No matter how hard Hollywood tries, the classic Christmas movies can’t be beat. You know the ones? It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas?
The nostalgia and the simplicity just can’t be replaced. Maybe it’s because no one nowadays can croon quite like Bing Crosby, no one can express the highs and lows of human emotion quite like James Stewart, and no Santa is ever quite as “real” seeming as Edmund Gwenn.
That’s kind of how I’ve felt about classic decor and fresh greenery in our foyer lately.
There’s something about those black and white photographs of our family on the walls that makes them feel even more alive than in color.
There’s something about that antique Victorian (lucky Craigslist find) chest that makes me wonder what life it had before now.
There’s something about the smell of fresh cedar and pine that takes me back to every Christmas from my past and what it felt like to fumble down the stairs in my jammies on that magical morning every year.
The magic is still there years later, but it looks so different. Because the magic is no longer about wondering what Santa brought the night before or eating cookies to the point of a tummy ache.
It’s so much more.
The best presents nowadays could never be sent down a chimney. Just simply being present is enough.
This year, I can’t think of a single thing I would really want wrapped in a box under the tree.
Because the only thing I want is to snuggle with Olivia while she still lets me with no interruptions at all. To spend the day talking with Robert about anything and everything because we can. To make time stand still for just a day with only one thing on the to do list: enjoy family.
So in our foyer, somehow I had that same mindset. I dug out this old tarnished candelabra that was my grandmother’s as a way of remembering her this time of year, when I crave the sound of her laugh.
I lit the Advent candles and surrounded them with tree clippings in St. Lucia fashion as a way of keeping my Swedish family closer to us on this side of the pond.
It’s simple, but that’s just the way I like it.
Because, this year, less is more, both in presents and in our home. Because the secret to having it all is knowing you already do. Because when we have each other, we have everything.
If you want to know about any of the sources in our foyer, you can see them here: (Some affiliate links are provided for convenience. For more info, see my full disclosure.)
- Wall color: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
- Trim color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Door color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
- Foyer chest – Craigslist (similar ones here)
- Preserved holly wreath – discontinued from Target (similar here)
- Fresh garland – local Christmas tree lot
- Photo frames – IKEA & Target
- Mirror – Arhaus (similar ones here)
- White houses – Target Dollar Spot (or you can spray paint thrifted ones)
- Rug – discontinued but similar ones are here and here
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13
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