Christmas In The Living/Dining Room 2022
I have now finished decorating for Christmas in the living/dining room.
Because I moved here in late January of 2022, I missed decorating this apartment for the holidays last year. At the time I was getting ready to move.
Here’s the view of Christmas from just past my dining table and chairs looking onward into the living room.
The red floral picks wouldn’t stay on the tree, so I added them to the mantel instead.
Then I dug around and managed to find smaller red ornaments I’d forgotten I had and I put them on the tree.
Ivy suddenly became interested in the Christmas tree and the deer close by, so I tied those last red ornaments on with ribbon. Next year I’ll probably do that with all of the tree decorations.
Those cute little gold and silver ornament hangers I have are beautiful. But they don’t hold up if you have pets that are attracted to their shininess.
Ivy Gnawing On The Deer Antlers:
Here is Ivy gnawing on the deer antlers. Why in the world would she want to chew on the deer antlers?
I said “No, Ivy Lou!” She just looked at me and then slowly got down. I think she wanted me to know that getting down was on her own terms and not mine.
Cats are so nosy.
If I wake up one morning before Christmas and those deer antlers are chewed up, I will be able to point to the culprit.
I added three wood trees to the top of my electric stove in front of the fireplace. It’s been awhile since I had a mantel to decorate for the holidays.
Above is one side of the dining room. It is the wall area that leads to the hallway. And below is the other side close to the kitchen.
I’ve already shown you the little red tree vignette. But here is another photo of it in case you missed it.
Next I’ll be showing you the kitchen decorated for Christmas. It was easy to do with all the red and white I already have in there.
It looks festive and cozy, Brenda! Ivy chewing the antlers is too funny (well, except if she destroys them!).
Brenda I am in awe of your writing skills as well as your keen eye for decorating. However I needed a chuckle today and Ivy provided it. Perhaps get some wheat grass seeds and plant them for her Christmas present. My dear late Alfie was an indoor only kitty and loved to graze. We discovered the small plastic containers of prepared soil and it cut back on the chewing of illegal things. We ordered them on line in quantities of four I think. The package would arrive and Alfie would guard it until we opened it and dampended the soil and dumped the seeds and placed it under the sink to germinate. He would attempt to open the cabinet door and meow when he felt it was time to graze. I so enjoyed your Ivy story this is my third Christmas without my husband and Alfie . Sharing the antics of Ivy has been an uplift in my lonely day Thanks so very much
Very pretty. Very tasteful!
My cat, Charlie, cracks me up. This is the first year we’ve put up our Balsam Hill fake tree. Charlie ran over to check out the stand. He was a fan of drinking tree water, defeating every single deterrent we ever installed to cover it. He’s still checking daily and looking really annoyed at me because his drinking days are finally over! I did worry about him and the others getting poisoned, but the worst that happened was a few “urps” on the carpet.
I can’t help you on the deer antler issue 🤣 but I love Ivy’s slooooow reaction to your discipline: “Ok, ok, lady, I’m going, but only because I’m good and ready…nothing whatsoever to do with you ordering me around!”
Very cozy & festive.
Maybe Ivy is showing the deer who’s the boss,lol.
I’m so envious of you having a mantle to decorate, Brenda! I’ve wanted one for years, but alas, no place in my living room to put one, even a non-functional one without a fireplace. I have an old up-right piano that I often clear the family photos off from and use that to decorate for the holidays. Not quite the same but better than nothing. Your decorations all look beautiful. I’m so glad you are feeling well enough and are mobile enough to have put them all up. I think putting something bad-tasting on the antlers to keep Ivy away is worth a try. That little stinker!
Everything looks beautiful! I hope you enjoyed decorating your new place.
Clementine will chew different things sometimes (and she’d probably try those deer antlers, just like Ivy), but Monkey was a chewer, big-time. Anything hard and plastic-y, like the arms of my glasses or anything resin – he’d chew it. When he was a kitten, he even used to chew my wooden mini blinds in the living room. There’s still his teeny teeth marks and chunks off corners of the blinds from him. Man, I miss that naughty boy!
Wonder if Ivy would like the taste of some cayenne pepper on the tips of those deer antlers?? Dogs at least usually leave such alone. I poured that stuff into the holes one dog was fond of digging…and it eventually got her stopped…along with a few other measures…but they do not seem to like the taste or smell of that…maybe an even hotter pepper sauce however…like some they sell in Texas ans such?? Haha…
One of my brothers used to chew on everything, including his hat ties on his coat while sitting in church. My dad found some really hot sauce and soaked the ends of that in it…and he found it, IN CHURCH…and the rest of us nearly fell off the pews laughing…had to make no noise in laughing…but any rate, probably others wondered what on earth we found so amusing that day. Cured the brother of chewing on his coast strings, although he never got over chewing on pencils etc…
Years ago before I retired from teaching one of my students chewed off the collar on his coat.
You really have a eye for decorating. Everything looks so beautiful. Ivy is your entertainment! I liked when you said it was on her own terms to get away from the antlers. It cracked me up when we would tell our dog she couldn’t go out with us and she would walk down the hall looking back at us.
Thanks for sharing your Christmas decorations! They are beautiful! I love the idea of the smaller trees . I have one that was my Mom’s, and Saturday I bought a 3 ft one at Walmart. I’m hoping to find one more most likely at a thrift store .
I got your emails they did come late , but it was no big deal . I just went to your blog to look for new posts .
Your table top tree is always decorated to perfection, I remember some of them from prior years. I am especially drawn to mantels. I find yours well-balanced and very pretty, the red picks add the perfect amount of color and charm and agree with another commenter who noted how the red really highlights the red barn print. Some videos I watch on Youtube people go so over the top with garland and picks and what-not that you can’t even see the mantel!
Every thing looks so pretty. Little Miss Ivy wanting to check out the deer and maybe re decorate up there for you lol! Hope the deer have their antlers in the morning. Happy New Week. xoxo Kris
Good Morning Brenda,
tech problems are the WORST! It drives me crazy when I go log on and there is a new format to access my E-mail. All of a sudden they want you to add on extra security questions and link your cell phone number to the process! It’s stupid and intrusive.
Your mantle with the farmhouse/barn picture and garland is very inviting; I love your vignettes and that Ivy Lou, what a card!
So pretty,Brenda! Yes, those little red bulbs really make your tree all the more beautiful – glad you found them. And the mantel looks sweet.
Ivy is too funny, but seriously I hope she doesn’t develop a taste for antlers!
Everything looks beautiful. I especially like the mantel. Can’t wait to see the kitchen.
I love everything about your Christmas decorating! As someone else said – you have such a knack for decorating. I especially love that it always looks very cozy.
Absolutely love all your Christmas decorating. You have such a knack for pulling everything together and having it look so nice. I am still working on acquiring that skill. I come up with visions of how I want to display items, but then I can’t seem to find what I want. So, what little gets put up with have to be what I already have stored. ( just looking at prices online freak me out, lol!) waiting for hubby to help get boxes out for me. It’s 1 PM, and he still hasn’t gotten to it! I loved the screen porch that had the red shutter doors and lots of red incorporate and a dog and kitten. So cozy and sweet!
Everything looks so beautiful. The red picks look nice on the mantle, And the little red bulbs you found most definately make the tree pop. It all worked out perfectly. Miss Ivy is so funny. You ask why she would want to chew on the deer antlers? Because she can, of course, lol. She is a curious little girl, that’s for sure. I like the Santa’s with the scenes/designs painted on them. Are they Jim Shores? I can’t wait to see your kitchen.
The mantle looks fantastic especially the way the trees draw the painting out. You’ve done a wonderful job as always. I’ve been sick with a cold for a week and now my daughter has it so we are way behind. Might be just a tree this year instead of her usual four!
Everything is really pretty!!
I love ❤️ the red trees!!
So different and great looking.
Also the wooden trees on the fireplace.
Those trees are wonderful to collect.
Easy for Ivy to show some interest with the reindeer!
Guess she wanted a snack!!
The swirly ornament hangers look beautiful & shiny on the tree!
I have a few dozen or so.
Not like yours though. Smaller.
Thanks for 🙂 sharing Brenda!!
Do you know how much fun it to look at all your decorations. You have very unique Santa’s and trees. I have never seen wooden ones…like on the mantel and stove. Everything is adorable. Cats do not like citrus. so you could rub some citrus oil on the antlers or white vinegar.. thanks for sharing as usual…💕
Glad your Blog is back on track Brenda. The first day I did not receive it I was worried about you because you have never missed before, so I was happy to hear that it was a problem with your computer.
Love the two stags and Ivy towering over them!
I’m loving all your Christmas decor in your living/dining area Brenda! Those little red bulbs on your tree makes it pop!
It’s s all beautiful. I especially like the mantel with the farm scene and the way your trees seem to extend the scene. You’ve given me ideas to use things I have, thank you! I’m curious why you don’t use the fireplace in your apt. I must have missed that explanation. I was thinking it was gas and cheaper to use than electric, but maybe it doesn’t turn on easily with the flip of a wall switch like the kind I’ve had.
Never feel apologetic for computer issues beyond your control. This is today’s technology and those of us not grown up with it as part of our daily lives and schooling, understand perfectly.
I love the decorating you have done in your new place. I have my mantle with various trees too. Then after Santa has come and gone, I add white snowflakes and snowmen to the mantle and a strand of white lights to glow through January and February.
Enjoying everything about your Christmas decorating and somehow the little red tree vignette is particularly enchanting for me. As always, thanks for sharing!
What a lovely place to enjoy as the days continue to get shorter. I love the mantel. Ivy, what a character! lol
Absolutely beautiful!! Very cozy and festive. Love the barn prints! I went with winter trees in snow and sleigh horses in this year.