Christmas at frazzled JOY 2016

Happy Wednesday to you!! I hope you’re crushing this hump day! This time of year the to do lists just keep growing. Lots of coffee is getting me through day to day!! How about you? Christmas is one of my favorite times in blogland! Seriously the number of beautiful homes filled with inspiration is limitless!! I could get lost for hours scrolling through all the gorgeous pictures!

Many times all that scrolling can bring feelings of doubt and insecurity. That green monster of envy that creeps up in us. Yes, I’ve felt it too. It used to be a real stumbling block for me. To the point that I didn’t want to go over to friends houses because it just reminded me of all the things I didn’t have…and then God got a hold of me. (don’t you love it when He steps in?) He gently reminded me of all my blessings and with His help I was able to refocus my energy on being thankful for what I had rather than coveting what others had. I love design and decorating and I’m always looking for new and fun ways to change up our home. So, now when I look at all those pictures I see inspiration rather than envy. Which is why we bloggers put out all those pretty pictures – to inspire, not to brag. 😉  Because, we will all be the first to tell you about all the junk we cropped out to make that photo look so good!! So, I hope that today you are inspired!! (Ok, needed to get that out! Thanks for letting me ramble!!)

Christmas at frazzled JOY just keeps getting simpler. Each year I pull less and less out of my tubs. I may buy a couple of things here and there to craft something, or after Christmas, but honestly I just reuse and reimagine things I’ve had for years! (budget friendly decorating here 😉 )

Ok, ok, time for me to hush and move on with the tour!! Welcome y’all, and come on in!!

First up, the family room. I don’t use red in our décor very often, but I can’t help myself at Christmas! Nothing beats red and white against all that lovely greenery!

I shared our mantel on Monday, you can read more about that here.

Some Christmas pillows bring love and joy to the couch, and our new hard working office area got a few festive touches.

The ornaments I hand painted paired with more red and of course a disco ball. 😀 (sidenote – doesn’t that plant look like a palm tree over the wise men?? 😆 )

This cute little plaid tree was an after Christmas purchase a few years back. It’s missing a couple of jingle bells, but I don’t mind.

It might surprise you to know that these little guys are some of my most treasured Christmas decorations.

My kiddos made these ‘nut-ivities’ in kindergarten Sunday school. So sweet to have one from each of them. They usually require a little hot glue surgery each year after spending a summer in our attic. But they always look good as new when I’m done! I added some garland and lights behind them this year to give them a little more presence.

I’ll share more about our Christmas tree next week, but here she is, all 9 1/2 feet of her.

On into the breakfast room.

Again, keeping it super simple. A few greens in a vase, some ornaments and pine cones hanging from the chandelier, and a nativity in the corner. The branches will soon be filled with Christmas cards I hope!

This little nativity was a gift from my mom, and I constructed a little crèche for it out of some driftwood last year.

Now, down the hall. The guest bath got a cute tree and a couple other touches.

A sweet vignette in the hallway.

Then our bedroom. This room is my favorite this year. I feel like I finally found my groove in here, after experimenting with several looks in Christmas décor.

I changed out the bedding to red, added some lighted garland around the headboard, and my new plaid pillow and done!

I’ve always wanted a tree in our bedroom but I just didn’t think we had the room. So, when this thin little tree was left without a home in this year’s décor, I knew it would be just right in here.

No ornaments needed, just lights. Perfect.

One last nativity and a good reminder to keep Christ in Christmas. You may have noticed that I don’t put away my seashells. I love them, and they are ones we have collected on family vacations – more than just seasonal décor. So, they stay out all year. And sometimes I add ornaments to them. 😉

Hope you enjoyed the tour!! Thanks for letting me ramble!! As always, I hope you were inspired!! See ya soon!

 Linking up with Work It Wednesday / The Creative Circle / The Inspiration Gallery / Holiday Home Link Up / Inspire Me Monday / Inspire Me Tuesday / Tutorials & Tips Link Party / The Nester’s Christmas Tour of Homes / Eleven Gables Christmas Blogger Link Up / Wow Us Wednesdays