you have it. Straight from the '60s. But it was my Moms. So, every year I hang it up for her to see that I still have it almost 20 years later since she gave it to me.
Amazingly Beautiful!!!
my favorite Christmas ornaments are the ones with the kids' pictures on them - sent home from school, sunday school, and the like. SOOO adorable!
Your dining room has a magic about this year. Love it. I collect Olde World Santas and use white and red in my Christmas decorating. Thanks for all of the inspiration.
Where did you get the trees with the big fat trunks? I would love to know. Thanks!!!
Your Dining Room is beautiful and I LOVE the platters!!! My son always teases me about hanging plates on the wall. I have always loved to see some of the beautiful pieces I have found over the years decorating the walls of our home. My favorite ornament is part of a set that was purchased when our youngest was about 3 years old. She was drawn to an ornament that was a little girl dressed in blue with blond hair that was the same color as hers. I would find her with the little blue girl lined up with her other dolls as they "played" together. I stopped telling her to not take the little girl in the blue dress off the tree because she was so careful with her and always put her back on the branch she slept on every night. She grew up, married and gave us two more beautiful grandchildren to add to the other four. Now our sweet little granddaughter takes the little girl in the blue dress off the tree everyday so she can play with her together with her other dolls and puts her back each night to sleep on the branch she calls home.
So pretty!
Just Beautiful. My favorite decoration is my nativity set. Solid white and over sized. It was a Christmas gift to myself over 20 years ago.
Favorite ornament are the handmade ones by my family. Love your dining room.
I have a nativity set that was purchased from my paternal grandfathers ceramic shop and painted by my maternal aunt. It's both sides of the family combined into one and one of my most cherished Christmas items. Thanks for the giveaway, your Christmas decoration are perfect!
Your dining room is beautiful! My favorite ornaments are the ones my Mom gave me from my childhood. Especially the faded colored balls. The platters are gorgeous and I love things that can be used year round!
I have a little gingerbread girl that my grandma gave to me over 50 years ago....I love adding her to our tree every single year!
I love the way your room looks. I am hoping that if we sell our home and buy another one, I will have a very large dining room. In our Cape it is adequate but not big enough for me. I have asked for a storage board for my platters like you have in your kitchen. I haven't decided on the recipe yet.
Love the warmth and coziness of it all! It's beautiful.
Your dining room is so beautiful!!! And those houses stole my heart when I saw them in Target last week. I've never grabbed anything so quickly!!!
I love them all! If I absolutely have to choose one, it would be the beautiful white dove!
Do the houses have a battery/light bulb in them, or did you use the tiny string lights on metal wiring that are battery operated?
I wish I had a room as large as yours to display all of my ornaments on my tree. I have so many that they never get out of the tubs they're in! I like them all, but a favorite is the wooden dutch doll that we let our daughter pull the string (and her arms and legs would fling out.) This will be our 40th year to have a tree and it gets tiresome, glad your girls helped you decorate!!!
Your room is gorgeous! I have several ornaments that are special to me, but my favorites would be a blue Shiny Brite ornament from my first Christmas and a little red bell that was my grandparents'.
Your room is beautiful. My favorite ornament is a small cloth angel given to me by a neighbor really did not know but it was for my 12 year old granddaughter who we had just lost to cancer. Her kindness reminds me every Christmas to be kind to someone else>
beautiful room...i was sighing right along with you. i love those houses living on your table. my favorite ornament is one my son made when he was in third grade...a salt-dough wreath surrounding his adorable face. he died nearly 27 years ago when he was 11. i have saved that ornament, putting desiccants inside a bag to preserve the dough from the ubiquitous moisture in the pacific northwest. it is one of the last ornaments i put on the tree...right at eye level where i can see it whenever i walk by the tree. were it bigger, he would be the angel atop our tree.
My favorite ornament is one from my childhood in the 50's. It was a small nativity sprinkled with glitter. Inexpensive, probably plastic or the version thereof. It was very detailed. The holy family were individual tiny figures. My brother and I took turns hanging it on the tree each year. It would be the last ornament to go on and it always had a special place near a lightbulb so it would shine. When our (parents passed away and we were going through their things, I found it and offered it to my brother. He declined. He barely remembered it, said it obviously meant more to me. Several years later I was shopping in an antiques store and found it's exact mate! I sent it to him that Christmas. I don't know if he hangs it or not. But I do, and I remember that special, innocent time in my life....and smile.
My favorite ornament is a .50 red, green and yellow wooden train car from Wal-mart. It was our first ornament on our tree.
My favorite ornament is a set of metal angels that my super crafty sister made for me as a rendition of some that our dad made for our mom their first Christmas together. They were also our favorite ornaments as kids because they were so shiny and beautiful, but they also had a little sharp edge so they were always up high where we couldn't reach them which also added to their allure. Now I have a set of my own, that I place up high in our tree every year and my own kids can't help but love them, because they're shiny, bright, and just out of reach. ;)
Haven't see an ornament that I don't want to be MY favorite. I enjoy them all. Your chandelier is beautiful! It makes the room. What brand, color is your new paint?
My favorite ornament is one I purchased several years ago at a base craft fair at Camp Lejeune, NC when my husband and I were stationed there. It is made of wood and straw and it is the baby Jesus lying in the manger with a star over his head and on the manger is says, "Shh, it's Him!" Love, love, love how your dining room photographed in the setting sun!! Oh my goodness, swoon worthy for sure! I love the decorations and the warmth of the room.....love the new paint color, too! Blessings to you, sweet friend!
The new wall color looks beautiful! Maybe its me but it really takes your window coverings up a notch. Love those plates. I could really do something with those.
My favorite ornament is my set of vintage Napco caroler figurines. They belonged to my mother and since I am the mother of 4 girls, these hold a special place in my heart, particularly since we lost my Mom in 2013. I never miss her more than at this time, she absolutely radiated the holidays
Thats so hard....but it has to be one of the first homemade ornaments my oldest made for me. a.... laminated painted candy cone with his school pic right in the middle!! :) Best ever!! Thanks for the opportunity!!!
My favorite ornaments are my hand crocheted snowflake ornaments. One that my grandmother made many years ago and the ones that my sister now makes. They are fine work and so beautiful! Karen U
Love your room! My favorite ornament would probably be a depression era, compressed cotton fruit that belonged to my grandparents.
Love both of your trees and the story about the cherubs! My favorite ornament is a felt Santa tree topper that my parents bought the first year they were married - 1940. It is now over 75 years old and qualifies as an antique! As the eldest, I was given it as a keepsake to hand down to the next generation. It will go to my grandson Nicholas who is partial to anything "St. Nick like"!
My pink collection of Shiny Brite ornaments collected for years
My very favorite Christmas ornament happens to be the very first ornament that was given to me back in 1968. The theme of this decoration doesn't fit with anything else in my home. Layers of paint are flaking off but still it is proudly hung every year. My old tin Mickey Mouse has graced a Christmas tree for 48 years now. A world traveler he wasn't even left behind when I lived in two foreign countries and six different states. Even in showing his age he is a true treasure. May he celebrate many, many more Christmases.
My favorite ornament- it is a little mouse reading a book while snuggled in his match box for bedtime. Love that every year!
My favorite Christmas ornament are all the ones made by hand especially the cotton Santa Clauses my maternal grandmother made before my twin sister and I were born. Thanks for the giveaway. Marilyn
I simply adore Christmas with all the sights and sounds, the joy and goodwill, the time spent with family! Your home I s lovely and you certainly captured a magical time of day in your photos. My favorite Christmas ornament? Too many to mention, those gifted to me by my husband, my children and grandchildren, the ones dedicated to family members no longer with us, they all make up the memories of our life as a family!
Happy Holidays! Your holiday decorations are lovely, warm and inviting... My favorite ornaments are two that each of my sons made me in preschool! Many thanks for such a lovely and delightful giveaway... Cindi ??
My favorite ornaments were ones that are large glass ones that look like soap bubbles. I found them traveling as a college student and wanted them for my first Christmas tree. I only could afford 4 when I was 20 (they were $5 each :). But dressed up with bows and lights, they made the tree sparkle.... and it was so pretty. And the tree made me feel all grown up in my first apartment. Now almost 30 years later and thousands of miles of moving across country several times in their somewhat tattered decorations box now more tape than cardboard, they still sit in places of honor on my tree :)
At ninety years old my favorite Christmas ornament is my treasure box of memories. Moments in life are each one a treasure..don't let them pass you by too quickly without appreciating each one. I had an ornament from my first Christmas but I gave it to my daughter as it was on her first tree. Alas she was in Katrina and it floated down the Mississippi River,I imagine. Jere
My favorite ornaments are the ones for my kids when they were little. A little Thomas the Tank Engine and a ballerina! Your DR looks lovely all twinkly!
Loving the wood slices with the metallic edges.
I've collected wooden ornaments for many years. Decades actually. It's like picking your favorite child. I love them all . Each one has a story to tell.
Your dining room looks absolutely magical!!! Thank you for sharing and inspiring us readers :)
I could not believe the little houses were the ones from Target. I saw them there and thought they were precious but you took them to a whole new level. Hanging the stars from your chandy really adds to the magical look! Love it! I can't say I love just one ornament but I do have a small collection of veeeeeery old ornaments my parents left to us. They bring back so many memories. They always get front row status on my tree! Happy Holidays, KariAnne! Jane
You and your family make the holiday season warm, bright, and memorable. The plates are beautiful! I would welcome them next to our family's holiday soup toureen.
You Girlies are AWESOME! My siblings and I use to take turns taking my Dad to Christmas shop for my Mom. It was the only Christmas present he would purchase. For all our gifts he would tell my Mom one thing to get each of us and she would do the shopping. His idea of shopping was always get it, find it and get out. Never compared prices, always knew what he wanted and where he wanted to buy it from. He always said, "There's no reason to be in a store for hours turning over merchandise, you spend less money". When my daughter was really little it was my turn to take Dad. We went to a store so that he could purchase a watch for my Mom. In the store was a plastic Santa head that could be wound up, it would rotate and play 'Jingle Bells'. They loved it! He bought it for her and we Jingle Belled all the way home. It's not an ornament, but has a spot each year under my Christmas tree. My daughter is married and has her own tree, but allows me to keep it under mine. I get to relive the day every year. She was small and doesn't remember my Dad much...I miss him Soooo much! What I wouldn't give to take him shopping again.
My favorite ornaments are a set of small red Christmas stockings that I made when I was 7 or 8. My Mom let me use the left over fabric from stockings she was making for her Kindergarten Sunday School class. I made a pattern and used her sewing machine. They hung on our tree for years with small candy canes inside. I still pull them out sometimes at Christmas.
There are so many favorite ornaments in my lifetime. From my childhood, from my first years of marriage, thru my children's lives too. When we moved my parents into a retirement home I got a lot of the old ornaments. Mom had a collection of Swedish ornaments that I always loved. Many are out of thin strips of birch wood or woven out of wheatstraw but one is a little Santa face that looks like he's made out of a Filbert nut. I keep wanting to eliminate some of the ornaments but the memories that flood my mind every year keep me from getting rid of anything!
It is beautiful! Looks just like a Christmas card!
KariAnne, you are a pro. Gorgeous. I have to tell you, I smiled at your furry tree skirt--it would be a favorite landing place for my cat if he lived with you and his shedding fur would do away with the lovely whiteness very soon. Don't ask me how I know this. ;)
Are you kidding!?!?!? I LOVE twinkles! And I love your blog that never fails to start my day with a smile on my face. And I thank you for that.
My favorite ornament(s) have to be the crystal chandelier prisms that I inherited when my mother passed away... She used to hang them on the french door in our entryway... Each glass pane held a prism with a spring of evergreen and a red velvet bow. The rainbows would dance on the entryway as the sun shone through... so beautiful!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful - I agree we need to stop and enjoy the moments a little sparkle and shine just adds to the joy. My favorite ornament is from Avon. Many years ago they offered a wax gingerbread man and woman with pink icing. Every Christmas as I am unwrapping our ornaments these little gems greet me with their still lingering gingerbread scent those sweet simple ornaments always put a smile on my face.
It's a toss up between ones that belonged to my grandmother and the ones my daughter made me as a toddler.
Your village vignette reminds me of one my mom had, though her houses had pastel colored glittery roofs. I love the ornaments my mom gave me when I left home. She had a few sets of 3 similar ornaments (for her 3 daughters) she had bought and used over the years to hand down to us. Those are some of my favorites as they hold wonderful memories of Christmas trees past.
My most favorite ornaments are those that ykids made when they were in school. I love them
Beautiful!
I have a Santa bowing down to the manger that I really like.
My favorite ornament isn't exactly an ornament...... It's a small copper church that winds. It has a bell in the steeple and a priest holding a Bible that comes out of the doors.
My favorite Christmas ornament is a Happy Birthday Jesus ornament. It's a Hallmark ornament and counts down the days till Jesus' birthday.
I took a break from my decorating to read your post today. Lovely. My favorite ornament is a plastic and felt Santa head and arms, gaudily painted and somewhat tattered but the only ornament I have left from my childhood (in the 50s). As my mother died rather young and my father just a few years later nothing seemed to have survived, but I still have this one ornament among the hundreds on my tree that has always held the most sentimentality for me.
Lovely site to see in your dining room! How fun that the girls helped you. The most favorite ornament in my collection is one made by one of my second grade students many years ago. It is 3 fishing weights held together with aqua yarn. So many meanings can be gleaned from this.
Kari, your dining room is magical in the golden light. I love everything. My most favorite ornaments are a little lace fan that my son made in first grade, it has what is left of a couple of tiny dried flowers and a bow. The other is a little fabric wreath made with circles of fabric gathered up and stuffed with cotton balls, then strung into a little circle. My Grandmother made it about 50 something years ago. It's all about the love.
Love those platters! Lovely Christmas dining room!
KarriAnne, I would have to say the way your little town looks with the lights in them that you can't see any cords is a winner in my book. I am so glad I found this blog - I have read everything that you have posted. I so look forward to your posts!!
My favorite ornament is a crystal heart stamped with First Christmas 2000 for the first Christmas my husband and I spent together as a married couple!
Absolutely beautiful!
I have two. One a heart locket that holds a picture of our first Christmas together. The other one actually is a set of stars my mom made during the snowstorm and when we were unable to travel. Makes me feel warm that she was missing n thinking of us as she made this sweet set of stars.
My most favorite Christmas ornaments of all are my little metal bells that used to hang on my parents tree when I was growing up. I would lie underneath the magical tree and hang the bells on the lowest branches and pretend fairies hung them there. What happy memories!
I have a lot of favorites! Some are ones that I made as a child, like a little felt sheep with a tiny bell. I like the ones my daughter has made a lot too!
BEAUTIFUL twinkling room. You rock with your creativeness! I have an angel ornament collection from years ago that aren't used anymore but I love looking at them each Christmas. Thanks for the giveaway and sharing your life with us!! Christmas blessings!!!
Your dining room looks very pretty ! Love the tree and the little village homes !
My favorite ornament (s) are the ones my children made when they were young. I have saved every one of them.
My favorite ornament is a Precious Moments bear for my "Baby's First Christmas." So many memories hanging it on the tree with my wonderful family!
My favorite ornament would have to be my twirling ballerina, gifted to me by my Nana! <3 Lovely dining room all dressed up for the holidays!
My favorite ornament is a little house made by my son 25 years ago.
I love your dining room, but where in the world do you put all the children's Christmas gifts? Does Santa put them under another tree? My favorite ornament must be one of those treasures my children made for me many years ago.
My favorite Christmas ornament is my Lenox Five Star tree topper. I purchased it @ the Lenox outlet in 2003, on the West Coast of Florida. Cream with gold & it has pearls on the tip of each star, but one pearl is missing & was when I purchased it. I first thought I would glue a new one in place, but I decided against it because nothing in our world is perfect. Only God alone is perfect & we can only strive to be like Him. Every time I use it on my tree, I know this star represents our imperfect world & the humans who occupy a big majority of the world.
Living near Kansas City the home of Hallmark (and yes I love those Hallmark Christmas movies) my favorite ornaments are my collection of Hallmark Frosty Friends. They started in 1981 and are still going.
This is so pretty. I don't have a home to decorate this year, but I love getting ideas for next year. I hope I can find some of the white houses at Target. I just love them. Also looking for a little red truck and some burlap ribbon. God is so good. I really enjoy your blog and I love the blogs I've found through your blog. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
Ah, my favorite ornament is a tatted santa claus that has seen a lot of Christmases. I think of all the love grandma had as she tatted this delicate ornament by hand. Memories are those moments that warm your heart! Happy Holidays! ❤
My favorite ornaments are red painted wood hearts. I have six of them-one for each child (4 are mine and 2 are for 2 prescious girls who married my sons). Each heart has a name painted on it. I got the original 4 many years ago. The others are newer but I've had those for several years now.
My favorite ornaments are three ornaments that my son was given in the hospital on his first Christmas, after being born 10 weeks too early, one week before Christmas. They remind me of what a blessing he is to us. (And now he's almost 6' tall, and ready to turn 16 next month)
Your room looks so warm and inviting....love it all!♥
My husband makes wooden spoons and we label them by tying a "coin " cut from a tree branch on them. Then I write Wilson Falls art on it. I love the rustic look and each year I hang them on our tree as a nod to our little hobby!
my favorite ornaments are the mom and pop figures, (my husband and i). they are figures made with satin ball heads and felt hats and outfits that we bought in the hardware store in our town the year we married (1973).they've had a prominent place on our tree every year!...love them!
My most special are the ones that my grandchildren made for me. Every year though I shop for one ornament to go on my tree. So each one is special to me.
Your warm, comfy, homey, elegant and ✨twinkly✨ dining room is breathtaking! Your new wall color perfectly wrapping your room with a gentle hug. My favorite ornaments are always the "handmade by children" treasures. They always make me smile. I'm loving all of your decor... every special touch, both large and small. There IS one particular piece that caught my eye today, though. It's the beautiful white snowflake-esque wall hanging... just above your darling little forest of evergreens and pinecone trees. The perfect spot for that special snowflake!! I can't replicate Anthropologie's huge intricate snowflakes, but yours is definitely do-able! Thank you for the inspiration, KariAnne! ❄️?❄️
Back in the days when I was into seaside cottage decorating, I loved placing starfish on my Christmas tree. They didn't even need hangars; I just nestled them in between the branches. It doesn't get any easier than that!
What a lovely and magical dining room you've created for your family. I can't say I have a very favorite ornament because I love so many that I have. Most of my ornaments are Christopher Radko old fashioned glass. Santas, animals, churches, moose, and mice oh my!!!! I mix these with large, medium and small glass balls and boy does our tree shine, and sparkle, and makes me smile! Happy Holidays to you and yours.
All my ornaments have a little sentimental story and the location they came from or the person who gifted me with them. That's the fun if lifting them from the storage boxes each year!! It's magical. I'm crazy about the creamy dishes!!!
My favorite ornament is a wooden one my son made for me on a wood lathe.
Your Dining Room is just beautiful! My favorite ornament is from my Mom and Dad's first Christmas tree(1948) . It looks worn and faded, but so sweet! I so enjoy your blog!
Your Dining Room is Beautiful My favorite ornaments are the ones I shared with my daughters and had enough for one for me I remember my Aunt coming to visit and her and my Mom Wrapped styro balls and then decorated with old pieces of jewelry and beads and pins They Are Cherished because my mom didn't do any crafts before or after my Aunt came
Absolutely stunning my dear !
Absolutely beautiful! You captured a perfect moment.
My favorite ornaments are the ones that my 3 sons made for me when they were in preschool.
My favorite ornament is a crystal oval celebrating our first Christmas together after my husband and I got married. We were poor as church mice and I could only afford to buy a bag of hershey's kisses that I hung on our little tree with nylon fishing line, but I splurged on that little crystal oval because I knew I would never get another chance to have that "first moment" again.
My favorite Christmas ornament is the one I made my mom when I was a kid.
My favorite ornament would be a wooden wolf that I bought on a trip overseas. Though each ornament has a story or memory.
My favorite ornaments are still the ones my children (now ages 33 and 35) made as children!!!
My favorite ornaments are the ones my kids made me when they were little. Now that they're all married with children of their own, they're even more meaningful.
I love the little village on the table. I have mine in the "owl" window in our dining room and they are twinkly too. I think twinkly villages and my Nativity are my favorite of my decorations!
Your room is beautiful!!!
A lovely dining room! That tree!!!!! All the natural elements work so well in the room. My favorite Christmas ornament is the shiny cross with the pink ribbon tied at the top, with the name Mallory Elizabeth written on the ribbon. It honors my baby granddaughter's passing 3 weeks before Christmas. It is such a blessed reminder of the reason for the season.
The natural light this time of year can take your breath away. I am trying to take the time to just stop and enjoy the beauty. Your pictures are certainly a beautiful example of it. Thank you. My favorite ornaments are the fingerprint snowmen on Christmas balls made by my grandchildren. And BTW, I would love to add those dishes to my hutch!
As always, simply gorgeous! I love looking at your house. xoxox
The ones I treasure most are the ones my children made when they were small and now my grandchildren do the same. Merry Christmas
I have a little handmade patchwork angel which I really love to put on the tree each year. I enjoy handmade ornaments from old friends because as I put them on my tree, I think of them and wonder how they are doing.
My favorite ornament is a photo that was taken about 12 years ago with my husband and kids at the beach in a cool frame. Thanks, Karen
Karianne, what is the source for the trees in wood pots on what looks to be a bookcase between two windows? Please and thanks.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! So glad you shared this with us. Love it! My favorite ornament is a little white wooly alpaca that my husband and i picked up at an alpaca farm we visited while on our honeymoon in the San Juan Islands, Washington many many years ago!
Love it! I'm glad you decided to take pictures as the sun was going down! Love the houses too!!
My favorite ornament is a glass bear I got as a child. It holds a lot of sentimental value.
One of my favorite is a handmade wooden tiny "fireplace" ornament with three little stockings, with me , my husband and my first born son names on them. My first born is now 23 yrs old and he has two siblings! Thanks for the opportunity to win the set of plates!
An Irish Angel holding a Shamrock out in front of her as she is taking flight is one if my favorite ornaments. This was a gift from my Mother who is no longer with us. I believe since my name is Patricia and because I am Irish and born on St. Patrick's Day is why she gave it to me.
Luminous!
My favorite ornament is probably the Christmas carol "Joy to the World"). It was given to me years ago by one of my students.
My favorite ornament is a blue angel from my paternal grandmother who recently past away at the age of 94. ❤️ your dining room and the fabric shelf! What a great find!
My favorite are personalized ornaments, we usually craft our own.
I really like all your trees. The ones you have in the wood branches and the brush bottle ones on your table. I bought some of those trees from Target in the dollar bend too. I really like things from nature and natural looking.
My favorite ornament is a tiny little red glass Santa that my Mom gave me years and years ago. Her Grandmother gave it to her when she got married, 63 years ago. I keep it out year round in a glass cabinet in the living room. I lost Mom in September. She had Alzheimer's. I will treasure that Santa forever and pass it on to my daughter's one day.
My favorite ornament is a needlepoint on plastic canvas gingerbread house I stitched several decades ago.
My fav ornament is one that we've had for 35 years, a baby asleep on the top bunk of bunk beds.
My favorite ornament is one I made years ago of a Santa head sculpted from clay wearing a jaunty hat with fur, a old vintage pin that my mom wore long ago nestled on the brim with Santa sporting little wire glasses with a mischievous smile. Thanks for the inspiration Karianne.
Oh, how beautiful! Thanks for grabbing your camera. Stunning. Love those sweet houses with the stars above... and those amazing platters..
I love this entire room! The idea of the wood slices on the tree is definitely something I'm going to try. Thanks for sharing such lovely photos!
All your decorations and your dining room look "Christmasy" yet nothing screams Christmas. Very pretty, calming and filled with lots of ideas for your followers, thank you.
My favorite is a handmade eye sore of a wonderful ornament made by my daughter! :) She even drew Christmas pictures on the wrapping paper...crafty details get me every.single.time! Love your gorgeous room, it's gold as usual! :) Thanks for the opportunity (I've seriously pined over sets like this for a long while) and Happy Holidays to you and your family!
My favorite ornament is a set of glass icicles I purchased years and years ago. I also purchased a set for my mom. When my mom passed I welcomed her set into my collection. Each year when I dress my tree for Christmas, I carefully hang each glistening icicle with care as I think of my mom and how special she made every Christmas.
I used to design and market Christmas ornaments. I wish I had saved one of each design.............
Your lovely dining room is stunning in all its Christmas finery. My favorite ornament is actually a small wooden rattle my daughter received as part of the packaging on a gift the year she was born. The wooden handle is short and the red color with small golden babbles in the chamber just seemed fitting as a Christmas tree ornament when she outgrew it. BTW, she is now 34 years old now. The plaater collection is outstanding as a giveaway!
So beautiful, thank you for the post. My favorite ornament is one given to me by a friend I've had since elementary school. It is two girls skating. If you press the bottom it plays a song. She and I were walking partners in our adult life. We walked together for six years before I moved. The two girls remind me of all the good times we had together in the those early morning hours.
your dining room is so lovely!
My favorite ornament is a champagne cork from the bottle of champagne my husband and I drank while decorating our first Christmas tree. It represents the transition from our separate families and their traditions to our newly established family and the creation of our own traditions. We have been married for just over six years and have added two wonderful kiddos, many wonderful memories and traditions to our family, but every year we open a bottle of champagne (or non-alcoholic sparking wine for those years we were expecting) while decorating the tree and add a new cork to the tree in celebration of the wonder of the season and the life we feel so blessed to have.
Hi KariAnne, Do I have to pick just one? Because I can't!! I have to say my favorite ornament(s) are the baby blocks that hold photos of my twins, the handprint that holds the photo of my daughter, and the rocking horses that hold the photos of our sons. Our tree is always full of the sentimental ornaments and my kids (the twins are the youngest and they're 16) wouldn't have it any other way!
My favorite ornament is one my husband I bought on our honeymoon to Paris of the Eiffel Towel!
A gold and capiz star that reminds me of my sisters. One is living and the other passed on 3 years ago. I treasure it! Your dining room is amazing!!
Every year my husbands grandmother made all the cousins a handmade ornament, We have about 10 needle pointed ornaments. Sorry, just can't choose a favorite.
Your dining room is beautiful! So many lovely touches! My favorite ornaments are some antiqued glass stars I found years ago and also the special collection of ornaments that my boys have handpicked over the years.
Thank you so much for all of the beautiful inspiration. My favorite ornament is the ones my husbands grandmother had painted for each of us. They are so fragile and beautiful.
My grandmother handmade beaded Christmas ornaments from kits sold by Marshall Fields in the 1970's. They are all beautiful but my favorite is the Raggedy Anne ornament.
My favorite ornaments are the ones my husband and I bought at a fair a few weeks before our first married Christmas. We selected each ornament very carefully so we could stay within budget. All these years later it's fun to see the kids and grandkids point out their favorites - always from those first ornaments.
Twinkle on ... it is with all its glory. You are an amazing decorator, homemaker and an amazing inspiration. I too collect milk glass and started my collection in 1973 (yep, that long ago) and still absolutely love it and decorate and serve with them. I have even been known to take pieces to our church and decorate God's House with them. I truly enjoy seeing yours, expecially in that fabric bolt cubbard as I am a quilter. Hugs & Blessings
its a picture of my son we had put on an ornament along with a few more but that is my fav
Twinkle on ... it is with all its glory. You are an amazing decorator, homemaker and an amazing inspiration. I too collect milk glass and started my collection in 1973 (yep, that long ago) and still absolutely love it and decorate and serve with them. I have even been known to take pieces to our church and decorate God's House with them. I truly enjoy seeing yours, expecially in that fabric bolt cubbard as I am a quilter. I would love the plates/platters and would give them a good ole Tennessee home. Hugs & Blessings
OMGoodness, the houses were cute before, but NOW? Awesome, of course, with their twinkle! I've been trying to get to Target for days on end ~ I'm sure they were gone at least after your post, if not before ... Wish me luck!
My favorite ornament was made by my son almost 50 years ago! It is two tiny egg-carton Christmas bells, glittered, painted blue, and tied together with a red pipe cleaner. He was only three and I can still see the pride on his little face as he carefully placed it on our tree that year. It has made an appearance on our tree every year since; a wee bit tattered and battered, but still beautiful to me.
What a beautiful picture! and perfect timing ! I saw the little houses at Target and love them too. I have several ornaments but today I will choose a white bird with long feathers and they put some glitter on it and is so beautiful and well made. I love birds and the last couple of years I bought one bird ornament each year. Love your posts !
Beautiful... Your dining room is beautiful!! ❤️ My favorite Christmas ornament is a homemade one my mother-in-law made for me many years ago. It is a tiny sleeping mouse in one half of a walnut shell. His head is a small nut as well. He is all cozy under a small homemade blanket, and his yarn tail hangs down with a small red bow tied to the end of it. I love and cherish it. I am smiling now as I look forward to hanging it on our Christmas tree once again this year. ?
My favorite Christmas ornament is in angel that my grandam made for me when i was born fifteen years ago and i still have it. Love You Grandam !!!
Irma here sorry that was 50 years ago LOL!!!! Wish I Was 15
I am loving all of the beautiful decor. My favorite ornament is definitely the "my first Christmas" ornament with my picture in it wrapped in a gift box. It's almost 25 years old.. I can't believe I am almost 25, lol.
My favorite Christmas ornament is a lighted candy cane that I got from my grandmother
Tough to pick between the ring of Grandma's pearls that were made into an ornament or my Baby's First Christmas ornament. He is my miracle baby..?
My favorite ornament is my collection of dangling feet ornaments. Some I have inherited and some more recent.
I would have to say the ornaments I make each year with my grandbabies are my favorite!!! Love my boys and the ornaments we make.
A photo ornament of my husband and I at our first Christmas together
Love this post! My favorite ornaments are my Hallmark ornaments and my vintage ornaments that belonged to my husband's aunt.
So very beautiful! My favorite ornament is a bit different because it is hand strung popcorn garland. I just love the simple beauty along with cookies strung with jute. Thanks for sharing your beautiful decorations!
What a beautiful dining room.......decorated with love!!!!
I love, love, love your twinkle photo shoot! I'm so glad you shared that with all of us. A peaceful reminder to stop and look around us at all that twinkles this time of year. I actually have to favorite ornaments. One is this sweet, white, glittery little vintage looking church. It makes me smile and feel a sense of peace when I look at it (maybe I should have it out all year long? The other is a pickle ornament. We hide it within the tree every year for the girls to find. Who ever finds it get a sweet little surprise. It's so fun watching them giggle as they hunt for it and hearing the little shout (ok, not so little!) of joy when it is found. This tradition has been even more special since my Dad passed away 2 years ago as he is the one that gave the girls the ornament. His family did the same thing when he was growing up and wanted our girls to enjoy the fun, too. Happy decorating and memory making!
OHHHHHHHHH I am always so in love with your decor! I LOVE LOVE love the houses on the dining room table, the twinkle, the warmth = bliss!!! Lisa xo
My favorites are the ones my kids have made over the years.
Love your little houses, sadly our Target didn't have any. Your house looks so warm and inviting. You do a great job inspiring many people to love their homes. Thank you!
I love the garland hanging from the light... beautiful space :)
It all looks so lovely and festive.... My favorite ornaments are the wooden punch outs my husband and I painted our first year married......I gave one set to each of our sons when they moved out to start their own tree along with all the ornaments we made through the years for them
I have an ornament that is a photo negative of our house that is enclosed in a glass ball that I look forward to getting out every year.
How beautiful!!! It looks so cozy and inviting, I can't wait to finish our Christmas decor ~ I even stopped by Target's dollar section and picked up a few items that you shared the other day. So cute!! The dishes are wonderful, too - I have white dishes, and I sure could use the platters to blend in timelessly, for all of the holiday meals coming up!!
My favorite ornament is my daughter's fingerprints for the body of an owl. An artist added the facial features, the ears, and a branch for the owl to perch on. It was then glued into a red wooden curtain ring. Love your new dining room.
Simple and rustic but also refined.
Love the room! Just beautiful
My favorite Christmas ornament is an angel that my great-grandmother sewed. I've loved it since I was little and it is very special to me.
I love reading your blog and seeing your beautiful inspiring pictures!
Couldn't post yesterday because like today....I'm speechless. This is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! Words cannot describe how breathtaking your dining room looks.
What a beautiful, magical room! Love it!
All looks just beautiful! My favorite ornament is one that my brother and I picked out together as small children. We are both well into our 60's.
Oh KariAnne! I just want to *be* in that village with those stars shining overhead. I can't EVEN!
My favorite ornament is a set of three. The Moravian faith has a strong presence in my hometown. The symbols that represent it are a teapot, a candle, and a Moravian bun. Each year when I bring them out, it is a lovely memory of my childhood. P.S. If you are ever in Winston-Salem, NC during the Christmas season, it is well worth your time to partake of the Love Feast. :)
My favorite ornament(s) are the ones that my 4 children made when they were growing up. A lot of them have their pictures on them because their very special teachers at school took their pictures. Putting their ornaments on my tree each year is my favorite part of decorating for Christmas. I love the way you and the girls decorated your tree.
Since I couldn't leave a comment on the Christmas ornament story, I just had to leave one here. We had a similar experience the first time we tried to have a cookout. No one showed up...unfortunately, it scarred us to the point that we never have parties. We go to them, but we don't ever have them...
Simply stunning!
My favorite is the first ornament my wife and I bought together in 1988. It's just a cheap, flat, bright-brass double heart with our names etched by the store clerk , but it holds center stage on our tree every year.
My favorite Christmas ornament is a cardinal... Beautiful blog!!!
My favorite ornament is a Nativity set I bought when my children were younger. That set is now 40 years old. We put it out ever year for the whole family to enjoy. My granddaughter loves that little scene! Your home is so beautiful and I look forward to reading your blog post every day. HAPPY HOLIDAY'S !
I love the clean simpleness (if that's even a word) of white dishes. Hope you have a blessed Christmas!!
Where did you find the cute Glavanized gifts?
Thank you for sharing such incredibly beautiful, glorious pictures. I can feel the glow! Choose one ornament? Impossible, since I have some back from my childhood, and my mothers childhood. But the one constant ornament has been candy canes. The last thing on the tree after tinsel when I was growing up, an inexpensive way to decorate when just starting out, and now a tradition in our family. Love the red and white on the green tree!
I have many many favorite ornaments one of which is of Santa's jolly head and beard in the shape of a star that was given to me by a friend many years ago. We don't get to see each other much anymore as we are in different cities but every year when I bring out that ornament I think of her and what a blessing she was in my life.
One of my favorite ornaments is a school photo of my son that he framed with puzzle pieces that circled the picture and were painted red and green like a wreath.
The stars over the houses are great! Your room is just enchanting. My favorite Christmas ornament is moose that I bought in Colorado. It commemorates the time by best friend and I were snowshoeing and a giant moose (is there another kind?) stood on the trail between us and the car we needed to drive to pick up our husbands and kids from ski lessons. Apparently we did everything we should not have done. I now know that a moose will charge if annoyed. Luckily he got bored with the two crazy ladies and walked off (after 45 minutes....)
My favorite ornament is the peanut Jesus that my daughter made in Kindergarten. There's a peanut wrapped in tissue swaddling and laid in a toilet paper tube cut short and halved back to back. There was also a little bit of straw in there when it was made. Best memory ever!! She's in her mid twenties now and I love getting that one out every year!!
Stunning KariAnne! Simply stunning!! : )
Your home photos are always so inspiring! My favorite ornaments are those our children made many years ago. Now, with toddler-age grandchildren, they are enjoying them as well!
My favorite ornament is a gingerbread man. He looks so realistic....and he has all his limbs!! Ha!!
Choosing a favorite Christmas ornament is tough, but I think it would have to be the vintage "knee hugger"elves from my stash of childhood decorations!! I remember patiently waiting for that box to be opened, after the tree was assembled (branch by branch) ?
So classy! Love everything, wall color, Christmas tree, dishes, houses! Blessings!
My crocheted angels. I have had them for years, and still love them..
My favorite ornament is a very chipped little nativity scene that my youngest son found years ago while we were out walking. Apparently it hadn't past muster at a neighbors house and was tossed out, but refused to make it to the garbage truck. It came home with us and is always one of the last ornaments hung, but always in the most prestigious place on the tree. Your dining room is lovely, so glad you kept those to die for drapes!
I have several ornaments my girls made when they were little. Grown now with families and trees of there own, I will always remember when...
Karrianne I love everything you do! So happy the news from your Dr. was good news? Praying for good health and continued happiness. My favorite ornament (s) would have to be vintage mercury glass ones! Love, Love all The details hand painted, even the imperfections. Oh the stories they could tell.
We dont have a christmas tree (part of our belief) but my favorite christmas item is a sweet little white light up church we got when we were 1st married. Now 5 kids later..they love when I pull it out each christmas!
My favorite is our lovely Angel treetopper made from vintage hankerchiefs with a sweet handpainted face and moss halo. Makes me smile to unwrap her each year! Thanks for sharing your warm inviting room
My favorite Christmas ornament is a silver angel with my sister's name imprinted in it (very popular in the late 60's and 70's). I never knew her (she died before I was born) but I have always thought of her as my own angel, watching over me.
I loved looking through your blog tonight. It was relaxing to just browse and dream of Christmas and decorating. Your style is so beautiful and I enjoyed the time I spent here. My favorite ornament is the wooden pair of ice-skates I hang on my tree. I bought my sister an identical pair for her tree to remind us both of our childhood spent ice-skating on a pond close to our home. Sweet memories. My favorite ornament on your tree is your wooden rounds garland. Love it. Thank you for the opportunity to enter the giveaway - beautiful dishes.
My favorite Christmas ornament is from my grandmothers tree. Its a beautiful glass Santa Claus. I have no idea how old it is but I love it. It reminds me of past Christmases and all the fun we had as kids.
A handmade ornament depicting a beautiful painted scene of the Washington Monument was sent to me thirty-eight years ago from my dearest sorority sister. She passed away two years ago. This ornament is my favorite.
I have the remaining 3 blown eggs decorated by my late mom. She had made a dozen when I was 5 years old. So hold on tight.... That was 45 years ago. This is the 2nd xmas without her, and I cherish them, and with "curtain climbers, bugger butts, and jumping monkeys" I am afraid that I might lose one or all 3. Thinking of presenting them differently instead of being on the tree. Hoping to pass these 3 last eggs to my 3 grandkids when they are much older. TY for the chance. Merry Christmas!
My favorite Christmas ornaments, are the ones my children make. We will pass them down to the grands.
My favorite is a 6" disco ball my younger sister picked up at a craft show. Can't help but smile every time I look at it :-)
My favorite ornament is the one my husband and I purchased for our first Christmas tree 38 years ago. It was glass bells that I cherish more than ever as this is my second Christmas without my husband.
I was concerned (since I loved your "old" dining room so much) about this change...but just beautiful ! Love the paint color on the walls-table and chairs look lovely. That bolt holder is a great piece...and cutting a banner...genius !
My favorite ornament(s) are the few my grandmother made and gave to me. Most are crocheted snowflakes but also a few out of other things. They are treasures to me!
Wow!! Thank you so much for sharing. I especially love the setting sun in the little houses.
My favorite would have to be the silver angel that has my son's name and birthdate on it. It's very special to me.
My favorite is the one I made with both my daughters a few years ago. It's not the prettiest but because we had such a great time it holds a dear place in my heart.
Most definitely my tiny snow globe ornament that my mom gave me the first year I moved into my own apartment to my tree.
Would love to win for my new home.y favorite Christmas ornaments are ones I bought on my honeymoon seven years ago This will be my family's first Christmas in our new home
Old mercury glass.
Beautiful......my favorite ornaments are the ones my children have given me over the years.
Love the twinkle stars!
My favorite Christmas ornaments are a set of vintage gnomes that were made out of pinecones.
Just beautiful!! All of it!! Such lovely lighting too!
My favorite ornament is actually a decoration. It's a gorgeous angel created by my SIL of vintage glassware in honor of my mom's passing in 2014. I treasure it immensely.
My most cherished ornament is a beautiful glass poinsettia ornament engraved with the year we got married, 1975. My mother-in-law gave it to us on our first Christmas together as husband and wife.
Beautiful! Could you give away the fabric bolt cabinet, too, please:-) I don't have a favorite ornament, since they're all my favorites! Many of my ornaments were handmade by dear friends through the years, and I love pulling them out and remembering the precious people who made them or gave them to me.
You are simply remarkable...I saw those little ceramic houses at Target and left them on the shelf. Now I hope they are still there so I can use them on my table as you did! My favorite ornament is a little blue tin bell from when I was a child. I collected other similar bells for each member of our family.
My favorite ornament. It's so silly, really. Many years ago when I was very little, my mom made our tree ornaments out of this thick, salty dough. I don't remember exactly the dough exactly, but I was 4 years old. Even back then, I loved horses. My mom made a very special ornament just for me-a little dough horse. He was beautiful to me-with shining eyes I got to help paint on, and a little English saddle. I'm almost 50 years old now. I still have this ornament. As the years algave gone by, my little dough horse has lost some of his luster-the paint has come off one eye, one little leg broke off-but it still goes on our family tree. My little dough horse is my favorite ornament!
my favorite ornament is a blue and silver glass ball with a snow scene of a church on it. It always hung on the tree throughout my childhood and I always loved it. It's probably the only one left that hasn't broken. I am now 65 and can't wait each year to hang it on my tree. Such sweet, simple memories!
My favorite ornament? The very first one my husband and I bought as a couple before we were married. It was in Savannah Georgia at a Christmas store on river street. A gorgeous (now a little worse for wear) mouse king ornament from Christopher Radko. Its the first one we put on the tree even now, 20 years later. :-)
My favorite ornament is an angel given to me by my mom who passed way too young. I was just 31 when I lost my mom, and for years it was hard for me to decorate the tree since most ornaments reminded me of my precious mom. Karianne, you managed to capture the "magic hour" in your pictures. How warm and welcoming your dining room is! I would love to sit in the chair with the cozy throw and share a cup of mulled cider, tea, or hot cocoa with you.
My favorite ornament is the handprint i made in school long ago.
My favorite ornament (s) are four little felted animals that represent our four children. They don't even match my style as it evolved over the years but they are priceless to me.
We have a beautiful snowflake ornament made out of folded paper that my mom gave me that I love.
KariAnne, your Christmas decorating is just gorgeous! You have made everything look so beautiful! And, of course, that sunset, shining through your windows, on your decor is so lovely! You have done such a great job of capturing all that beauty for us to see! Hope you can spend many hours together -- as a family -- enjoying one another and your gorgeous "Christmas" home!. God Bless!
my fave ornament is a crystal snowflake my dad gave me
My favorite ornament is a small red wooden violin my husband and I picked out at a Christmas shop on our honeymoon ... 25 yrs ago last week!
I have a lot of favorite ornaments so this is a hard one to answer. One of my favorites is one that I made when I was 5 or 6. When I was little we would all make a Christmas ornament every year and that year we made felt ornaments. Mine was a star made from green felt with hand etched beads and sequins. The stitching is about as wonky as you can get but I loved making it and it holds great memories. The light in your room is so beautiful!
a framed picture of me Christmas morning with the tree and toys and mismatched PJ's about age 5
My favorite ornaments are wooden and painted in bright colors.
I love Christmas.
I just love the simple beauty of this.... And the stars over the little town.. Sigh. I love Christmas.
Any ornament given me by my children or grandchildren. Precious!
love the new wall color!! reminds me of mine, oakwood brown, that i've had for several years. it is such a cozy color and plays well with Christmas.
OH!!! favorite ornament story...ahem, well, that would be the clay casting of my first child's handprint on his first Christmas. so very precious, especially now that he is 42, sigh....
Kari Anne, Would you be willing to tell me what brand/company your wooden dining chairs are from and where you got them?? They are gorgeous and look comfy, too. That back draws me every time! ? The entire room is stunning, with such attention to detail. I honestly love everything about it. My favorite ornaments are my antique Mercury glass ones in several shapes and sizes. Thanks for asking and for a wonderful post. ???
Your 'inner light' shows in all you do. Thank you so much for helping me get my subscription up and running again. God's blessings for you and yours this Christmas season ! ! ! !
I just want to say how much I enjoy your random Saturday posts. We are introduced to lots of wonderful people we would not otherwise meet. I think if I could only have one of my many favorite wooden ornaments, it'd be my hand carved Santa face.
I really really love this post!
My It's a wonderful life Christopher Radko even though it has a broken top because my mother took me to buy some ornaments (including that one) when our dog knocked over the Christmas tree and so many were broken. The year she died it fell over again and that one was "injured" but I'll never replace it.
We have a big orange construction paper bell crafted by my son when he was a couple of years old. The clapper has a lovely cotton ball that he glued on and a pipe cleaner loop for hanging. It is almost the size of a full piece of construction paper. He was so proud of it that, when he walked into my mother's house after a day at a local church mother's-day-out, he walked strait over to her lovely decorated tree and hung it front-and-center. It still hangs right in the same spot every single year!
I love these twinkling pictures. I love lights, too. I wish I could keep my lights up all year. My favorite ornament is one I just got that shows 5 stockings hanging on the mantel. Our five grandchildren's names are painted on them. I never thought we would be blessed with 5! Thanks for the chance to win.
Love ?
I'm loving silver this year! Your room is beautiful!
Your dining room looks beautiful! When you said you got the little house at Target I made sure o look for them the next time I was there and found 2 left. I haven't set them up yet but you gave me a great idea on where to use them. Love the stars hanging from the chandelier, too!
I've been collecting ornaments for many years, so I have lots of favorites. One of my favorites is a Snoopy ornament that I received as a child about 45 years ago! Wow, that makes me feel old, lol.
No matter how you style the dining room, it is always lovely.
A Santa made from a peanut it's maybe an inch big the face has marker eyes and the outfit is from felt. Someone gave it to my mother. We had nothing when we were kids, a few decorations. I'm nit sure how I ended up with it but I love it.
My favorite Christmas decoration is a vintage ceramic green Christmas tree with miniature colored lights. It is the first item I set out, turn on, and begin the Christmas season. It looks so festive when the lights are dim and my tree has shared many family get togethers.
Just SO Beautiful! Thank You for Your Lovely Posts!
an ornament that a coworker gave me when my son was born - a Hallmark's first Christmas ornament
Lit up in the evening, your dining room is a peaceful sunset ready to wrap it's arms around you in a hug. Your plates are the perfect neutral background with good bones, standing guard, waiting to present something yummy.
I like a little clay ornament that my husband made as a child and the old glass ornaments I received from my mom. I love the dishes, they're very classy.
I like my countdown to Christmas radio made by Hallmark.
My favorite ornament(s) are the ones my that are my son's. From his first Christmas ornament, to the ones he makes now. I love them all!
Beautiful Christmas dining room!! My favorite ornament(s) are those passed down to me from my grandmother. I've collected many over the years, but those are the ones dearest to me!
I love those little houses! Are they ceramic? They almost look like felt in the picture. Beautiful!
My favorite ornament was a gift I received and is a Swarovski snowflake I love it.
My favorite ornament is one my hubby got me the year we began dating. It has a little dial on the top and a little window on the front, so each year we can turn it to count the number of Christmases we've shared. This will be number 13!
I have a green plastic pea pod with two little anthropomorphized peas peekingbout from our first year of marriage. It is titled "Two Peas in a Pod". That was 31 years ago.
I love the way looking at these pictures makes me feel-warm and happy, content and looking forward to the season! My favorite ornament is a pewter one from when I was a child. Baby Jesus is lying in the manger with a star shooting over his head. It is hung by a fat, frayed gold string. It reminds me of being young, at home with my family.
My favorite Christmas ornament is a tin bird that was a gift from one of my favorite people.
My favorite ornament is the one I bought for my son's 1st Christmas. This will be the 37th year that I have hung it on my tree. It's a beautiful clear glass hand blown bulb with a little boy hanging his stocking painted on it. It's so precious to me. Your Christmas home is beautiful. Thank you for the chance to win & Merry Christmas to you & your family.
my fave ornament is a little pom pom mouse on a sponge piece of cheese, so cute and creative
You've inspired me to set up a twinkling village in my own dining room!
My favorite is of the Eiffel Towel because my husband and I honeymooned in Paris!
There are a few store bought ornaments on our tree, but most are made by me or the kids. My favorites are the "stained glass" painted ornaments that they made at the Festival of Trees a few years ago. They're made from the plastic that is used to cover light fixtures, and the kiddos painted them with different scenes; there is a reindeer, a snowman, a poinsettia...I want to start sets for each of them (a little late, unfortunately) so that when they move out with their own families, they will have a full set of ornaments to start their own family tree traditions.
My favorite decoration of yours has to be those pretty white houses. And I'm so glad you decided to snap your photos as the sun set. Perfection! And Peace! My favorite Christmas ornament is one I've had since childhood. It's a little cardboard shelter coated with glitter that has a red cellophane window in its back and has a little plastic figurine of a boy kneeling with a young deer. I know... what's so special about it? I'm not sure... but it always melts my heart.
I have many ornaments I treasure. My favorite is a gift box ornament that plays a recording of my mom expressing hope that I will always be home to celebrate Christmas with my family.
How pretty! Thanks for sharing all this loveliness! :-) My favorite Christmas ornament is a little Clara ballerina from the Nutcracker Ballet. My parents gave it to me years ago after we attended a performance. It brings back sweet memories.