Welcome To Our Ho-Ho-Home (I'm Sorry, I Know That's Painfully Cheesy, But Lighten Up, It's Christmas...)

Hi!  Come on in!  Today I'm playing along with BooMama's Christmas Tour Of Homes, in which we all show pictures of the spectacular adequate things we do to our homes for the holidays.  (To make this page load faster I'm including smaller, thumbnail photos; you can click on them for the bigger version, if you're so inclined.)

So...here we go....

Here's our front door.  Notice the wreath, and also notice the stack of Thanksgiving decorations that have been piled by my front door for three weeks.  And the dead mums.  We are a class act around here.

Next is our foyer.  In past years, I've put garland and bows all the way up the banister, but not this year.  So, let's just use our imagination and pretend they're there, okay?  See that oh-so-kitschy little snowman on the front table?  He's got little fiber-optic cables all over him and he changes color when he's plugged in.  My kids love it.

A FIBER-OPTIC SNOWMAN!  OLD DECORATIONS STACKED BY THE FRONT DOOR!  Just add an upholstered couch on the front porch and a Chevy up on blocks in the driveway, and we'd be right at home in Green Acres.

Anyhoo, moving right along...

This picture hangs in my foyer; it's one of several beautiful holiday pieces my mom has cross-stitched for us:

Here's my living room, seen from the foyer.  I had to schmutz out a few places (like the stockings) to cover our names, but you get the general idea:

The Rudolph pillows on the sofa (and matching runner on the coffee table!) are among my favorites:

Here's my little Christmas village on the back of the piano.  This excellent ceramic craftsmanship comes to you straight from--yep--Dollar Tree:

Next is our true family favorite.  My family had a set of these angel chimes when I was growing up; a favorite tradition was to turn out all the lights, light the little candles, and watch the heat make the angels on top spin.  It's beautiful.  When my brother and I got married (and by that I mean, when we individually got married to other people, not to each other, but it bears clearing up since we are, in fact, from rural Arkansas) my mom bought us our own angel chime sets.  This is without a doubt my kids' favorite holiday tradition.  They are sheer magic:

Here's the obligatory tree photo (nope, no presents under it; I have a two year old who very much likes to unwrap gifts):

I don't do much decorating outside the living room, but I have a few things up in our dining area (the "Joy" print is another of my mom's creations):

That's it from the Dryer house.  I'm looking forward to snooping browsing through all of the other participants' homes listed here at BooMama's place. 

Merry Christmas!

Comments

[boomama]

Okay - you totally owned me with that line about you and your brother being from rural Arkansas. I can laugh loudly at such a joke because I am from Mississippi.

And your house looks GORGEOUS. You have put me to shame with all of your holiday accessories. I do think I have some holiday accessories, but oh, the boxes. The never-ending boxes.

Thanks for playing!

[Southern Girl]

Everything looks so beautiful! Especially your tree!

And oh gosh, those angel chimes are a blast from the past! We used to have some exactly like yours...now I'm wondering where in the world they went.

Thanks for opening your home! :)

[Susanne~Living2Tell]

Love the stockings all lined up on the fireplace! And you're mom's crossstitch is beautiful. Your place looks very beautiful, Shannon!

[dcrmom]

Wow, you're on top of things, girl! I think I'll post mine, it's all raring to go.

You know what, I think we have the same light in our kitchen as you do, and the leather chair in the living room looks awfully familiar as well.

Beautiful decorations. Love the Happy Fall on the front porch still. My son would inform you that it is, in fact, technically still fall. ;-)

[Martha]

Beautiful! Where do you keep your two year old? In the basement? I am so impressed with how clean your home is! I really loved the needlework pictures and the angel chimes. We had those growing up too! Such special memories! Merry Christmas and thanks for the tour!

[Jules @ Everyday Mommy]

Okay...what'd you do with the kids?

[on the Rock]

It's beautiful tour of your home! Loved the little village on the paino, from Dollar Tree no less!!! Front door and living room are lovely!

[Laurel Wreath]

Thank you for sharing these with us. I have to tell you a story of the angel chime set. I cringe every time I see them. You see my grandparents had a set they use to set out all the time.

There was a time my family was at my grandparents house with out my grandparents being there. Just my family. Well I so admired my grandmothers angel chime set.

Admired it so much I broke it, and hid that I broke it.

Well Mom, being the wise woman she was found that I broke it.

I had to write an apology note to grandma and grandpa for breaking their angel chime set. I was so embarrassed, angry at Mom for making me do this. But as you see she got her point across since I still remember this from many many many years ago =)

See our kids will learn at least something =) Great pictures. Thank you.

[Kelli]

Love your blog. I visit you often. But, I love your rug even more!!! Where did you get it?

[Adventures In Babywearing]

You have a lovely home!! I love your colors, and love taking a peek inside!

[melissa]

loved it! i love the matching stockings. someday i hope to get a bit of matching going on around here.

[~m2~]

amazing -- did you just vacuum?

[~m2~]

oh i am back with a less silly comment -- could i commission your mom to do a "Joy" sampler for me?? i am dead-on serious - i collect the word "Joy!" seriously!! it means Jesus first, Others second, Yourself third. i would do it myself, but counted cross-stitch makes my eyes feel funny (and all that counting.....we won't go there.)

super-serious. let me know or let me know where she found the pattern and maybe i'll ask my busier-than-me sister to make it for me.

i'll stop typing now :)

[misslionheart]

What a beautiful, cosy home. Thankyou for letting me in!

[Melene]

Everything is so beautiful!
I love the Angel Chimes. We had one of those when I was a kid. Oh, I'd love to find another one.....Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing!

[Jane]

Love your $Tree Village. Esp. since I have a $ store tree! My mother also cross stitches. So lovely to have some of them in my home.

[Beck]

Beautiful! I want angel chimes myself, but I haven't seen them in stores around here. Dollar stores are where I get most of my fine, fine decorations - your little village is adorable!

[Kelly]

Your house is very pretty! Merry Christmas from one Arkansas girl to another! :-)

[Chris]

Everything is BEAUTIFUL and very warm!
Thanks for having us over.

[barbie]

My Grandparents always had those angel chimes out every Christmas too:) I always loved to here there little chime at the dinner table. Your house is beautiful.

[Barbara H.]

Thanks for having us over! I remember those angel chimes being all over when I was younger -- I thought they were so neat.

Love your home! Very inviting and homey!

[Randall]

Looks great and you have a beautiful home. I love the stockings and the cross-stich pieces from your mom... Christmas is almost here!

[Stephanie]

The angel chine is soooo cool! I appreciate your jokes being that we live in WV. (not from here originally though!) Seems like Arkansas and WV are the butt of a lot of the same type jokes! :)

[Mommy Dearest]

Now I don't feel quite so bad about the stray Halloween decorations around here; I'm in good company, huh?

I'm an Arkansas girl, too (Ft. Smith)

Your living room looks quite cozy!

Merry Christmas!

[Jennifer R. in MS]

Everything is beautiful! We used to have one of those angel chime things, too... Hmmm, wonder what happened to it? Thanks for the tour!

[Becky]

Ok, so I want to copy your living room exactly. I love how you have it decorated! Anyway, your home is beautiful and I appreciate you letting me in to see! Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[emily]

what a beautiful home. i had to tell you that we always had something similar to the angel chimes; ours was wood (sounds like a fire hazard, but they never went up in flames!) -- and there were no chimes, the fans just made parts of the pieces go around like a merry-go-round. :)

[Monica]

Lovely! I especially like your living room - so inviting! :) Thanks for sharing your home. Merry Christmas!

[Heather]

Your house is beautiful! My Mom had an angel chime set like that when I was little, but who knows where it ever went in our constant moving around back then. Memories... Oh, right, the tour. Thanks for the peek into your real world! Merry Chirstmas!

[ChupieandJsmama]

Very beautiful! I love your tree and if my son wasn't napping, we'd all be in the car right now heading to the Dollar Tree to see if they had that village. I love your rug in the family room too (even though it isn't a Christmas decoration:D) Have a very blessed Christmas and thanks so much for the tour!

[Heth]

There's not one raggety thing about it. Not even the dead mum. It's beautiful Shannon. Love your yellow walls!

[Barb]

The rural Arkansas remarked cracked me up, too, Shannon. I'll admit I paused for a minute there. LOL

OK, your house is gorgeous. I love everything. But my favorite is your pillows. Adorable. And don't you just love having a cross stitching mom? My girls do. Well, they SAY they do.

And the Thanksgiving decorations and dead mums by the front door look exactly like my back patio!

[Jenny in Queensland]

Your home is so beautiful, yet warm and inviting. Thank you for inviting me over. Merry Christmas

[Kara]

Looks great!!!

[Pastormac's Ann]

Wow! Your home is lovely. So friendly and warm just as I I thought it would be. And your decorations are great! Love your pillows! Thanks for the tour.

(Thanks for clarifying the brother - sister - marriage stuff. I need a good hearty laugh-out-loud.)

[Katrina]

It all looks beautiful, Shannon! Thanks for sharing, and Merry Christmas!

[Stacey]

It is sooo beautiful. You've done such a wonderful job decorating. It looks like a model home!!

[An Ordinary Mom]

I LOVE the Dryer house! It is so homey, comfy, organized yet still lived in.

Once DH is done with school, I hope to own a house, too :) !!

[Frannie Farmer]

Wow. I am so humbled. Great job!

[Jill Norwood]

Everything is beautiful....loved the village. Merry Christmas!

[Mrs. B]

Your home is gorgeous!
And may I add that your blog decor here is eye-poppingly stunning! Love all the red and gold.

I look forward to more visits with you. Thank you for sharing.

Merry Christmas!

[Big Mama]

Everything is just beautiful! I also can't help but notice your extremely clean carpet.

[Sarah's in the midst of it]

We had those angels growing up, and I hadn't thought about them in years, until I saw yours--fun memories:)

Thanks for letting me peek at your home! I love your family room:)

[Cindee]

Oh the angel chimes! Thanks for including them in your lovely tour and thanks for the link to Amazon so I could buy them! Some people I used to baby-sit for when I was a kid had them and I've wondered for years where to get them and even what to CALL them. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

[Sarakastic]

Your house is beatiful, both for the holidays & for the rest of the year. I'm from a rural area too, although not the South, so its not so bad people just try to get me to marry my third cousins.

[Jean]

Lopve your home! The crosstitch pictures are really beautiful! Very warm and homey.

[jen]

I loved your decor......Merry Christmas!

[Gail]

Your living room is lovely and inviting, love the crosstich picture your mom did. I saw that it looks like you have shutters on your sidelights by your door, I so wish I could do that to mine!
Thanks for the tour!

[Carey]

What a beautiful house you have...I love your tree.

[Kim]

Love everything! Thanks for sharing!

Merry Christmas!

Kim

[Chappyswifec]

Shannon, you have a very pretty home with lovely decorations. Thanks for showing us!

[Kari - MommaB]

Your place is great... no way is it Green Acres material!

Have a great Christmas!

[Karen]

I also have a two year old and will be surprised if the presents last at all!

Your house is warm, personable, and classy!
The mantel just pops with the yellow of the walls. Love your white cabinet!!

[Kelli]

Your home is beautiful and I especially love your livingroom...so cozy and inviting! My mom always had one of those angel chimes too. They go for quite a bit on Ebay but I'm going to get one next year. They are so pretty! Thanks for having us over!
Kelli

[Pass the Torch]

That was clearly the most hilarious tour I've seen in a while. Thanks for inviting us in!

[proverbs31]

Beautiful home! Love the angel on the top of the tree - I have a thing for angel tree toppers. :) We used to have a chime set like that when we were younger. I don't think it had angels, though. I think it might have been reindeer. Hm, ah well, the memories.

Have a great week and a merry Christmas!