Holiday Decor For A Weird Year
To say this Christmas is different from the others would be putting it lightly.
My family and I usually travel around the holidays, and travel has been nonexistent this year. When we’re not traveling, we’re usually with family, and again this year is light on that too. I don’t normally go all-out for Christmas, but this year with all that’s going on, I felt like the celebrations we did have needed to feel extra special. It’s also our first Christmas in a new home (we moved in in August), and we have fun things like a mantle and fireplace that are new and exciting to dress up.
My house is a classic San Francisco Mediterranean, circa 1939, while my personal style generally leans modern, warm and minimal. I wanted to ensure the decor felt like me, but also didn’t feel out of place in the house. When I proposed the project to Bessie, she jumped at the idea and we began feverishly pinning our fave ideas.
The Tree
I’m not big on ornaments and prefer just lights on a tree. This year, I opted for fairy lights and lit every branch. While I may reconsider the effort next year (you can see my tree lighting saga on Instagram), the effect is elegant, simple, and magical. I topped it off with a capiz star, and it’s just the right amount of “bling” for me.
The Mantle and The Stockings
The last Christmas stockings I owned were vintage-y and kind of kitschy, to match the old-school lights I lit the tree with after purchasing too many of them for a Stranger Things-themed party I threw earlier in the year (I LOVE THROWING PARTIES - but more on that another time).
This year, I was looking for something new and landed on these white velvet ones from CB2. I loved the simplicity and they felt upscale without a hefty price tag. Bessie had the idea to add a pop of ochre with the ribbon, and it was the perfect amount of color.
We decorated the rest of the mantle with gorgeous olive branches from the flower mart as a nod to the house’s mediterranean roots, vintage brass candlesticks from Etsy, and a minimal wreath Bessie whipped up on the spot (seriously, the woman is magic!).
The Gifts
For gift wrap, I go between black and kraft paper wrapping, and random kitschy gift wrap. It was either last year or the year before that, but I wrapped everything in Christmas llama wrapping paper, because why not? There may have been a falalala-llama thrown in there. I wish I could say my taste is consistent, but it isn’t. I love minimal…I love llamas, it can’t be helped.
Anyhoo, this year we’re back to simple wrapping: black, tan, and light grey kraft paper topped off with black ribbon. I used the texture and size of the ribbon to add variety. There was grosgrain, satin, raffia, velvet - you name it, I had it and in multiple sizes too.
Like my socks? I’m joking. But in my defense my house is freezing and Bessie said she wasn’t going to take pictures of my feet. Lies, clearly.
The Windows
I’m not going to lie, after watching the Disney UK Christmas advert (warning: have your tissue handy), what I really wanted this year was a giant capiz parol or Philippine Christmas star. But I couldn’t find one in time / I was being really picky about it. The next best thing are Swedish Christmas stars. I fell in love with these a few years ago when I went in deep on Scandi style, and I’ve loved them ever since. The ones in my window now are a mix of IKEA and others I’ve collected over the years, and held up with fishing wire tied to my curtain rod. They look AMAZING from the outside and just the right amount of Christmas cheer.
While I went somewhat minimal this year, Bessie and I are already scheming next year and like all the memes talking about how the roaring 20s makes so much sense after the 1918 Pandemic…our ideas are all very “Go Big or Go Home”. Stay tuned!
XX,
Sasha
P.s. in case you were like “ermagerd, her house is so neat, my house is never that neat! WAAHH”. Here’s a secret: my house is never this neat either. I’m a messy person and I have a 5-year old. My living room is normally covered in lego and magnatiles. Bessie and I are just masters at shoving all the random shit into the corner you can’t see.
