{Tips & Tricks} Holiday Nostalgia

Despite choosing to live in Minnesota and Montana, I am indeed the person that complains about the cold before it even hits. If the snow fell from Thanksgiving until January 2, and otherwise was 65 and sunny, I would be be the happiest Kelly year round. While I work out my opinions on sub-zero temps and snow, they do represent some of my favorite memories and a time of year I look forward to since childhood-the holidays!

We spend an absurd amount of time and energy curating our homes for the holidays. This year, I have splurged on a small collection of Department 56 houses and figurines that are a small representation reminiscent of my grandparents' collection which I loved dearly. Decorating is far more than being festive. What's better than a failed attempt to remove copious amounts of glitter from a knit sweater? What's merrier than asking Alexa to play your favorite Dean Martin Holiday playlist? What screams "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" like hearing your children giggle and gush over decorating the tree (albeit one small 3'x3' corner while the rest of the tree remains sparse)? These special, yet fleeting moments are a few of the many reasons that I adore the holiday season.

Let's talk a stroll down Memory Lane, Holiday edition:

OH! MY! HEAVENS! Baby Kora and Kennedy are toooo cute for my heart! Now back to 2022, here are 3 tips I use to curate my own home during the holiday season!

1. Swap out your textiles for those that feel luxe and festive. I like to add custom pillows plus a gorgeous plaid.

2. Balance your tree height with the perfect number of ornaments and stems for the ideal ratio of trimming. Use stems to fill gaps and add both texture and depth to your tree. While it is personal preference on how full you would like your tree, we recommend starting with 10 of each style to trim your tree.

3. Mix and match tableware at your holiday gatherings. This week I read an article in Architectural Digest that interviewed a major design influence, and he spoke of his collection of decor items, and it got me thinking of my own curated collections. Real dishes and flatware are a major obsession of mine going back to childhood & eating off of my Grandparents fine china and crystal. I felt like the Queen herself. It's a feeling that I bring to my own tablescapes and mix and match tableware. The girls often help me set the table, and there's nothing more beautiful to me than them asking for a "fancy glass" aka crystal aperitif stem glass and listening to them play "fancy". If one of the mix and match pieces happens to break, I'm not devastated since they all mix together, and are dishwasher safe. After all, it's real life.

Warmly,