It’s that time of year again! Time for the Canadian Bloggers Christmas Home Tour! You may remember mine from the fall // here // it was full of colours and patterns, and my Christmas tour is no different! Well, it’s different in that it’s not a fall tour *dying of laughter over here.
Instead of giving away the whole kit and caboodle in one tour this year, like I did last year // here // I’ve separated it into several digestible posts. Last week we had the Holiday Mantel which you can view // here //, I then shared my Christmas Party decor in our dining room // here //, so today I’m sharing all things related to Christmas food – that is to say the kitchen and the dining room. Later this week I’ll be going into detail on the tree and the rest of the house!
Thank you to Christina of The DIY Mommy for hosting. If you’re joining me from Amidst the Chaos, Brooklyn Berry Designs, lemon Thistle, Suburble or Life is a Party – Welcome! My name is Ariel and I create bold, bright, colourful and eclectic home decor and DIYs. You can read more about me // here // and see more of my work // here //. I’d love you have you sign-up to my newsletter // here //
*Afloral sponsored this post, but all thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible.
I make a kick-ass gingerbread cookie. I’ve been making the same recipe since I was in 2nd year university and working at Williams and Sonoma over the Christmas holidays. I worked there every year from September to January while in University. I fell in love with beautiful and simply bold kitchen decor there. It’s why I still own 20$ spatulas to this day, and know the names of more glassware types than you’d think is normal. Anyhoo, my recipe is actually one of their 5 versions. You can find it // here //
// Don’t worry, you can “shop the tour” at the bottom of the post! //
It wouldn’t be the holidays without a decked-out coffee and hot chocolate bar. This year I swapped the coffee filters for marshmallows, candy-cane and chocolate drink stirrers, and some chocolate peppermint squares from the grocery store.
I think Christmas is one of those occasions where it’s permissible to put things like nutcrackers and malachite Christmas trees next to your coffee maker. I wouldn’t do this for say Halloween, or Valentine’s Day, but at Christmas I like to find bits and pieces a little bit everywhere.
I love that our kitchen sink has two windows directly above it. I can watch the snow fall while doing dishes, or pouring a cup of coffee. Not wanting the front of house to be outdone, I added two wreathes to our windows with big bold red velour ribbon. In lieu of my beautiful floral arrangement from the fall – complete with beaded pumpkins – I’ve simply replaced them with two lavendar magnolias from Afloral // here // and one of my atomic starburst ornaments // here //
You’ll find those stunning blooms on our bar cart in the dining room too.
Christmas decor calls for small but perfect vignettes throughout the home. It’s about creating little moments that catch the eye and draw you in. My bristle reindeer and bottle brush trees are the perfect example! Perched on the middle shelf of my IKEA bar cart, you only really notice them when you’re reaching for a glass.
Bruce had to be a part of the Canadian Bloggers Christmas Home Tour too. He ran around like a goof while I decorated and photographed. He and the two cats Boots and Dr. Tobias are a constant source of joy in my life and household.
Another Christmas treat I love is a lemon bundt. I know that makes no sense, but it’s true. A good ole’ fashioned Betty Crocker lemon bundt with a lemon glaze and sugar frosted cranberries. This year it’s adorned with little Christmas food picks from Meri Meri, and helps add a bit of flair to the otherwise stunning bundt cake.
Which brings us to my tablescape and place settings. I am a sucker for tablescapes, and like I told my friend, I need Buckingham Palace or Versailles to properly execute the designs I have in mind. Lord knows my very small PMQ dining room is not big enough, and certainly doesn’t give me the height profile I need to properly pull-off some of the things I have in mind. If you’re digging these awesome pink marbled plates though, you can find the DIY // here //
This year I’ve nailed-down our colour palette to pink, red, light blue, green (dark green and a richer and lighter green), as well as metallic and then purple. I don’t know if that sounds “nailed-down” to you, but to me, that’s a nice step-up from last year’s pink-stravaganza. I’m slowly expanding the palette and adding more whimsy to our decor, while balancing it out with darker colours.
Anyone else serve Turkish Delights this time of year?
Aren’t the crackers delightful? Using a cohesive collection has really helped unify all my different pieces as I mix and match them to best suit the decor needs. You’ll notice the cookie boxes, crackers, and food picks are all by the same company. Not only that, but the florals throughout the main floor are all cohesive in style and colour. Afloral was great for that – I was able to order enough flowers for the entire house in one fell swoop without worrying about whether or not the florist would have what I needed.
If you wanted to shop the post, now’s your chance!
*The following product links contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible. For my full policies click // here //
From Afloral: pink anemones, lavender magnolias, green vase, blush mercury glass vases, gold candle stick holders, gold candles
From Anthropologie: Christmas Salad plates
From Meri Meri: Party Crackers
Make sure you check-out all the other homes on this week’s tour! The Canadian Blogging world is FULL of talent, so it’s nice to see it all assembled in one place from time to time.
Monday
northern style exposure
The Learner Observer
The Uncommon Law
Heather In Heels
Clean and Scentsible
THE SWEETEST DIGS
Tuesday
Amidst the Chaos
Brooklyn Berry Designs
lemon Thistle
Suburble
Life is a Party
PMQ for two
Wednesday
Love Create Celebrate
Satori Design for Living
A Pop of Pretty
So Much Better With Age
VinYet ETC
Woman in Real Life
Thursday
The DIY Mommy
Fresh Crush
Time With Thea
A Pretty Life
Home To Heather
Nalles House
Friday
This Little Estate
Craftberry Bush
The Happy Housie
Kimpowerstyle
Elliven Studio
Everything is so fresh and lovely Ariel! So many great special touches. I would enjoy a visit to your house at the holidays!
I would love to host you for the holidays! I’ve been waiting all week to sit down and go through blogs, your new foyer is next on my list!
As usual, your use of color put a smile on my face. I love your pink marble plates so much! I would eat cake off of them every day! I think I need to add a hot cocoa station for the kids, now. 🙂 Bruce’s face cracks me up. He looks like he’s confused about why you’re taking pictures again. 😀
Thank you sweet friend 🙂 You should absolutely add a hot cocoa station for the kids! I love ours, even if it’s just for DH and I 😉
Bruce cracks me up on the daily. He likes to lunge upwards for a hug while I’m working and he nearly knocked the camera and tripod over a few times while shooting.
you create such a fun and unique christmas! i love all of your bold colors together. bruce under the table cracks me up!!!
Thank you 🙂 Bruce would probably run amuck with your three pooches if they ever met!
I love your eclectic style and of course that colour, perfect! I noticed one of your ornaments, the peace sign… I have the same one, it must be a military thing? 😉 Bruce just cracks me up… haha his face! <3
I think as a military family we’d be silly to hope for anything but peace sometimes… even if that hope is just a glass ornament that I’ve had for years and put new ribbon on each time.
Thank you for your kind words though! I love my colour and I think I’m slowly winning everyone over with it!
Love your table and the way you’ve mixed non traditional Christmas colors, flowers and patterns! It’s so YOU and so Fab!!
Thank you 🙂 So me and so fab is just what I wanted to hear!
everything looks so yummy, warm, and welcoming!:) I love all the colour and nutcrackers everywhere – such a cute detail:)
AHHHH! Excuse me, I’m just over here pinning like a maniac! All the color! And sweet Bruce! And your amazing use of flowers! DYING!
I’m glad we both enjoyed each others’ tours so much 😉
Beautiful! As always! Love those nutcrackers and place settings. Gorgeous bright colours! Everything I’ve come to expect from you my friend! Merry Christmas xo
Merry Christmas to you too <3 So glad I didn't disappoint!
WOW! I love everything you have done for your holiday tour Ariel! So colourful and cheery and wonderful! I bet your throw amazing parties!
Thank you! <3 That's exactly what I wanted to hear - cheery and wonderful! I do actually, and we're having one on Friday <3
So pretty! Love your colourful, playful style., and now I want a cookie. Wish I was close enough to come over for one.
Thanks Dannyelle! We shoulda organized a distance cookie swap!
Stunning Ariel! Loving all of the colors!!
Thanks friend <3
Ariel, this is lovely! Your use of colour is fantastic, and I adore your gold candlestick holders – they’re amazing!
Thank you! They’re from Afloral and are perfect for creating a long centrepiece
Home run, my friend. Home run. Your colourful Christmas is so modern and fun. Those crackers are delightful, and the mix of florals… so good!
Thank YOU! High praise from a non-colur using person 🙂
Those crackers crack me up! Too much?
Nice work Ariel! I love all the colour. It’s gorgeous.
Thanks Heather! I’m loving all the creativity with this tour!!
I want to come to your place for Christmas dinner! There’s so much happening, so many fun things to look at. I’m not opposed to a little malachite at any time of the year! 😉
I’d have you over any time! As long as you cook ahahaha
SO festive, love it!!
Thank you <3
I always love your home tours! I get my dose of colour and pattern. It looks fantastic Ariel! Merry Christmas!
Aww thank you Jen! I enjoy putting them together too!
Oh so festive and delicious looking! Y our use of colour is fabulous as always, Ariel, and that cake looks amazing! Bruce is the sweetest, too.
Thanks Christina!
Wow Ariel, So festive, bright and cheerful! Yo are such a creative lady!I love Bruce, hamming it up for the camera too, my little guys love to get underfoot whenever I’m puttering around! Great tour!
Thanks Kim 🙂 Bruce was born for the camera! He’d be in every shot if he could! But I suspect a large part of that is because he is underfoot 😉
Wow, how inspiring! I love it!! Those crackers are SO cute!
Those crackers are adorbs!
I love your tree! I also subscribe to the put-lovely-ornaments-on-tree-don’t-overdo-it camp. 🙂 I love how colourful your home is, and those gingerbread cookies sound amazing!
I couldn’t agree more! I see some gorgeous trees with flowers and a million garlands and I WANT THEM! But each year I find myself dressing and trimming a simple tree. Who knows why!
Okay, so how fun is this! I always get my colour fix whenever I visit. Those Christmas crackers are a hoot. Wishing you have very merry Christmas 🙂
That’s like a sugar fix, only no calories right?! 😉
Glad you enjoyed it the tour <3
Such a fun tour, Ariel! I love all your bright colourful details and whimsical touches!!
Thanks girl! I’m all about that bright colour
So beautiful! I love your red table runner. Where is it from?
Thanks girl! I got that one from Homesense in their clearance section!
I always look forward to your posts to see what you create with your wonderful artistic style! I love your flair for mix and matching and totally making it work! I also love how you weave non-traditional decor accents and totally make it work in your Christmas decor. You really are inspiring!
Thank you Thea 🙂 I hope you’ll continue to pop by now that the #12 Months of DIY is over! Non traditional and colourful – sounds just like me!
SO beautiful and unique! You definitely have a special talent for decorating with talent. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Jenn! I try 😉
This is gorgeous, Ariel, all of it. Jealous you worked at WS!! I love that store. Happy holidays!
Hugs, Jamie
It was a great experience and I definitely ate more than my share of Peppermint Bark and marshmallows. Looking back on it I should have learned more, but since I was the re-stocker, I spent ALL my time reading the labels and answering questions…and selling 5k$ espresso machines
So pretty! I love the non-traditional colors you used and everything is so festive!
Thanks girl <3