Merry Christmas! Welcome to my Classic Christmas home in Northern Virginia where I try to capture the magic of Christmas for my family each year. My name is Amy and I recently started a lifestyle blog, Blonde Charm. I was fortunate enough to come across the Diamonds or Pearls blog earlier this year and am so thankful to be a part of Michelle’s 12 Days of Christmas Home Tour!
I especially love our home this time of year! I look forward to decorating for Christmas every year and love to add new fun touches too. I hope you find my home to be warm and inviting for the holidays. Enjoy the tour!
Twelve Days of Christmas Tour
Our home has a very open floor plan. I like to add a bit of Christmas everywhere you might look when you come into my home. The house is sprinkled with the colors of Christmas. Pops of red and green are everywhere. I also love to incorporate gold which I think adds warmth. I love to add Christmas lights everywhere I can. There is just something about the sparkles in each room that add to the magic of the season.
A few years ago, I really wanted the garland from Pottery Barn loaded with the gold and silver ornaments. When I went online to order they were already sold out. Heartbroken! I decided this was something I could do on my own. I ordered pre-lit plain garland and window swags. I bought tubes and tubes of ornaments and wired each and every one by hand. There were moments I did not think I could finish. But I did, and I am so happy each and every year when we pull them out to decorate.
Our home’s foyer has a small space that fits a table and mirror. I do love this spot as it sets the tone for our home. It really is our happy place!
We call our formal living room the music room. This is where my son plays the piano and my daughter the clarinet. Our house is filled with music most always, but this year has been extra special with the songs of Christmas they have learned! 
The Christmas tree in the music room is my tree of ‘Joy’.
My collection of White House Ornaments adorns this tree. I started collecting these ornaments when I first moved to NoVA in 2000. It is hard to believe I have lived here for 18 years! I look forward to seeing the release of the new ornament each year.
I also have a recent collection of light up ornaments that I just love! They add an extra magical touch. The kids just love them and they are easy enough that they can help turn them on and off.
There is something so special about this room each December. I will find the kids sitting in the chairs reading their Christmas stories and staring at the tree. I love to do this too at the end of our hectic days!
We host Christmas Eve dinner in our dining room. We don’t have many meals in this room, so it’s a very special occasion when we do! Following Christmas Eve mass, we have Giada’s penne with shrimp and herbed cream sauce, salad and garlic bread for dinner. Afterward, the kids watch a message from the North Pole and we then check the front stoop to see if the PJ Elves made any special deliveries to help the children fall asleep before Santa arrives! It is such a special evening we share around the table together with our family.
Dining room chair adornments:
Years ago, I found these ornaments I just loved but did not feel like they ‘matched’ my tree. I decided to tie them onto the back of the dining room chairs. Over the years I have updated the ribbon but have always loved the special touch this adds.
LINK for Christmas Eve Pasta Dinner: HERE
A new fun addition for this holiday is our Hot Chocolate Bar! I always see these when perusing Pinterest and think how fun! My kids (including my husband and I) love hot chocolate! So, here is our version of a hot chocolate bar! It’s a big hit already, even with our Elf on the Shelf who we found upside down in the jar of marshmallows this week! I love how this space, which can sometimes be a catch-all for things, has a purpose now and is so festive! I have a feeling it might stick around past Christmas and we might have to replace Christmas décor with snowmen!
This is the heart of our home. We all snuggle up here to watch Christmas movies in front of the fireplace. We each have our favorite holiday movie, but Elf has to be the most watched together! I love the bright pillows and Christmas blankets that are so cozy!
This Christmas tree if given a name would be ‘Thru the Years’. Its ornaments represent so many stages of our lives! I have a collection of angels that my Godmother gifted to me each year since I was born! My husband and I have ornaments from our wedding, honeymoon, special vacations, our children’s favorite activities as the years have gone by!
We all have so much fun each year unwrapping these ornaments and hanging them on the tree! It is a special evening of remembering when. This is the tree that Santa delivers his packages under each Christmas eve! Christmas morning in this room is so special.
Our breakfast room is where we eat most every meal. While there is not a lot of room here to decorate, I have added a tiered tray and more Christmas ornaments from the shutters. Small touches.
The kitchen, the other heart of our home, also has small touches. This year I made my first live wreath which I hung over the cabinets. It has filled the kitchen with the smell of Christmas! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day my Dad and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing our traditional meals. Some years my kids and Dad bake special Christmas cookies too.
Our advent calendar and Christmas countdown are also here for the kids to easily access each day!
Christmas is such a special time of year for our family. We often do something festive each weekend in the month of December. We look forward to all the month has to offer. One favorite family tradition we have is heading to New York City each year. We see a show, the tree in Rockefeller Center, the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, eat amazing food and just have the best family time together. Being in New York City at Christmas is so special. There is an energy about it…you really feel the Christmas Spirit in the air!
I hope you felt the Christmas Spirit I try to create in our home on your tour! I am so touched to be a part of the home tour this season. Thank you for taking the time to visit! I wish you and your family the Merriest of Merry Christmases and a Happy New Year too!
You can find Amy at Blondecharm.com, on Facebook at blonde charm, and Instagram at blonde_charm.
Tomorrow on the “Twelve Days of Christmas” tour, Jessica McLain will be inviting us into her MO home. Jessica says her style is simple while trying to keep it cozy…on a budget! She has made her home adorable for the holidays and shows us some of her creative projects and family heirlooms.
If you haven’t been following along, click the name of the tour you would like to see below to begin!
Twelve Days of Christmas Tour
Linda’s Home – The Spirit of Christmas
Sandy’s Home – It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas
Keli’s Home-Dreaming of a White Christmas
Ashlee’s Home – Dressed in Holiday Style
Amy, your home tour is filled with so much warmth & many special touches. With many special touches, it’s hard to name them all. I really like the reminder over the piano and the addition of the gnomes !! Your ornaments are personal & come with stories! The Christmas Eve traditions you’ve established and that we’ve been privileged to be a part of, will always hold a special place in our hearts. Your fresh wreath in the kitchen reflects your creativity and to think you made your own garland to decorate your home!!
Your ribbons are most attractive.
I love how you have lots of special lighting everywhere! There is always a warm feeling of comfort in your home. The hot chocolate bar looks especially inviting!
Christmas is such a special time of the year ~you’ve captured the Christmas spirit very well, in “your happy space “.
Merry Christmas ?
Thank you so much Mom for the sweet comments on the tour! I learned how to decorate & celebrate this special holiday from YOU! We can’t wait for you and Dad to pull in the driveway so soon! We love our traditions with you both. The hot chocolate will be waiting for you! xo
Amy your home is beautiful! Every square inch feels so festive and inviting. And I love your hot cocoa bar, my family would be in heaven with that! Merry Christmas ?
Hi Keli! Thank you so very much for your sweet comments! Stop by anytime for some hot chocolate! Merry Christmas to you too!
Amy , your home is so beautiful and cozy! I would also love to spend some time at your hot chocolate bar and relax in your family room. I love your trees and what they mean to you. Thanks for sharing???
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for your comments! The hot chocolate bar has really been a big hit this season! I am so glad I did it this year. I try so hard to make our home warm and inviting so your comments mean so much. Thank you for touring! Merry Christmas!
Wowzer Amy, that is AMAZING!!!! Your craftiness and eye for color are awesome. Looks like pages from a catalog rather than a real house. Beautiful!!
Dolores! Thank you so very very much for your sweet compliments. Means so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the tour. I had so much fun decorating this year! Merry Christmas!
Love how cozy and inviting your home is!
Thank you so much Francis! I am so glad you think so — it’s what I try to make it! Merry Christmas!
Amy, your home is so lovely. The last picture looks like it could be a Hallmark Christmas card! You’ve done a beautiful job bringing in “the Christmas magic” to your home. I love the tiny bottle brush Christmas trees on your tablescape. They are adorable on your plates. Happy Holiday!
Charlotte thank you so much for your compliments! I am so glad you enjoyed the tour. I found those bottle brush Christmas trees at Target in November in the dollar bins! I also found the small wreaths that I have scattered on the hot chocolate bar! I did not know what I would use them for but had to have them! They came in handy after all! Merry Christmas!
So beautiful, Amy! I love the foyer and music room decor. Just gorgeous!
Thank you so much Ashlee! The music room tree is my most favorite! Merry Christmas!