Nurture Your Home - Chic Holiday Decor

  Last weekend, I found two of these silver reindeer at Marshall's for $10 each and they were just what our dining room table needed! 

Growing up, my mother (a former first-grade teacher) decorated almost every inch of our house for Christmas - dioramas of small European villages, garland on the staircase and dining room, Christmas lights everywhere, tea and guest towels with mistletoe embroidered on them, and tons of miscellaneous chotskis from the Hallmark store. Our house was the polar opposite of the chic Christmas displays you see in the Restoration Hardware windows, but there was and still is something about the kitsch that made it feel warm, inviting, and the perfect place to be for the holidays.  Although I've always admired the gorgeous holiday decor of homes featured in December issues of Elle Decor or Veranda, where everything matches perfectly and is color-coordinated, I've decided that if you just buy what you love, someway, somehow, it will all work. Nothing in my holiday collection "matches," but I've come to realize that is exactly how it should be - it all works together in a perfectly imperfect sort of way. Here are a few pieces that you might want to add to your collection this year.

These trees have a very European feel to them and look as if you may have picked them up on your last trip abroad.  Perforated Porcelain Trees, $14 - $29, West Elm. 

No doubt that all your holiday guests will notice these - they are beautifully designed and the red gloss makes them shine brightly. Red Chick Candleholder, $7.95, CB2. 

Simple and monochromatic, this is an understated way to usher in the season.  Champagne Wreath, $39.95, Crate and Barrel. 

Although these are new, they remind me of a vintage collection of trees you could have inherited from your grandmother.  Mirrored Mirth Trees, $18 - $68, Anthropologie

This wooden sign is fresh, unusual and cool all at the same time. Vintage Wood Holiday Letterpress Type, $38, MonkiVintage's Etsy store. 

We got my daughter a tiny little tree and this garland would be perfect for it. I love the bright, vibrant colors that really say holiday.  Felted Christmas Garland, $30, Fairyfolk's Etsy shop.

Scatter these down the middle of your dining room table, on your mantel, or just about anywhere in your house to add a holiday touch to the room.  Mercury Votives, $5, West Elm.

We've usually got framed family photos on our mantel, but I love the idea of subbing a few out for some holiday themed photos or drawings. This photograph would be perfect! New York city Snow Winter Red Umbrella Cityscape Print, $30 (8x10), $50 (16x24), ISpyNYC's Etsy shop.