Merry Christmas, everyone!! Hope you and yours are having a fabulous holiday today – we just wanted to take a little bit of time to share my mom in law’s completely fabulous Christmas decorations with you!

If you’ve never met my mom in law Carole… she’s like Paula Deen and Martha Stewart rolled into one. Her decorating skills are top notch, and it’s kind of bizarre that she doesn’t have a show on HGTV or DIY, or at the very least a monthly magazine feature in Better Homes and Gardens.

And what Carole does best? Christmas. So come along with us on a Christmas Carole!

Front Porch Christmas Decorations

Carole’s Christmas decorations aren’t just relegated to one room of the house. From the moment you step onto her front porch, touches of the holidays greet you.

Wreaths hang from festive ribbons at every window.

Lanterns that live on the porch year round get a holiday update with some more cheerful ribbons.

A cute metal nativity scene next to the front door

A holiday sleigh brightens up  a far corner of the porch

A more intricate wreath with ornaments, pine cones, and berrys hangs at the front door – come on in!

 Entryway Table Decor

As visitors walk in, they’re greeted with an array of Christmas decorations laid out on the table in the entryway.

But what I like best about Carole’s table decorations is that she doesn’t forget the negative space underneath the table. She uses it as an opportunity to add another layer of holiday cheer!

The space under the table is great for larger nativity scenes, like this one that’s been in the family for years.

And includes a baby Jesus made by my husband Josh when he was 4 years old. (He’s 33 now.)

Christmas Decorations for the Dining Room

Stars hang from the chairs around the dining room table on fat happy ribbons, and nativity scenes perch atop buffets and tables. But that ribbon chandelier is the real showstopper.

Carole dressed up her crystal chandelier for the holidays by getting out a huge ladder and hanging a variety of holiday ribbons from the ceiling, draping down among the branches. If Josh and I had known what she was up to on that ladder over at her house… I swear we would’ve been there helping her hang this thing. But at the same time, I’m glad I didn’t see it until it was finished, because the effect is pretty stunning.

Again, Carole leaves no negative space untouched – and she always manages to make it look homey and comfortable, not crowded. Hanging from the bottom of the ribbon chandelier are a collection of cute dog ornaments.

A wooden angel hearkens the Christmas holiday next to some bright happy tinsel trees in red and green.

Phil’s favorite part of Grandma’s dining room Christmas decorations is the treasure chest. At different times of the year, this cool box from Hobby Lobby houses fun surprises. For the Christmas season, Carole filled it with brightly colored plastic ornaments… And every now and then when Phil opens it up there’s a little toy waiting for him.

Phil studies one of the super glittery Christmas ornaments

True story, one year during Christmas Josh and I went to the home of Carole’s friend Sharon, who has a massive collection of nativity scenes from all over the world. As the partygoers gathered in another room chatting, Josh and I wandered into the room with all the creches and… well… we might have switched all the baby Jesus pieces around from one scene to another.

Sharon discovered it a week or two later.

In the center of the table, a happy dog stands on a wooden cake stand with a bright pointsettia.

Happy wooden characters smile from a buffet in the corner.

A gorgeous Christmas tree in muted shades of red and green stands in one corner.

Christmas Decorations for the Living Room

Carole’s got a great living room, with beautiful holiday touches in every nook and cranny.

A pine wreath with berries and ribbon hangs above the mantle, laden with pointsettias, large red glass vases, and flickering candles.

Glittery Christmas trees surround the 2 way fireplace. That fireplace is one of the coolest features of Carole’s house, by the way. You can see it from the living room and from the other side in the sun room!

A simple Christmas tree sits on a small table in between two chairs. Such a great reminder in your design work – get elaborate, but don’t forget to have clean simple touches here and there, too!

A brightly lit Christmas tree covered in a variety of glass ornaments

Such a great candy-themed Christmas tree in between the living room and dining room!

Christmas Touches for the Kitchen

Carole is always cookin’ up something in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean she ignored decorating completely! A bowl of oranges with cloves sits on the island, next to trays of soon to be eaten candied and chocolate covered nuts. There’s a tray of regular shecked nuts, too… But trust me. I’ll be focusing on the candied ones. And the chocolate ones.

A metal silhouette of a Christmas tree, complete with cut-out ornaments, decorates the windowsill behind the kitchen sink.

Sun Room Christmas Decorations

The sun room side of Carole’s fireplace features brightly colored felt Christmas stockings for the family, beaded ornaments, and a variety of intricate Christmas figurines on the mantel. Every piece is so different, but they all come together like old friends.

Phil lounges in Grandma’s sun room.

Make room for the unexpected in your Christmas decorating! Carole snapped up a bunch of Christmas cactus plants last year after the holiday. Those baby plants have exploded over the last year, and are displayed throughout the house with other more traditional looking Christmas tree elements.

Again – don’t forget the negative space underneath a table when you’re decorating for Christmas! It’s a great place for more design elements!

In the morning room, Carole even has a little Christmas tree set up for Phil at his desk. Unbreakable ornaments hang from the branches, and Phil spends time almost every day creating pipe cleaner ornaments to add to it.

Out the back door, a weather-friendly Christmas tree with presents decorate the new deck Carole just finished constructing with her sister Lynda!

Hope you enjoyed checking out Carole’s Christmas decorations as much as I enjoyed photographing them! What was your favorite part about sneaking a peek inside her gorgeous home?