My Christmas Family Room

Hey everyone!  Well, I said I'd be back soon to share how I decorated our family room and here I am!  I love decorating this room, because it's where we spend so much of our time.  Our family room is wide open to our kitchen and breakfast rooms which means I get to see everything from my usual spot in the kitchen!  It is, of course, also where we watch TV, so there is the ever-present wall-mounted machine and all it's components.....lol!  I'm really not complaining here, because I truly enjoy having some TV time, too!  I'm just very happy that the TV has its own spot and is separate from the fireplace and mantel.   Until we bought our current home, it had been 18 years since we had a fireplace; and we've never had one with a mantel -- can you believe that?  So, even though the mantel is shallow, I truly enjoy decorating it!  So let's take a look.

Our sofa-recliner faces the fireplace and the TV, so we get to enjoy the mantel all decked out.

So does Abby.  Well, she could care less about the mantel decor.  It's all about the fireplace and her little heated pad.  She hangs out here every evening, usually totally stretched out facing the fire.  Even when she gets too warm, she just moves to the little chair on the left and watches the fire.  

She cracks us up!

This mantel is very shallow, but I make good use of the space I have.  I use small command hooks to keep the swags and stockings where they are supposed to be.  Wish I had invented those things!

Since this is all open to the kitchen, I like to keep the same design style going on here in the family room.  The kitchen, which you can see HERE, is all about Snow People and whimsical; so I carried the whimsy into the family room, too.  This room is where our "Grands" hang out and play when they visit, and I want it to be fun for them.

I had almost everything you see here already, and only added a few $Store items.  The wreath was just a very cheap inexpensive one that I simply added red and green mesh to along with some ornaments.

I continue to use my battery-operated candles and simply changed them up by adding some mesh and narrow ribbon.  

This has been kind of a decorating dilemma, but The Man has a plan in the works for this space -- already a DIY for 2013!  Since our home is almost ten years old, this built-in area was designed for one of those "massive" box-type TVs & not a wall-mounted version.  Thus, there are cords & such that I try to conceal with some greenery at the back.  For Christmas, I simply tucked 

in some single poinsettia stems.

I like to have some special photos here and our sweet remembrance of The Man's parents -- their 

50th Anniversary clock.  I just love the delicate chime of this little clock.

This candle smells like sugar cookies (yum!), and the little tinsel tree is a new purchase from the $Store.

Recognize these?  You can see how I used them in my Fall decor HERE.  

I like to keep our game table pretty simply decorated, so if the "Grands" want to color, play a game, or work on a puzzle, it's easy to clear the table.

I made the little quilted topper several years ago, along with a matching tablerunner that I'm using in the kitchen.  The little stained glass Santa tealite holder was a Big Lots purchase many years ago, and the small lamp just adds some warmth to this corner.

This little book is one I put together at the end of last year with all of our 2011 Christmas cards, letters and photos that friends and family had sent us.  You can see how I did this HERE.  The little tag has "2011" on it.  I plan to do the same thing with this year's cards and letters.  It's such a little treasure to open and look through.  As I accumulate more of these little books, I will probably toss them in a small basket or pretty dish.

Well, that's about it for my family room.  I hope you enjoyed the tour.  I just love sharing my home with all of you sweet, dear friends.  Hope you have a wonderful week!

Carol

I am happily linking to the following wonderful parties:

Cheri at  It's So Very Cheri for Party Time

Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin for Christmas Decorating on a Budget

Cindy at Skip to My Lou for Made by You Monday

Susan  at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday 

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Table Top Tuesdays

Patti at Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Jenny at The NY Melrose Family for Whimsy Wednesdays

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursdays

Katie at Katherine's Corner for Thursday Favorite Things

Heather & Vanessa  At The Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday

Karen at Sew Many Ways for Find a Friend Friday

Amanda at Serenity Now for Weekend Bloggy Reading

                                             

                   Suzy at Worthing Court for Better Late Than Never Christmas Inspirations Bloghop