Kara Loves Coco- Home for the Holidays

We love to be home for the Holidays.  I grew up with a lot of traditions surrounding the Christmas Season and I love creating our own new traditions with Coco.  My Mom always went completely over the top with our Holiday decorations and I remember how magical our home felt as a little girl this time of year.  My parents would blast the John Denver Christmas album and decorate for days.  I really want to create that for our family and I try to accomplish it by collecting a few things each year to add to what we currently have.  I also incorporate a lot of things that are sentimental to my husband and I from our childhood homes. 

Our tree is a perfect example of this!  Every ornament has a story.  Give me a few glasses of wine and I will tell you the tales of each and then ask if you want to watch our wedding video and sob together.  The tree topper is over 35 years old and I still have the box that it came in with the price tag on it (75 CENTS). It is the furthest thing from a color coordinated, everything matching tree but that’s what we love about it.  I have ornaments from the year my husband and I were born and some that we both made in elementary school.  Each one evokes a special memory and reminds me of how special this time of year is.  Our tree skirt was hand made by Austin’s Grandma and has pom pom’s on it.  POM POM’S! She was a fabulous and stylish woman who worked at a fur store and it’s no surprise that she threw a few pom pom’s on that tree skirt considering how on trend they are now! What else do I collect you ask? Nutcrackers.  I did ballet for over 12 years and was in the Nutcracker each year.  I may or may not be obsessed with the Nutcracker and aside from going to see it annually, I’ve started collecting them.  Coco is just as obsessed with them as I am! 

I’m sure there is a psychological reason for all of my sentimentality this time of year.  So let me lay on this couch and let’s discuss, shall we?  The Holidays today are very different for me personally than they were 10 years ago and even more different than they were 20 years ago.  There were years where I had a hard time accepting that they had changed so much.  Family members have gotten married, had children, gotten divorced, moved far away and passed away…. all of which contributed to a shift in how we spend our Holidays.  They say that the Holidays should be about people, not stuff but for some of us, the stuff reminds us of the people we love and the happy memories we have with those people and the times that we shared together before all of the change. So I say only when it comes to the Holidays, pile on the stuff!  Happy Holidays and thank you so much for following along! xo

Home Sign: Target/ Baby Sleeping Sign: Etsy

 Mirror: Ballard Design/ NOEL Stocking Hangers, Candle Sticks, Stockings, Faux Plants: Pottery Barn

Red Ribbon: Costco/ Black and White Striped Wrapping Paper: Amazon/ Gold Star Wrapping Paper: Papyrus

 Wreaths: Restoration Hardware/ Chairs: World Market

 Black and White Pillow: Home Goods/ Velvet Pillow: Pottery Barn/ Couch: Ethan Allen/ Mug: Target/ Books: Amazon

 Chair: Ethan Allen/ Side Table: Ethan Allen

Chicago Sign: Z Gallerie/ Blue Ottomans: Overstock/ Rug: One Kings Lane/ Coffee Table: Pottery Barn/ Side Chair: Home Decorators/ Blue Pom Pom Pillow: Pottery Barn/ Blue Pot: Home Goods/ End Table: Pottery Barn/ Clear Lamp: Ballard Designs