Holiday Front Porch 2016

Hey friends! We've been having so much fun decorating for Christmas lately, and I can't believe it is three weeks away. This year, I have the privilege of teaming up with Home Decorators Collection and several talented bloggers for the #HDCholidayhomes blog tour! Throughout this week, different bloggers will be sharing their homes dressed up for Christmas so be sure to check back each day for new inspiration for your home. Today, I will be showing you a few quick and easy ways to make your front porch look festive and welcoming for the holiday season. And at the bottom of the post, you will have the chance to win one of TWO $250 gift cards to Home Decorators Collection!

Let's get started! I traditionally use neutral colors to decorate indoors for Christmas, but outdoors I love to incorporate brighter colors. With a few essential holiday items from Home Decorators Collection, I was able to pull together a festive and welcoming space both quickly and affordably (win-win!).

Check out our red and green front porch all decked out for Christmas!

Not only is this space festive and welcoming, but it was also easy and quick to put up. To keep things simple, I opted for faux greenery that is pre-lit and came with ornaments already attached (so easy!)

Home Decorators Collection has so many beautiful greenery sets, but I instantly fell in love with the Martha Stewart Magnolia and Ornaments Garland and coordinating Magnolia and Ornaments Wreath and Magnolia and Ornaments Entrance Tree because of the gorgeous magnolia leaves and classic red ornaments. They are so striking in person. But the best part is they all pre-lit with the ornaments attached so when they arrived, they were ready to go!

One of the best parts of this pre-lit wreath, garland, and entrance tree is that after I put the batteries in, I have not touched them again AT ALL! They have a simple timer to ensure the lights come on in the evening and then shut themselves off. It's so nice to pull up in the driveway and see the porch lit up! I don't know why I didn't go this route sooner ;)

I added red and gold shatterproof ornaments in outdoor lanterns to give the space a cheery and festive feel. One of my favorite tricks for decorating with lanterns during the holidays is to add a little greenery to the top of the lantern using floral wire. It's a simple (and free!) way to add a pop of color. 

I've always loved the vintage look of antique sleds, so I was giddy when my father-in-law gave us this sled from his childhood. I still have plans to sand and paint it, but for now we are enjoying it just as it is :) To add a little Christmas pizzazz, I added a medium-sized green floral swag from Michaels and three gold bells that I found in the ornament section at Target.

The seating area on the porch also got a Christmas makeover with a pair of red and green plaid pillows and ornaments and the Martha Stewart Magnolia and Ornaments entrance tree and matching wreath. I hung the wreath with a command hook and was done! :)

Thank you so much to Home Decorators Collection for inviting me to participate in this year's #HDCholidayhome tour! Be sure to check out these other talented bloggers to see how they are dressing up their homes for the holidays. 

Here's this week's lineup! Monday Erin Spain | The Frugal Homemaker | Chaotically Creative 
Tuesday Designthusiasm | The Rustic Boxwood | House of Hargrove
Wednesday Duke Manor Farm | The Cheerful Home | Rachel Elizabeth Creates
Thursday Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss | Southern State of Mind | Effortless Style
Friday Cuckoo 4 Design | Maggie Overby Studios | Seeking Lavender Lane | Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our Christmas front porch! Later this week, I'll be sharing more of the interior of our home dressed up for Christmas. You can also find me on Instagram and on my new Facebook page too!

Thank you again to the wonderful team at Home Decorators Collection! Have a very merry Christmas!

This post is sponsored by Home Decorators Collection for the HDC Holiday Homes blog tour. All choices and opinions are 100% my own.

Happy First Birthday Charlie! An Airplane Birthday Party

You hear it all the time: "My how time flies when you become a parent!" and "don't blink! It goes by too fast!" This past year I have found myself continuously echoing those very same sentiments as we've watched our baby boy turn into a curious, mobile, and sweet one year old.

Watching Charlie grow, learn, and become his own little person makes my heart swell with pride and love; however it is also met with a tinge of sadness knowing that with each new development we celebrate, he gets further from the itty bitty little dark haired boy we brought home from the hospital on a crisp November night.

And that's how a "time flies" first birthday party came to be to celebrate our sweet baby boy's first year. A year full of adventure. Happy Birthday to our precious, curious, and loving little Charlie Bear!

This was such a fun party to plan and celebrate. Below are some photos from Charlie's special day with family and friends. It will certainly be a day we will always cherish and remember!

Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

One year ago, we packed up the car and drove 4 hours to North Carolina with our brand new, 4-week old little boy to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. We were sleep deprived but deliriously happy. We proudly introduced our little brown haired newborn to our extended family and several friends. It was a time I will always remember.

One year later, I am so thankful for this little boy and his daddy. Thankful I get to be a mama and wife to my two guys. Thankful for the hard days, the sleepy cuddles, the play time laughs. Thankful that I get to watch the love of my life be the best daddy to our little Charlie. Thankful that out of all the people in world, God chose us to be his mama and daddy.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. I hope that wherever you are, you'll take a moment to think about the things that flood your heart with gratitude and joy.

Now, I'm off to eat too much turkey and pumpkin pie. It is Thanksgiving after all! :)

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

ONE YEAR OLD.

One year full of so many firsts. The first time we brought you home, the first time you slept through the night. Your first smile, first laugh, first tooth, and first haircut (and second, and third...).

A year of smiling, laughing, crying, and staring at you in amazement. A year of peekaboo games, bedtime stories, goodnight kisses, and big bear hugs. A year of seeing the world in a new way through your eyes.