Happiest of Christmas Eves to you, friends! I have a little something for you: a surprise home tour! I’m delighted to introduce you to my dear friend, Ellen (or Elle, as I often call her), and her country home in New York. Ellen is one of my dearest and oldest friends, and this little peek into her home made me miss her all the more.
Take a moment to read her post; your heart will be led to a fresh awe of our Savior even amid the bustle of Christmas Eve. Don’t forget to pause and savor Him.
Hello! My name is Ellen Conway. I am excited to share glimpses of our home with you and grateful to my friend Lauren for giving me the opportunity.
I’ve lately been drawn to Scandinavian décor for Christmas – cozy, lots of white and green. The simplicity of it. I have to say that the pops of red I add in are my own personal twist as I’ve never seen those in the pictures and catalogs I look at for inspiration and
practical ideas.
Though I love most of the decorations we’ve accumulated for Christmas, and have always tended towards the vintage side of things this season: real pine, wooden ornaments, antique keys, gingerbread and dried citrus to decorate the tree; this year I felt a real pull towards paring down.
This year’s Advent-Based Decorating Theme
I saw this matchbox Advent calendar idea on Pinterest and had fun making it with the kids. The boxes are perfect for holding small surprises (think dark chocolate squares – yes, they do like those!) and strips of paper with fun activities, Advent thoughts, or clues to lead to surprises somewhere else in the house. My oldest found the branch outside and we covered the tiny boxes with two kinds of scrapbooking paper we picked out together.
The Giving Manger kept popping up on my Facebook feed last year, and I hadn’t been
able to get it in time for Advent. I was determined to this year, even if it meant using gift
money for the kids for it – after all, this would be a gift with true meaning and lasting
lessons as well as memories.
Then this year, the Names of Jesus Advent calendar kept popping up as well, and the idea came to me to use these two things as the central focus for which the rest of the decorating would revolve around or tie into.
I decided not to get out all the decorations this year. I always make an attempt at Advent, but I wanted it to be central this year.
For anyone not familiar with The Giving Manger, you place a straw in the manger for every helpful or good deed done for others in preparation for Jesus. The Jesus figurine is not placed in the manger until Christmas morning, preferably on a soft bed with plenty of straws. So interesting how something this small works to motivate good deeds!
Embracing Imperfection & practical notes on my decorating
Nothing is perfect, and our Advent was no exception. We got a late start because though I ordered before Thanksgiving, I was disappointed to realize that the Names of Jesus
calendar was coming from Australia. Even though shipped out quickly, I wound up getting a late start to the Advent I had envisioned – as well as having to kind of fudge my way through the first days, inventing as I went along.
All the same, we eagerly awaited the mail each day until it arrived, and have had such meaningful Advents since. I have a prized thrifted taper candle holder that I got several years back and use as an Advent wreath; we light the candles, flip the card over for the day it is, and read the corresponding email devotion. We then sing a carol and use a book my mother-in-law gave me that tells the stories behind some of the carols.
I will miss this part of the day when Christmas is over this year, and I’m pretty sure the boys will as well.
In the room I originally looked forward to setting up our tree, I actually wound up going with a more cleaned-out approach, simply using the Giving Manger and the Advent
wreath on the small table, as well as some other small touches for decoration.
Advent flows into the main part of the house where our “calendar” is hung the length of the main room where our Christmas tree is.
Back in our porch room, two small quotes are displayed on my largest wall shelf, tucked between some vintage cameras I’m very fond of. A “just breathe” ceramic plate from my sister; important for me to remember amidst the busyness of this season.
Also the quote, “good things are to come”; which makes me think of Jesus both then and now at this time of year.
On a practical note, as the boys get older, I have a growing collection of their creative pieces and much artwork. I love it all so much; but sometimes blending that in with my own things taxes my creativity. Over the years I have realized that the way it’s displayed sometimes makes a difference.
I love tiny easels for their small paintings and framing some of their artwork really makes it pop. I try to tie in with either color or style theirs to mine and vice versa in small ways that makes it all at least somewhat cohesive. 😉 Again, reminding myself how it’s not about perfection.
Because sometimes it just doesn’t go together with the rest, and that’s okay. Repeat 😉
I absolutely love the corn husk angel our oldest made in school this year and asked him if we could use it to top our tree – instead of our usual glitter star. It was so much simpler and seemed to fit in so well. It makes me happy every time I look at it!
Reflections on what has come to mind this year at Christmas
May I suggest that our decorating reflects the current season we are in, the lessons we are learning? That is why I believe it sometimes changes and flows into something
else as we enter new seasons of life.
Two things impressed deeply on my heart this season are the parallel ideas of the silent
wonder and awe of this time that seems to shift seamlessly at times into upbeat joy. Jesus is peace and joy – both things! So it should come as no surprise to me that the season at which we celebrate His coming to Earth should encompass these two at once, but it always brings with it a sense of new wonderment every year to me even so.
Tucked under a blanket with a book by the glowing white lights of my tree
or standing outside in the cold, clear silent night air gazing at the never-old perfection of stars and snowy sparkles – comfort.
Peace. O Holy night Divine.
Standing for the perennial “Hallelujah chorus” of the annual Messiah we are blessed to attend;
belting out Joy to the World with little children,
the laughter of friends – exhilarating Christmas Joy unspeakable.
Encouraged hearts. Nature singing.
How fitting of the season as our Savior, as Our Father, indwells and is, both completely.
I am reminded to celebrate, to embrace the moments, instead of looking for perfection in the celebration, or demanding that the moments be perfect. I am reminded this year by my decorations themselves to focus on what matters most; to keep things as simple as I so tend not to be.
And in other future seasons and years, as my decorating is likely to change to reflect other things and lessons, I hope I will always remember and be able to look back on the sweet simplicity of this year’s Christmas and the things it taught me.
Ellen lives in New York and is the happy and blessed wife of Jesse and mother of two lively and sweet boys, who keep them laughing. There are very few dull moments in their household, though they do all unanimously like quiet hours of hiding away with their books, as well as snuggling down for a reading hour together.
You can connect with Ellen on Facebook.
