Merry Christmas Eve! I am up in Illinois at my parent’s house this week to celebrate Christmas. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already saw that I got up here a few days ago. It’s no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday and absolute favorite time of year, so I always love to see how other people decorate for it. While I’m not even in the same league as my mom (seriously, the house looks so great right now), I wanted to share a few pictures from my apartment. Even though I came up to Illinois, I still had to decorate; especially since it’s the last Christmas season I’ll have there (I’m moving to another apartment in Charlotte in January).
Feel free to skip this post if you just came for the food, but since everyone’s menus are probably already planned, I wanted to post this. We’re having crab cakes and crab and shrimp marinated in lemons and parsley tonight, then we’ll wake up to orange cinnamon rolls (yep, from a can!) and mimosas tomorrow, along with a strata if my mom feels like making one tonight. Tomorrow night we’re having a roast beast that my dad picked up from a local meat shop here in town, spinach casserole (specifically my cousin, Katy’s, version – twice the amount of cheese!), mashed potatoes with buttermilk, and Parker House rolls with a leek compound butter that I will be making as soon as I post this. Oh, and a pecan pie that my mom won’t let me make the crust for – we’ll be making them side-by-side today so she can teach me! Haha. Let me know if there are any unique dishes that you all will be making – I always love to hear what everyone is having.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!
These are discs from my Christmas trees from year’s past. Every year I have the guy at the tree lot slice off an end for me and I write the date and put them in this dish (an idea from my aunt) along with corks from bottles of champagne that I enjoy during the season.
My Christmas tree decorated with copious amounts of ornaments – ever since I was young my mom has given my brother and I a couple of ornaments each year so I have quite the collection.
My mantle decorated with candles and gilded pine cones that my mom made for me – along with ornaments and other Christmas-related items.
Yep, that’s a pink tree. I got it a long time ago and usually decorate it with plain colored balls, but this year I opted to leave it plain.
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Bittermilk No 2! I just had an amazing drink with that the other day at this place, Two Boroughs Larder. Everything is decorated gorgeously and I knew it would be. I’ve been sick and stuck in bed since Christmas night so I’m happy that anyone is posting anything new! 🙂
I picked it up a few weeks ago at whole foods because i wanted to give one to my brother and saw that they were made in chas! I havent been to two boroughs larder but heard its great-its on my list to go next time im there! 🙂 Thanks so much- sorry to hear youre sick- that is no fun at all! I hope you feel better soon!!! 🙂
I love the decorations and the way you decided to wrap your presents!
Thanks, Ama!! 🙂
You have to stop being so damn good at everything, Taylor…. cooking AND photography AND now interior decorating!? Or, alternately, please come decorate my sad sack of a house. Ha.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday and it sounds like if nothing else your Christmas dinner with your family was to die for. Good luck with your move! If it’s the place with that kitchen you posted on IG…well then I’m seriously jealous. 🙂
By the way, where did you get that fantastic bar cart?
Hahaha omgosh thank you, Nora! I’m totally not a great decorator – I just have a couple of cute Christmas things that my mom has given me luckily 😉
In a few weeks my place is going to be an absolute disaster area because I’m moving to that place that I posted (I love the kitchen, too, I can’t wait for all that counterspace) and it’ll probably stay that way for a good part of the year if we’re being honest. I’m excited about the place, but hateeee the thought of moving. I’m relishing in the fact that for another week or so my place is decorated and then it’s just going to go into boxes, ughhhh.
The bar cart was actually a gift from my mom for my birthday last year – she found it at an antique/thrift store in Champaign and then spray painted it gold. She has the best eye for finding stuff like that, and whenever I’m in Champaign I make her take me to all of the thrift stores because usually she can find a few gems – esp kitchen/bar things 🙂 Thanks again, Nora! Hope you had a GREAT New Year!!
Darn, I’m so bummed about the bar cart! I wanted to get one just like it! But the fact that it is a one-of-a-kind makes it all the more special, and also your mom sounds awesome. One of these days I am going to have to road trip down to Champaign since apparently that’s where all the great antiques/vintage furniture is! 🙂
And btw: Good luck with the move!!
It was such a steal and I had been wanting one for so long but didn’t want to fork over a lot of money so it was a nice compromise! Haha thanks – she is pretty awesome 🙂 Yessss you will have to go! I bet Chicago has awesome antique and thrift stores, too – my problem is that I hate to look/hunt for things, I just don’t have the patience. And thanks! It’s happening this week and I’m in no way ready at all hah! 😉