This year I could hardly wait to decorate for Christmas. I consider it our first official holiday season in our house since last year we moved in about one second before Christmas. We brought the Christmas decorations out of storage in early November (or October…) yet I was greeted by a devastating discovery: we had no Christmas decorations coming from an apartment. We owned a few ornaments, stockings, and a nativity scene but were seriously lacking in the holiday home decor area. I set out to buy a few things to get our collection started, however, certainly couldn’t go overboard. Plus, I think one of the best aspects of decorating for any holiday is the slow accumulation of items in which reminiscing can occur when unwrapping each year. (Scroll down for our nativity scene story.) So I attempted to incorporate items we already own into our holiday decor to create a festive feel while keeping it personal and low-key. It’s certainly not the holiday home that Pinterest dream boards are made of but it feels cozy to us!

Our table centerpiece is made up of extra antlers Nate accumulated then wrapped up in festive sprays. The “table runner” is an old scarf that just screams Christmas.

Waverley loves to pull the blankets off the couch and get cozy on the floor, so we just started keeping the pillows down there. It occurred by accident but I actually feel like it is more welcoming and relaxed! Red is a color I always veer away from, yet I love to embrace it during the holiday season like in these festive pillows.

We purchased this nativity scene the first Christmas we were married. At the time, Nate was a resident and I was a first-year therapist therefore money was tight and this was a huge splurge. I still appreciate its simplicity and rustic appearance, but I really love thinking about that first Christmas.

Just a few decorations in Waverley’s room. Fa la la la CHRISTMAS!

One of the few decorations I’ve actually purchased in Alaska: a glittered moose, naturally.