Antique Sleds, Fairy Lights and Garlands

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the Silver Pennies house!  I am sooooo excited to have exterior Christmas lights….

for the first time ever!  I love to watch them shimmer and twinkle like little stars.

We took the boys into the woods in search of some beautiful greenery.

We had so much fun.  It was even warm enough to sit on a huge rock and eat PB & J.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while then you know I like simple decorating and I also like decorating as inexpensively as possible.  What better place to look than the great outdoors.  Real greenery and berries add so much warmth and the most wonderful fragrance to your home for the holidays.

We stuffed the window boxes with greenery we found on the forest floor. I got a good tip while at Bent Nail Farm that if the dirt, in your window box, is frozen pour hot water in.  Luckily it was warm day.

The wreath and garlands were from Home Depot. We got them on Black Friday (I know, I didn’t want to shop but Luke really wanted a drill and a ladder for Christmas, so, I got some greenery while we were there).  The wreath and the garlands were $5 each.

I love how the garlands fall like swag in swooping feathers, so old fashioned and elegant.

Oh, you noticed the sled?!?  It is an antique burnt red sled with the most wonderful chippy paint and decorative details.  Slightly different than the Radio Flyer ones you often see.  I scooped it up this weekend at Bent Nail Farm Antiques.

Isn’t that chippy finish wonderful?

I decorated the wreath with pine cones and a bow.  So that is how our place is looking on the outside:

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Yesterday, I clipped this wonderful holly, box and greenery from my friend, MaryAnn’s yard.

I’ve decorated the mantel and have the holly berries and greens scattered all over the house.  I can’t wait for you to see it all next week.

I’ve also been busy making Christmas stockings as part of the 25 Days of Christmas with Dear Emmeline.  You’ll get to see them on Friday, but can’t resist sharing a peek with you.  I’ll have the full tutorial on Friday for you.  I made the stockings for $2.50 a piece:

We are very excited for some holiday fun in Scituate this weekend. The tree lighting and wreath contest is Friday night.  Santa will be arriving by Harbor Master boat for the Santa Stroll and then we’re picking up the tree.  On Sunday, I will be going to the holiday house tour.

It truly is a wonderful time of year; so grateful for walks in the woods, time spent with friends, snuggling together and watching our favorite films, like Elf and The Polar Express. Our boys are so excited to wake up each morning and search for Benny Snowflake, our elf, and also count down on their advent calendar.