Hello and Merry Christmas! My name is Michelle and I’m the creator of Diamonds or Pearls. This has been such an incredible tour and I wanted to thank all the talented ladies for opening up their homes and allowing us to peek inside. You can definitely feel the love poured into every single home. I would also like to thank you all for following along. I hope you have gathered lots of inspiration and ideas for your own home.
Twelve Days of Christmas Tour
We have lived in our Northern Virginia home for a little over a year now and have worked hard to make it our own. These changes, while sometimes small, add the little touches that tell our story that includes all the places we lived and the wonderful adventures we shared. My style is traditional with a modern & rustic twist. I love to blend foxhunting touches that remind me of so many cute little towns in VA.
As you enter my home, I hope you can feel the magic of the season! There is usually Micheal Buble Christmas music playing where it can be heard throughout the house, candles are always lit, and cookies are baking around this time of year! Welcome and come on in!
This is our 13-year-old Husky named Eagan. He’s my sidekick and the sweetest dog you will ever meet.
This summer we renovated our entryway, adding a new light fixture, paint, large window and front doors. I love all of the natural light that floods into this space now. To read about my entryway makeover click,HERE.
This year, I used a gray & red plaid and black velvet ribbon. I also used lots of mercury glass and red ornaments! I found the pretty antlers at a home store here in Virginia called The Nest Egg.
My living room recently got a little makeover too. I painted an accent wall (Cyber Space by Sherwin Williams) and I love the warmth it added to this space.
The red berries really pop against this dark backdrop.
Walk under the mistletoe to head into our Dining Room. (Don’t forget to get your kiss first!) In this space, I wanted the feel to be laidback, but still maintain a casual elegance, where everyone could enjoy great conversation and good food.
We host Christmas Day dinner and I love setting the table for all to enjoy.
The Dining Room recently got a makeover with new wallpaper. There is still a little more styling to do and a reveal will be up on the blog soon.
I plan to keep this room neutral with gray, black, white, and navy! I love seeing the Christmas red pop against the neutral background.
My office got a little Christmas cheer too, with a simple pencil tree!
My tree has gold and white ornaments and a fun ribbon I found at Merrifield Garden center here in VA!
We entertain a lot and the kitchen is where everyone gathers. I kept my decor simple, and just used sprigs of greenery and a couple of small trees.
My son decorates a gingerbread house every year that we put on display on our island.
I always like to display our candy canes in a unique way and this year used a white teapot.
Our kitchen nook is where we eat almost every meal. It’s a cozy space to get caught up on everyone’s day.
I found the Windsor bench on Facebook Marketplace and painted it Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams.
This room is the most used in our home. We love spending family night here, cuddled up by a fire and watching a good Christmas movie! You will usually find Elf playing on the TV around this time of year.
This room is decked out in red, gold, and green for the holidays!
I happily display the black velvet stockings my mom made me a few years back. I absolutely love them!
This is my first year putting a tree in the family room. I decided to place it in a planter to give it more height and I love the way it turned out.
Fresh greenery is always a nice touch to a gift.
Joseph and I had fun getting his room ready for Christmas! It’s something I look forward to doing with him every year.
Joseph finally upgraded to a larger tree this year because his smaller one could not hold all of his ornaments he has collected throughout the years.
He gets ornaments from family members every Christmas and he collects them every time we travel to remember the places we have been. He has so many great stories from each and every ornament.
His art displays on the cutest wooden clips! He’s my little artist and I love seeing what he adds to that wall weekly!
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Once the house is all decorated, I love to sit back and enjoy the ambiance of the lights and the peacefulness this time of year brings.
One tradition that I hope lasts for a long time is Joseph and I decorating his room together for Christmas. We make hot cocoa, turn on Christmas music, and start decking his room out with all of his things. I sure hope he doesn’t outgrow it anytime soon because it’s so much fun and he still gets that wonder in his eyes.
Another fun tradition is we get together with family members and have a gingerbread house decorating competition! This is so fun and everyone really gets into it. Sometimes the judges can be a little suspect though…
May all the sweet magic of Christmas conspire to gladden your heart and fill every desire. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
Thank you all for following along on the Twelve Days of Christmas Tour. This was such a spectacular week! I hope you gathered lots of inspiration from all of these talented ladies.
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’s Home – The Magic of Christmas
Jessica’s Home – A Simple Cozy Christmas
Holly’s Home – Old School Christmas
Francis Fick’s Home – Cozy Christmas
Jocelyn’s Home – A Classic Christmas
Lisa’s Home – Vintage Christmas on the Farm
Whitney’s Home – Modern Coastal Christmas
Michelle, your home looks gorgeous!!! I want to come back and spend more time there. It’s so warm and inviting and I love Egan peeking in whenever he can.
Your dining room looks so beautiful and I love Joseph’s room. Perfect!!!
Merry Christmas honey!???
Thank you, Mom! I appreciate all of your help with my wallpaper! I hope to see you soon. Merry Christmas!
Everything looks so beautiful! Your new dining room makeover looks amazing with your printed wallpaper! Every room is beaming with Christmas and I cannot wait to have Christmas dinner at your beautiful table! This has been an amazing tour, you’ve worked so hard to share the holiday spirit! Merry Christmas ?
Thank you, sweet sister! Thank you for all of your help and opening your beautiful home for the tour! Love you all!
?Michelle, your home is gorgeous and I expected it to be! There are so many decor items that you used that I adore. The fox hunt touches, antlers, plaid and velvet bows, fresh greenery, and the new wallpaper in the dining room are just a few. Your beautiful Virginia home is certainly ready for “The Magic of the Season.” Merry Christmas to you and all your family?
Thank you for the sweet compliment, Charlotte. Your dining room was an inspiration to me after seeing it last Christmas! I loved your wallpaper! I think all of you girls are so talented. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
It all looks so beautiful and so festive, thank you for sharing it with us!❤️❤️ Merry Christmas to you all.
Thank you, Donna, and thank you for following along on the tour. It was a fun 12 days! Merry Christmas!
Michelle…..your home looks spectacular! Thank you for sharing all these beautiful homes on the blog. Wishing you and your family many blessings during this Holiday season – Merry Christmas!?
Awe, Thank you, Gloria. I sure miss you and all of our AK outings. Maybe one day we will make it back up that way! I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much for doing the twelve days of Christmas tour I looked forward to looking at a new house everyday!!! So many fun ideas, and I love how everyone’s has their own personality. I can’t wait to see what else you do throughout the year!!!
Thank you, Angie. I am so glad you enjoyed the tour. It is one of my favorites things I host on the blog. Thanks for following along! Merry Christmas!
Your home is amazing Michelle! I want to thank you for putting in all the hard work to feature all the lovely homes and especially introducing me to your mom. Both of you are multi talented ladies and the love of your homes show throughout every room.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you, Judy! I am so happy that my mom was able to meet you, she really enjoyed chatting with you. Thank you for the sweet compliment and for following along on the tour. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
Everything looks so pretty! I love all the plaid that you used and your new entry is very inviting! Thank you so much for sharing this Christmas tour. It was fun to look forward to each day and she all the different personality styles. Merry Christmas to your family ?
Thank you, Paula. I love plaid around Christmas and my entryway has been my favorite update we have made to our home. It’s so nice to have all of that extra light flood into that space. I appreciate you following along on the tour and leaving such sweet comments to all! Merry Christmas!
I can’t believe it’s been 12 days already! Sad that I won’t have a home to view tomorrow! Thank you so much for the time you put into this every year! Each home is an inspiration and I love, love, love Christmas! To a very talented lady and her family I wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Donna. That is so kind of you. I appreciate you following along on the tour! It was so fun seeing each unique home and how others celebrate the holidays. I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
Michelle your home is gorgeous! Christmas in each room is so perfect! I love all of your trees! I love your dining room and the greenery on the chandelier is perfect!! Your traditions are the best! I would love to start that with my own two! Thank you for the idea!
The twelve days of Christmas home tour has been so inspiring and I’ve loved each and every one! Thank you for hosting such a fabulous tour this holiday.
Happy New Year!
Thank you so much, Amy! I love getting my home ready for the holidays and I enjoy seeing how others do too. I wanted to thank you again for opening your home for the tour. It was full of inspiration and love! Happy New Year!
Your home is absolutely stunning! I love every room!! One of my favorite pieces was the huge antler on your coffee table with the cowhide rug underneath. Joseph’s room is a perfect room for a young man! You’ve done such a fantastic job with the blog. I look forward to your posts and tours every year.
Thank you so much, Ashlee! Those are my two favorite pieces in my family room and both have a funny story that go along with them. I wanted to thank you again for opening your gorgeous home for the tour! I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
Just beautiful! …as always! Thank you for the tour, Michelle.
Thank you, MaryKay! I appreciate you always following along on the tours and supporting the blog. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
Michelle, your home is so beautiful this holiday season!! I love your new entryway (❤️ those doors) and the new accent wall color in the living room! All the homes you featured were gorgous this year! Thank you so much for featuring homes with such unique styles and different decor!! Happy Holidays!
Thank you, Cindy! I love gathering ideas from all styles of decor and seeing how others celebrate the holiday season. Of course, your home is always a big inspiration to me! Happy New Year!