Christmas Front Porch
Guys, we made it through another Christmas season here on the blog! My halls are officially decked and I’m ready to sit back with my hot cocoa and just enjoy. The weather is even cooperating, we have had non-stop flurries (Pardon all the flakes in the photos – every time I tried to shoot, it started snowing, so we are just going to roll with it). My kids have been playing outside in the snow until dark and we are counting down the days til Christmas break.
Today, I’m sharing my front porch, which I had a hard time figuring out how to decorate this year. I always put wreaths on all the windows at our last house, but I didn’t have enough or the right size to do it here. I feel like this season was a little limbo-land for me trying to find boxes of Christmas decor that have been packed away for 2 years and figure out what will work in our new home.
So, I decided to just keep things simple with a wreath over each bench, a garland around the door and some festive pillows.
I used my go to trick on the outside of adding real greenery to my faux and wired some ornaments in as well.
Same for the window boxes. I start with a faux garland to make the boxes feel more full and then just add in branches I snapped off some of our trees by the pool house garage.
Along with a few ornament picks.
I had a little supervisor from the breakfast nook window seat. Have you ever seen such a little forlorn face? He loves playing in the snow more than all of us!
Ok fine Charlie, come on out!
I get a lot of questions about how I hang decorations up. For the garland, I used 6 little white nails that are pounded into the white trim around the door. I tap them pretty far in so that they can stay there year round and no one can see them. I then use green floral wire wrapped around the nail and tied to the garland.
For the wreaths I used suction cup hooks this year…
Nope! I won’t be going that route again. Real life – this is the current state of the front porch. It was windy here last night and my wreath came crashing down. It made it for a whole three weeks, so I thought I had found a great solution, oh well. It’s 18 degrees outside today, so we will be going with the deconstructed, asymmetrical Christmas look until I work up the nerve to brave the cold. ;)
Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks until Christmas!
I adore your home! What brand of paint was used on your exterior?
We actually have vinyl shake siding by Mastic the color is natural slate – thanks!
Nice awe-inspiring embellishment. This year i have adorned for this type. I relish this conception
I love love love your house. That is my dream house. I just bought the holiday issue of “Country Home” magazine not knowing your home was in it and what a nice surprise I got. I knew right away this was the house I love. congrats
Wow, so beautiful! looks like a movie set! unbelievable.
Thanks Anna!
We are building and have searched all over for the perfect blue exterior paint color..would you mind sharing what yours is!!! :)
Hi Lauren, this is siding by Mastic the color is Natural Slate – thanks!
Its so pretty Kelly! Yep suction cups won’t work well in the cold , I found that out too! Have a great holiday with your family! Coming home to Michigan to visit family!
Yeah so frustrating! Now I know :) Thanks Maggie enjoy your trip to the mitten!
Your new home is so beautiful Kelly! From Ethan inside/out I love everything about it! I hope you have the most beautiful holiday with your family.. xx
Thanks so much Kristy! Dying over your new sofa it looks amazing in your room. Merry Christmas to you and Jeff!
It was -17 here earlier and they hold up…I just use the regular Command hooks, didn’t realize they had Exterior ones!
Good to know thanks Lorraine!
Your home is SO pretty and your decorations are lovely! I would suspend those wreaths on more floral wire (is there maybe white floral wire?) from your great idea of “little white nails”.
We just arrived in Monterey, CA to spend the holidays with my son and his family. It was 70 yesterday. :-( I already miss my Chicago suburb snow. There’s nothing better than watching big, fat flakes float down outside as you sit in front of a roaring fire.
I love your syle and your choices but I also would lower/suspend those two wreaths that are outside over the “seats”
You are one of my fav to follow because you have your OWN style and dont do what EVERYONE else is doing.
Merry Christmas
Hi Patti, I actually tried that but it didn’t look right, they were too low and hit the pillows. Thanks!
That’s a good idea Dori, thanks!
Beautiful and Charlie is adorable thank you for sharing
Thanks Norma!
Use the clear outdoor command strips and hooks for your window wreaths! I use them every year in Connecticut and have never had one fall!
Do you use them right on the glass? I tried command hooks on our trim but it was too rough and it wouldn’t stick…
Beautiful. And I was complaining about 35° this morning in later I’ll be 67 here in Northern California we actually have to have a projector with snowfall in twinkling icicles to even get anywhere near what you got that’s hysterical our neighbors who just moved here from Rochester were complaining about how hot it was when they were trying to put up the Christmas lights the other day we just laugh a Hysterically. God bless you enjoy your Christmas it looks absolutely wonderful!
Those projectors are so fun and I love northern California! Enjoy your beautiful weather :)
Try using 3M command hooks for your wreaths…and even your garlands. I don’t use nails any longer and my husband is so much happier. We live in Ontario and I have transparent hooks on trim that stay up all year on my upper windows and the garage and it make life much easier.
Thanks for the feedback on the EXTERIOR command hooks I was wondering if they would hold up to the cold temperatures we get in Michigan. It’s 7 degrees today. brr
I tried but they fell down, I think our trim is too rough for the strips to stick. Thanks for the suggestion!
Where did you get the faux garland for the front door? Love your kitchen, is your Refrigerator counter depth?
It’s from Wayfair, but it’s been out of stock for a while. Our refrigerator is actually full depth but our counters are deeper than normal and the builders also cut out a section of wall out behind the fridge so it can sink in if that makes sense? So it appears counter depth but I have all the space of a normal fridge.
It’s turned very cold here also and I would gladly stay in until it’s at least above freezing! My ‘decorating’ is moving at a snails pace,….’if’, and that’s a big if, I get what little I’d like to accomplish…I will be pleased but I’m not holding my breath…..I just said to my husband as I sat and looked at our barren living room, with only a half decorated tree……’ I look at all that people post, and it’s so beautiful….and I think, ‘oh, I’d like to do that….I’ve got the stuff downstairs in the storage…I could do that’…..and then all ambition and incentive leaves me and I just sit there…staring at the half decorated tree…..so, the big question…’where, in the business of life….chauferring kids, appointments and trying to find that elusive gift for the extremely picky teen grandchild….I have nine of them…..where do you get that oomph to get yourself to do such lovely decorating?
It is because she is young. I am in the same boat as you; Mamma of 7. Merry Christmas
Not as young as I used to be ha ;) Merry Christmas!
Hi Marie, well it helps that it’s part of my job to decorate for Christmas so that is pretty motivating :) but my youngest is in kindergarten full time this year so I have a lot more time on my hands than I used to. Also buckets and buckets of coffee ha!
ha. it’s still all so pretty but get out there and clean that up!!
I finally tackled it because the temps soared to 40 degrees today lol.