Screened-in Porch Decorated For Christmas

Welcome to the 255th Metamorphosis Monday!

This weekend I played out on the porch, decorating it for the Christmas season.

Between Naps on the Porch Christmas Porch

 

The trees are all bare now, definitely looking like winter on the porch.

Screened Porch Decorated for Christmas

 

A view from the other end…

Screened Porch Decorated for Christmas

 

I used things I already had for the most part. The table was decorated simply with live greenery, a sweet glittery deer, mercury-glass Christmas trees and little mercury glass ornaments.

Mercury Glass Trees with Glitter Deer

 

As it grew darker out, I added a few mercury-glass votives.

Christmas Screen Porch

 

I took down the “Summer Breeze” sign since it didn’t work well for a winter porch.  The red mittens garland is something I found this year in Marshalls.

Mitten Garland for Christmas Decorating

 

The hutch got a bit of Christmas, too.

Hot Chocolate for Christmas

 

I changed out the summer platter that normally hangs above the hutch for a platter with a Christmas/winter scene. The top of the hutch was decorated with fresh greenery and berries from my nandina bush.

Decorate with Platters and Garland for Christmas

The Norfolk Pine is the same one I used recently in the centerpiece for this Christmas table setting: Dashing Through the Snow

Hutch Decorated for Christmas

 

How about a cup of hot chocolate? I set up a mini-hot chocolate bar with white-chocolate-covered pretzel cookies and peppermint pretzel sticks. They go well with the Peppermint Bark hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate Bar

 

These are sooo good! I’ve had them for a few weeks now, hoping to include them in a hot chocolate bar at some point. They’ve been calling my name. I just barely managed to not eat them all before creating this post! 😉

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

 

As I was putting this porch/post together today, I thought how nice it would be to have some of the star marshmallows I had recently seen in Williams Sonoma for our hot chocolate. There’s a WS about 2 miles from my home so I gave them a call to see if they still had any. The answer was, no…all sold out. Ummm, then it hit me, the white chocolate cookies would look beautiful floating in the hot chocolate, plus the size was just right for the mugs.

White Chocolate Pretzels and Hot Chocolate

 

I actually like how they look better than I would have the huge star marshmallows.

Hot Chocolate Bar

 

To the right of the hutch near the door you’ll find a sled and ice skates all ready to go for some wintertime fun. Now we just need some snow!

Sled and Ice Skates for a Christmas Porch

 

I’ve never gotten around to purchasing Christmasy pillows for the porch before. I found the reindeer and wreath pillows in HomeGoods this year. I had to have the wreath pillows for the porch, the green goes so well with the swing cushion.

Porch Swing with Christmas Pillows

 

I purchased two of the deer pillows, one for the guest room (seen in THIS post) and one for the upstairs family room. I borrowed the one from the family room today to use here on the porch.

Christmas Pillows

 

The wreath pillows have a raised, almost needlepoint design. They are so much prettier in person than they appear in the pictures.

Reindeer Pillow, Wreath Pillows

 

The light was beginning to fade…getting dark now.

Screened-in Porch Decorated for Christmas

 

Looking forward to the Before and Afters linked for this Met Monday!

Screened Porch Decorated for Christmas

 

One on sidebar

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Comments

  1. Thanks for hosting! I love the star pretzels; I may squeeze in a session of making some homemade ones for our extended family party this Friday night.

  2. Good Morning Susan!
    I’m really enjoying the centerpiece on the table. It isn’t light yet and I would enjoy it with the votive candles in the early morning with my cup of chai. 😉 Although…the cocoa bar is super sweet…and the white cookies look adorable floating in the mugs. Your porch is so lovely. Do you get to enjoy it much this time of year? I know Atlanta is warmer by far than frosty Michigan.

    Wishing you JOY this Christmas!
    ~Diane

    • Thanks, Diane! We always get a few unseasonably warm days each month so thought it’s too cold to enjoy every day, there are always a few nice days each month. I’ve found during Christmas parties, folks always go out on the porch, no matter how cold it is out there! That was a surprise the first time that happened. lol

  3. Susan,
    Oh, dear friend, I’ve been looking at those same Woodland plates at our local Wal~Mart. . .
    I’ve even hinted to “Mr. Ed” that they would be perfect for our Christmas Tablescape
    against the Garden view. I, especially, adore the one with the rabbit!!!
    Your Porch looks festive and ready for the celebrations to begin!
    Thank you for hosting Metamorphosis Monday each week!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

  4. Love your porch all decked out for Christmas Susan! Your hutch on the porch looks so festive with your plates and hot chocolate bar 🙂

  5. I love it! So very beautiful! The pillows are my favorite along with the lit Christmas tree and candles. Oh so festive 🙂

  6. Everything looks so gorgeous Susan!
    I love the pillows, the hutch and your centerpiece.
    What a wonderful, amazing porch you have.
    Cindy

  7. Ruth Duncan says

    Do you know if the Tassel House is still functioning?

  8. Ummm can I just move into your porch? That is gorgeous! You are so good at all the decorating you have done. I enjoy all the eye candy you provide! Thanks for hosting this party for us to link up to.

    Shannon ~ bohemianjunktion.com

  9. Susan, your porch is just gorgeous!! Very warm and inviting! Keep going back to it! Merry Christmas!

  10. Everything looks merry and bright ~ especially your darling hutch which I love all seasons of the year!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  11. Your porch looks beautiful and Christmassy. I like the open look- not so cluttered. Merry Christmas Susan!

  12. BEAUTIFUL! Your wreath pillows look exactly like a smaller version of the Pottery Barn pillow covers I have in my den. I looked everywhere for smaller ones to put in the wicker chairs in my breakfast area. I love, love, love, your Better Homes and Garden dishes. I still can’t believe you found them at Walmart. You just never know where Christmas treasures can be found!

  13. Morning Susan, Thank you for hosting today. I only skimmed through but everything looks lovely. I am leaving to go to work, I will stop by tonight and take a better look and to visit the other posts. Have a wonderful day!

  14. Susan your porch looks so inviting. I never get tired of looking at the many ways you decorate it and it is just beautiful at Christmas time. The cookies and hot chocolate look delicious. Enjoy it all!
    Hugs
    Becky

  15. Susan, your porch is always pretty but it’s especially beautiful at Christmas! Thanks for hosting!!

  16. Very cute! I see you brought the sled in from the front porch too! The red mitten garland is adorable! The hot chocolate with the pretzel stars looks so good! Great idea! That lighted cube in the corner with the snowmen on it is just like one I have. Does yours have the vented metal top to go with it? I put mine out this year because it makes me think of my mom who gave it to me many years ago. Her memory is slipping so bad now she doesn’t remember such things. It would be enjoyable to set out on your porch with a nip in the air and having a steaming hot cup of choclate with you!
    Thanks for hosting the party!

    • lol good eyes, Liz! Yup, all my pics of the sled came out dull looking…it was cloudy and raining when I took ’em, so I just didn’t post any of them. I need to take some today…it’s beautiful out…and add them to the post. Oh, the little lighted jar/lamp…it didn’t come with a top, just completely open at the top. So sweet that your Mom gave you one. ♥

  17. Susan, your porch looks fabulous! I love the Mercury glass and your hutch is so pretty with your Christmas china! Thank you for hosting!

  18. Thanx for hosting Susan! Love your porch. It is one of my favorites!!

  19. Your porch looks beautiful and inviting, as always! Thanks for hosting 🙂

  20. Is your flooring wood or laminate? Love the look.

  21. Thank so much for hosting. Your porch is adorable for Christmas. I just love the swing with the pillows.

  22. Susan, your porch looks beautiful in all its Christmas finery! Love the wreaths that you hung in place of the Summer Breeze sign, but I’ll be ready to see it again soon! Those star shaped cookies look so pretty in your hot cocoa, too! Hope you are enjoying all the wonders the season has to offer!

  23. Thanks so much for hosting! As always, your porch is just so warm and welcoming. Merry Christmas, Susan. XXOO ~Christy

  24. Thanks so much for hosting, Susan. Your porch is gorgeous! Have a lovely week!
    Blessings,
    Nici

  25. Looks so holiday cozy Susan, love your cocoa bar and the star cookie afloat! What a Merry spot to enjoy!

  26. Susan, Great decorating, and the hot chocolate looks so welcoming.

  27. Absolutely beautiful! I want your porch!!!

  28. Just beautiful ! Love all your BHG plates and platter displayed ! Such a pretty porch !

  29. Your porch looks so pretty! I want to grab a cup of cocoa and swing for a while admiring it all. Thanks so much for hosting!

  30. Your porch always looks just beautiful, Susan, but this may just be my favorite so far! Is your porch just screened or do you have some other covering for the colder months? It just always looks so clean and inviting. Thanks so much for hosting!

    • Thanks, Carol! It’s just screened and trust me, it gets dirty! I just washed all the seat cushions from the dining chairs in the washer, they had never been washed. Amazingly they came out looking almost brand new…so guess I’ll be using them again this next summer.

  31. Susan, your porch is the most inviting porch ever! I love everything about it and the way you decorate it is simply beautiful. I love the candle jar and little sleigh on your hot chocolate bar, but my favorites are the wreath pillows and deer and mercury glass trees table decorations. I would just sit for hours on your porch year round. Merry Christmas!!

  32. Your winter porch is stunning. Love the colors and the feel. I had a screened porch several years ago and miss it so much as it’s such a relaxing place to hang out in year-round. I’d love to enjoy a space like yours. We both have a thing for HomeGoods. So happy I found your post. Merry Christmas.

  33. So welcoming and festive! I want your porch so bad! 🙂 Merry Christmas!

  34. Oh Susan, I love the winter porch. It looks stunning – everything you did for Christmas. Your new pillows look so good on the swing.
    Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas
    Mary

  35. Susan, your porch looks so warm and inviting. I love how you are able to tie things together and get such a great total look. If I did not have a cold right now, I would be on your porch enjoying hearing the birds come to your feeder and chirping, sipping on the hot chocolate and just relaxing. My local Walmart still has lots of those wonderful BH&G plates. Some only have one design but other Walmarts have more. If anyone is looking for them, they should try several Walmarts if they have more than one in their town. I wish the Walmart’s would carry the cereal sized bowls that match with this set. The only way to get those, from what I can tell, is to order the set from Walmart online and the website says they are out of stock now. Walmart carried these BH&G plates last year so if someone misses out this year, they may be able to get them next year if they start watching for them around Thanksgiving time. Thanks for sharing your decorating ideas. I just love all the inspiration you provide.

    • Linda, that’s good to hear. I hope they are all restocking because I’ve gotten so many email from folks still trying to find it. This pattern has been a huge hit! I wish they had the bowls, too. At my Wally World, they had a set of nesting bowls and the largest bowl would probably work for a cereal bowl, but you have to buy the whole set of nesting bowls to get it and that would be kind of pricey to buy 6 or 8 sets of nesting bowls. Not sure why they didn’t have a bowl for that pattern. Maybe next year they’ll bring it back again and make bowls, too. Thanks, Linda…appreciate those sweet words!

      • Yes, my Wally World has the nesting bowls and the large serving bowl as well. I bought several of the salad plates last year and paired them up with some Walmart generic plates and bowls that matched the burnt reddish color in the trim of the plates. This year I bought the dinner plates and a few of the newer designed salad plates. There is a cereal bowl for this pattern but it appears to only be sold with the set on Walmart.com. I have never seen those mistletoe matching bowls in the stores.

  36. Love your porch, Susan…so festive! Those pillows are fabulous! I found a terrific pillow there, too! I need to try that hot chocolate…looks yummy! Thanks for hosting…hugs…Debbie

  37. Your porch looks beautiful! Thanks so much for hosting! Life to the full! Melissa

  38. Hi, Susan,
    Once again your attention to detail is impeccable (even down to the two twig spoons tied up with ribbon!) Your porch looks perfect for the holidays. And your photos truly are worthy of a decorating magazine. A wonderful post!
    Rosie

  39. Oh dear Susan, nothing more lovely this time of year than your porch!!! You have the touch of charm and perfection to decorate it with just the perfect touch and gorgeous elements for this wonderful C’mas holiday! Your dishes are 2D4!!! Thank you for hosting this great party. Have a lovely holiday week.
    FABBY

  40. Susan, your blog is my new guilty pleasure and has made this Christmas season more festive and merrier with each creative and heartwarming post! Today’s photos of the your oh so comfortable porch really struck a charming chord with me for the abundant “eye candy” of the porch swing and holiday pillows, the hutch with the endearing winter scene plates and the tempting cocoa bar complete with steaming mugs finished with floating Christmas stars! (The cocoa bar post from last week was pretty darn terrific too!!) In the midst of all of these gratifying sites, you have inspired me to re-do our home office into my very own space with lots of white furniture and accent touches of pale celery. Most of the furniture is soon-to-be painted and re-cycled (of course) from another home re-model project. Your inspiration and fresh ideas have just saved my budget on interior decorator fees! Thank you for so generously sharing with those who benefit (and enjoy) the breath taking inspiration. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

    • Anita, thanks so much! That’s makes my day to hear your sweet words! Best of luck with your home office, I know it will turn out beautifully! Hopefully you don’t have any “stuck-to-the-wall-forever” wallpaper to remove like I did. That was the worse part of my home office redo. Just about made me swear off wallpapering another room ever! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you!

  41. Susan, your porch is so pretty this time! Especially love the pillows on your swing and your tree with the large star on top. I’ve started a collection of lighted star tree toppers to decorate with outside so I’m noticing those a lot this year. Sitting on your porch with a cup of hot chocolate would be divine! (BTW, I’d like to know more about your bottle tree!)

  42. Katherines Corner says

    I would like to sit on your lovely porch and have a cup of that yummy cocoa xo

  43. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Cozy! I love it all; particularly that mason jar candle tucked back in the corner of the hutch and that little sleigh with it’s red plaid ‘throw’ carrying those yummy looking pretzel sticks. Hee. 🙂 I’ll be over in a bit. 😉

  44. Your porch is always my favorite. I dipped 2 bags of holiday shaped pretzels in white chocolate this weekend, made 5 lbs of chocolate fudge, and the almond joy candy and will make peanut butter balls and some cookies today and tomorrow I will deliver to friends. My orthopedist told me the first year I brought him the fudge he sat down and ate the whole box in one sitting because it had been years since he had received homemade candy. I love to make candy and while the ingredients are expensive, it’s worth the splurge once a year.

    Have a wonderful Christmas season and may the New Year bring you many joys.

    • Now I’m wondering if these are covered in yogurt. I’m pretty sure it said chocolate on the box. lol It tastes like chocolate so I think it is. 🙂 That is a hoot about your othorpedist! I bet he is hoping you make more for this year! One year I made lots and lots of homemade cookies, cakes and candies. I filled probably 15 BIG platters with them and gave them to various neighbors, friends, etc… I had this one huge platter filled to the brim on the back seat of my car to take by to the mechanics who do my car maintenance. It was covered in plastic wrap. That evening we all went to see The Nutcracker performed down in Atlanta. We parked on the street. Chip was only around 8 or 9 back then. He had just gotten a brand new Ninentendo type game…one of the handheld kind. I’ve forgotten the name of it. Anyway, when we came out after the ballet, our car window was busted out and his new game was gone. They also took his new coat, my huband’s electric razor, my insurance card from the glove box and various other things…all easily replaceable. But the thing that ticked me off the most was they took that huge platter of homemade goodies. I had this image of those mean ole criminals sitting somewhere scarfing down those yummies I had worked so hard to bake. That was really hitting below the belt! Our insurance replaced everything with no deductible so all was well. I’m still fuming over my cookies and candies, though. lol

  45. JoyceB in Atlanta says

    One of the songs my Dad used to sing popped into my mind as I looked at your beautiful porch:
    It’s a marshmallow world in the winter, When the snow comes to cover the ground.
    It’s the time for play, it’s a whipped cream day, I wait for it the whole year round!
    Beautiful porch, love the silver trees and the hutch. You are so energetic and creative…Maybe next year, instead of the wreaths, make another sign with the snippet of a song to replace your summer sign in winter. Just a thought…

    • What a cute song, Joyce…love that! I was thinking that same thing. I wish I thought far enough in advance, I should have done that! I just may try to make one for next year since I’d love to decorate the porch each year for winter.

      • JoyceB in Atlanta says

        If you can make a wooden flag for July 4th, you can certainly make another sign for your porch!! 🙂
        I love my dark blue painted wooden barrel stave sign. Written in gold paint is ‘When you wish upon a Star…’, and little clusters of free form stars are painted at the ends. It always makes me smile.
        Your mitten garland is adorable. I bought some funky baby socks knit in bright colors from one of the wild bird stores – they come in sets of 5 – and put sprigs of Nandina berries in the top and hung them from a wreath. This season just doesn’t last long enough for all the ideas…:) Thanks for answering my earlier post.

  46. I am always so impressed with your decorations. They always looks wonderful. The other thing that I am REALLY impressed with is how clean your back porch always look. How in the world do you keep it that clean??????

    • Amber, I don’t…you just can’t see the dirt very well in pictures, thank goodness! 🙂 I try to vacuum it occasionally and give it a good wipe down, but I’ve not been as diligent this summer as past summers. It needs a good scrubbing now.
      Thanks!

  47. The porch looks gorgeous all dressed up for winter. It is cozy and warm looking and I would LOVE some hot chocolate, thank you! The cookies are perfect floating on there. LOOOOOVE the new pillows. I didn’t see that platter at Walmart when I got the dishes or would have grabbed it too:):) Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  48. Such a beautiful Christmas porch! I especially love how you decorated the hutch–love those Christmas plates. Thanks for hosting, and have a wonderful week! Dee 🙂

  49. Hi Susan. Love your porch, it is so pretty and festive. Love the new pillows you added too. Thanks so much for hosting today and every Monday. Hope you have a wonderful week.

    K.

  50. Your porch is lovely!! Thank you for hosting your party this week. Happy Holidays!

  51. LOVE the pillows, esp. the wreath pillows!!! And I have some of those star cookies (mine are yogurt covered but I think they’d still taste okay in the hot cocoa…at least for my kids; they wouldn’t care. 🙂 ) Such a great idea!! You porch is just sooo cozy and festive! Thanks for sharing and for the great party!
    I shared a few posts today, one of them is my Christmas home tour: http://www.pailsofpaint.com/2013/12/christmas-home-tour-home-made-christmas.html I feel like I have gained so much help for decorating my house from the wonderful blogging world…I love my home now and I’m so grateful! 🙂

    • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

      Tonya, just wanted to let you know I followed your link. I tried to leave a comment, but I don’t have any of those accounts so I was prevented from doing so. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your Christmas house tour. So cozy and warm and welcoming! I know exactly what you mean about getting inspiration from Susan and her house. Don’t you just want to drive to Atlanta and hang out with her on the porch? Lol. I do. I think we all do. 🙂

      Hey, I would have bought that beautiful slate piece hanging by the fireplace!! And I hope you do a tutorial on those beautiful snowflakes hanging from the mantel. Susan does the best tutorials! I love that she takes pictures and explains every single step so you really ‘get it.’ I thought those snowflakes were particularly beautiful. Wish I could have left you a comment, there. ~ Pam

  52. Juanita in OH says

    Oh, Susan, you never cease to amaze me! This looks like a place I could spend hours in. Here, in OH, we have had quite a bit of snow, I’ll send you some, but by the time you receive it it will just be rain again, lol. I LOVE your tablescapes because they look magical. I am a fanatic about dishes, I would like to know where the red and green tartan plaid and the dishes in the post are from? Have you had them a long time? The red deer pillow really throws a punch on the sofa! The sled and skates add an air of Currier & Ives. I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season, peace and many blessings. Thank you for your generosity and sharing.

    • I bet you do…Ohio def gets it’s share each year! Juanita, do you mean the plaid on the hutch…or do you mean the plaid dinner plates I used in last week’s table? The plaid on the hutch is just a napkin I put down and I think those are from HomeGoods a year or two ago. The plaid plates I used in this past week’s table were from Pottery Barn last year. They were a big hit and sold out pretty quickly that year, I think. The salad plates I used last week and the plates on the hutch are all made by Better Homes and Gardens and were sold in Walmart this year. Some Walmarts still have those…but it’s hit or miss. Someone left a comment today saying her Walmart still has plenty. So you can check there for those plates. They are a super bargain…just $2.99 each.
      Thanks, Juanita! XO

      • Juanita in OH says

        Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, I truly appreciate it. I was talking about the plaid dishes on the table. Thank you so much for the information…btw, Walmart is out of the H&G dinnerware on line.

  53. Hello Susan,
    You have done a wonderful job out on the porch…it’s beautiful as always. Love the centerpiece on the table. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Blessings,
    Linda

  54. Your porch looks fantastic! It looks like a great place to enjoy some of that hot chocolate and a good book.
    Thanks so much for hosting.
    KC

  55. Oh Susan…… just lovely…….your porch makes one feel so comfortable and invited!! But then your entire house feels that way!
    Stay warm!
    Lois

  56. Everything looks so pretty, Susan. Your porch looks so bright and fresh. Those wreath pillows are so pretty, and that Christmas china looks beautiful against the green hutch. Is that a hand muff hanging on the sled? Where did you find that? I love it! laurie

  57. Susan, your porch is stunning – talk about attention to detail. Thank you for hosting another Metamorphosis Monday party and wishing you a Very Merry Christmas!

  58. Good Monday Morning, Susan!
    How pretty your porch looks, with all your festive decorations. If you want some snow, we’ve got PLENTY…I’d love to send you some of ours!! LOL
    I took photos of some of it & included them in today post, along with my porch decorations…I have a sled with skates just like yours. They were Ms. C’s skates, that don’t fit her anymore.

    Hope you’re having a lovely holiday season & thanks for hosting MM again. I don’t often get to play in this party so I was delighted to join in today.
    Warm Hugs,
    Rett

  59. Susan, everything looks beautiful on the porch. How warm is it there, it is below freezing here?
    The pillows are charming and I love the hot chocolate and pretzel cookies, may I join you for a taste?

  60. Everything looks so pretty and festive, Susan! Those are wonderful Christmas dishes, and I love the sweet little reindeer on your table. 🙂

    Thank you for hosting and have a good day.

    Denise

  61. Just can’t say enough about what a beautiful house you have and what a wonderful home you create…every changing but always perfect down to the tiniest detail. So glad my sister called me one day & said, “You must go to this site I just found immediately!” Of course it was Between Naps On The Porch; and I’ve become a daily “guest” with you. Thank you for sharing your hard work and for “inviting us in.”

  62. Hi Susan, your porch is so pretty,but then everything you do is so nice. I’d love to come and have a hot cup of that cocoa on the porch. I hope that Wal Mart does carry them again next year. They were all gone here when I checked. I think they had a couple of salad plates with the birds but I loved the bunny and the deer. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  63. Thanks for the tip on the BH & G large platter…. I was able to score one at WalMart and it’s the perfect touch standing on the kitchen counter. Your porch looks beautiful, no idea why I’ve never thought to decorate mine for the holidays. Hopefully next year. But I do have a question (or two). I’ve long admired the small table (white wicker w/wood top). I’ve searched high and low for something similar …. at least the same size and height that works on the porch. Do you recall where it was purchased. Also …. the lamp on that table…. is it not bothered by rain blowing through the screen ?

    • Winnie, I found the table and chairs in Pier 1 about 6 years ago when I first added the porch on. No, so far it hasn’t hurt it. I used to have a small wicker lamp there but it was too small so I changed it for this one. Both lamps have done well there…no problems so far. Glad you found a platter!

    • Winnie, just wanted to add, the outlets on the porch are outdoor outlets, not regular outlets.

  64. What a lovely porch! What a grand space to decorate and relax in! We have a small enclosed porch, but it is not heated so we cannot use it in the winter ~boo! Susan, you have me reconsidering my renovation wish list…forget the walk in closet, I want a bigger porch!

  65. The pretzels in chocolate is brilliant (and delish!) Luv the plaid ornaments, too! NICE!! franki

  66. Susan:
    I would LOVE to be in your space!! I just LOVE all that you decorate!! I love your style, your decor pieces.. just everything and I get so excited to check out your blog page and pictures!!
    Thank you for sharing a very special part of YOU!!
    Brenda

  67. Not just a few, but many of my favorite things are on your beautiful porch!

  68. Susan, I have always loved your porch! I have showed it to my hubby..hint..hint.
    It looks so fresh and inviting. Love it.
    Thanks for hosting!

  69. Susan I just can’t tell you how much I love your porch! I was hoping that we would get ours built this summer, but…I am finding more and more how much I hate having RA. I loved the little bunny plates so much and I was actually able to find 4, but didn’t see the platter dangit! Now to hopefully hunt one down.

    • Thanks so much, Claudia! ♥ Spring would be a great time to add one. Keeping my fingers crossed you get your porch in time for next summer!
      I bet you’ll find one. I think the platters were easier to find than those bunny plates! 🙂

  70. Mary @ The Stylish Palette says

    I am just blown away by your porch. All of the pictures are so wonderful and fill me with the spirit of Christmas. I absolutely love the platter with the winter scene. I want one! Where did you get it? All your colors and decorations are so thoughtfully chosen. And the wreath pillows are beautiful. Thanks for all the great inspirations!
    and Merry Christmas!

    • Thanks so much, Mary! Appreciate those kind words! I found the platter at Walmart…just $12.99. Hope you can find one…if you don’t find it at one Walmart, check another. Some Walmarts have a better selection of the Better Homes and Garden Christmas dishware than others.

  71. Everything is just beautiful! I especially love the old fashioned sled and ice skates. My folks have a sled like that which was my father’s when he was a child in the 40’s and I have been trying to weedle it away from him for ages. I actually got to use it once up in the mountains when he took my brother and I to the “snow” in the So. California mountains when we lived out in S. Cal. growing up. Merry Christmas!

  72. I know I have said it before but I love this porch and it looks so festive!!! Dianntha

  73. BEAUTIFUL, Susan! Love every detail. -Brenda-
    P.S: Am sending you a refrigerated truck load of snow to go with the ice skates and sled ….. winks.

  74. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Susan, you sneaky little Pete! Either you added that picture of the sled and skates later, or I am losing my mind. (Hey, don’t say anything!)

    I love, love, love that whole sled vignette you do. It is sooo cozy and so Norman Rockwell to me. *sigh* It looks great on the porch, actually. I know it’s usually out front, and it always looks great by the front door too. But it seems extra cozy on the ‘napping porch,’ to me right now. Especially with the hot coca and snacks so near by. 😉

    I just watched White Christmas the other night and the song they all sing, “snow .. Snow … SNOW!!” keeps popping into my head. I suppose a day or two of the fluffy white stuff might be just the ticket. 😉 Now, where did I put my skates ….

    • lol You’re not losing it. I took that one yesterday after the post went up and added it in. I think I added one more in, but forgotten now which one…oh, it was a close up of the pillows on the swing. I love that movie, haven’t seen it in forever. I need to veg and watch it this evening. Glad you got to see the sled/skates, even though I added them much later in the day. 🙂

  75. Ooh, I just love all the holiday excitement and inspiration. Thank you for hosting and providing a place for everyone to share.

    Christmas on your porch makes me want to drive right on over. And, I definitely want a pretzel in my hot chocolate.♥

    I hope you will come by to say hello and visit more of my Holiday Home Tour.

  76. So happy I found 2 more Bunny Plates today. I now have the deer ,birds and bunnies. Have not used any as I would like to have 6 bunnies.So,I will keep looking. If I don’t find them I going to keep 4 of each and return the rest.
    Think I will just have to purchase that lovely tray too.

    • Yay! That’s awesome because those seem to be the hardest to find. So how many bunny plates does that make that you have, Vicki? Is it 4? I bought several of each pattern because they look to be the perfect size for finger foods at a Christmas party where you have a buffet table.

  77. That make 5 bunnies. I will keep looking. I just love them all! Bought the tablecloth too! Where oh where does it end?

  78. Beautiful cream colored damask with a border of all the animal’s with a cranberry border. There is also a red plaid but I can’t find that in the size I need. I also purchased the small appetizer plates .

  79. Thanks, Susan, for the party and it was sheer pleasure to look at all your Christmas decorations. Beautiful. Linda

  80. Hey Susan,

    I haven’t written in awhile but these wreath pillows are haunting me…….how large would you say they are 18″? 20″? They are beautiful and look like Pottery Barn. I have called HomeGoods but no luck here. How long ago did you find them? And it was the whole pillow not just covers, right? I am still enjoying my hurricane candle holders from Colonial you told me about forever ago. How do you keep you house looking so wonderful and shop? I am always inspired by your words and your home. Thank you for all. Merry Christmas.

    • Terri, I just looked at the receipt and I bought them on November 18th at HomeGoods. They measure around 18-19 inches square. It’s little hard to measure them since they are so full. They feel and sound like they have a down insert. I love HG pillows because they always feel so soft like they have down inside. The brand name on the tag says, “Domain.” The cover is 85% cotton and 15 % flax and they say they are made in India.
      Well, shopping is very easy around here. I am surrounded by stores…HomeGoods, Marshalls, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pier 1 and many, many more are all within 2 miles of my home. I can be at any of those stores in 5 minutes. If I drive 15 minutes away in any direction from my home, there are many more locations of all those stores. So I can run out to any of them and be back home in an hour easily. I regularly stop by Marshalls and HomeGoods since I pass them constantly going to the post office or to the grocery store. Marshalls is famous for getting in exactly 1 or 2 of something or exactly 6 place settings of something, so when I am looking for something, I can zip in as I’m driving to the grocery store on to a doctor’s appt. etc…
      My house isn’t always clean, trust me. 🙂 I don’t have a cleaning lady or housekeeper, I do all my own cleaning. One thing I try to do is whenever I’m on the phone, I use that time to dust while I’m talking. Recently my vacuum died which was a blessing because it was pretty awful vacuum anyway. I purchased two to replace it, one for upstairs and one for down. I find it’s not such a hassle to vacuum if there’s already a vacuum on the level I’m on…hated hauling it up and down the stairs. One sneaky thing I sometimes do is plan a party. By golly, I can find a way to get this house clean when I have guests coming. I’m having a get together for New Years so there will be some intensive cleaning going on after Christmas, you can count on that! 🙂 I hope you can find the pillows. Thanks so much for those kind words! Just know the camera doesn’t always show the mess on the other side of the room or the dust on the shutters. 🙂

  81. You amaze me and I wonder how you became who you are on dozens of different levels. I think you show such love and kindness in your photos, your home, your words. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. They mattered to me and I know you must be very busy. Merry Christmas

  82. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Susan, I was able to get some of the BH&G plates this year! Unfortunately they didn’t have the deer, so I’ll have to keep my eyes open for that pattern, but they had the others, plus the tray/platter, which I LOVE and they had serving bowls and cookie jars and what looked like stacked ramekins in different sizes. They were probably just little serving bowls for nuts, candies, etc. I love the platter so much! It looks so much nicer than a lot of them that are several times the price. I was so excited to get these yesterday, I laughed and told my husband, ‘this is what we blog ladies get excited about.’ (I call you my ‘blog lady friend.’) Haha. Even he thought they were a great deal!

    Now, I don’t have the beautiful porch that you have to cozy up and decorate, nor the great hutch to change out with the seasons, but when I do … I’ll be ready. 😀

    • I’m so glad you found some, Pam! I love that platter, too. I just got mine out yesterday to display on the counter in the kitchen. They are so inexpensive, I purchased two last year. The other one hangs above the hutch. I need to put it out there today. That’s so strange that they didn’t have the deer. I was in my Walmart about a week ago and they were missing several patterns, too. I don’t know if they just don’t get them in or if they have them but they just haven’t made it out onto the shelf yet. I bet if you go back in a week, they’ll have the deer out. 🙂

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        That’s what I was thinking and hoping. Have you noticed people on ebay selling these plates for exorbitant prices?! Oh my goodness, they’re tripling the prices, or more. I’ve seen sets of 4 plates offered for $50! And I saw a set of 4 plates and cookie jar offered for $75.00!! I hate greed. 😡

        • No, I didn’t know that was going on. I’ve seen that with expensive name brands like Spode or Lenox, etc… but never with Walmart dishes! Did we start something here?!

  83. Just revisiting this post. I like those 3-D wreath pillows; the textures really stand out. So pretty. And this year, I’ve discovered Peeps for Christmas. My favorites for hot chocolate are the candy-cane-flavored white chicks. Fun to watch them float on top, like one of the “Seven Swans a Swimming.”

  84. Well, I missed the link up! Everyone’s tables and houses look great.

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