I don’t know if it’s the Christmas blues or if it’s just my hormones finally settling into the fact that I’m not growing or nursing a child or what, but lately I’ve been feeling a little down. Is anyone there with me? I think it might be a little bit of everything to be perfectly honest. That overwhelmed feeling….the water is creeping up and sometimes I think I’m drowning feeling….that what-is-the-freak-wrong-with-me feeling….that I’m not good enough feeling. It’s real in my life. I’ve struggled with it before. And you long time friends know that.
So I have been proactively trying to keep busy and do what I can do and celebrate the flashes of awesome when they come. I know this sounds kinda pathetic but taking pictures of my house in the well cropped ‘pretty moments’ do make me feel like I did something right. Even if just outside the frame, there are piles of dirty laundry and half done projects. It does make me feel just a glimmer of hope better. Focus on the good, right? Well, these shelves are the good in my house right now….along with my kids and my sweet darling boyfriend. And if you are feeling blue, just remember that my house is falling apart around these photos….and LJ just told me that he ate a booger 🙂
Christmas shelves! I now have a plethora of shelves in my house….and I LOVE it. Some of them got a little sprucing for Christmas and it seriously brings me so much joy to see them in their fancied holiday wares. The ones next to the newly stone facade fireplace are especially fun because they are like brand new babies. So fresh and new to the world!
I feel like in this room, subtlety is my friend. Like I want it to be Christmasy but not in the traditional red and green sense. I just want flashes of holiday spirit….like with a fun gold-foiled print or a few pretty ornaments or a star sculpture.
This print I got last year from Minted and I had it in my kitchen but I felt like I needed that Be Merry reminder when I woke up in the morning. Sortof like a just like you need to eat and drink, you also NEED to be merry and Katie, you get to choose joy….kinda reminder. ya know?! (wood slice here and book ends here)
The little wooden tree I got from Home Goods….which by the way, we got a Home Goods. And when I say ‘we’ I mean the town three towns over….but it’s only 25 minutes away….so yeah, all of the cells in my body are pretty stoked. And I ordered the cute little polar bear from Target. The metal containers are from Hobby Lobby. They are cute right?! 50% off! And then I just filled them with fake greenery and some clippings from our holly trees.
The shelves downstairs in the living room got shooshed too. I replaced a couple items on each shelf with a little christmas item and the result is very festive.
Most of the stuff was already in my stash…I just use them in different combinations over the years in different places. Maybe one day I will find a combo that is too good to switch up, but I like see things evolve for each year.
My favorite has to be the little nutcrackers next to Jeremy’s hippo. Doesn’t it look like they are guarding him? It reminds me of the videos we watch with the kids about the Northern White Rhinos and their guards. Those videos make me cry y’all!
I also got a new gold reindeer from Target during a sale…it’s hanging out with my glass garland. I was too nervous to put the garland anywhere it might get broken so this was a fun alternative.
The other shelves also got holi-dazed. This glass container had some shells in it, which I replaced with red ornaments….so easy and so effective.
And the kids insisted that this little teddy bear with his Christmas sled be included 🙂
In the kitchen, I also have some shelves…..two sets actually! #shelfobsessed
It’s like a little gnome forest with bits of gold and our countdown calendar. Click here for the link on how to make your own!
The gnomes are actually from the garden section at Target and the star and green trees are also from Target. They usually don’t sell the same decor year after year so if you want some of these, now is the time 🙂
The triangle trees are a DIY I made last year with a friend. I did a whole video on them so check that out!
Top of my microwave was clean….put that under “christmas miracle”….so I put my favorite Christmas picture up there along with some festive tissues and my favorite candle scent.
And the shelves in my coffee bar area also got Christmasy with a new nativity (it was only $10!) and some bottle brush trees and a little Santa ringing his bell. That Santa is from Goodwill but I like that he seems like he is announcing the good news of Jesus’ birth. Come one and all! Jesus Christ is born!
So those are my shelves….all ready for the holidays. I have a bunch more Christmas stuff to share….you really haven’t seen anything yet 🙂 But for now, I hope that the pretty little moments cheered you up….I know they did for me. And check back today….I have another little post I’m getting ready for you! And I promise….I will try my best to perk up a little. Maybe a little Baileys in my coffee will help. I’m willing to try 🙂
Katie, your shelves are very festive and bright. Hope those precious boys have a wonderful Christmas. You are a fabulous mother and wife. Take a day just for Katie.
I would love to see how you made those shelves.
Oh Katie, this brought me a bit of peace today, thank you. I don’t understand how other moms do it. And I feel like I’m failing at life (dramatic, but feels true today/this past few weeks). Then add my self-diagnoses of Clark W. Griswald Jr. Syndrome, where my expectations are impossibly high and doomed to fail, it makes this season tough.
Let’s all try to be kind to ourselves and agree to stop cleaning/worrying/keeping up for the rest of the afternoon.
I just wanted to say you are amazing. No one that reads this blog is perfect, nor do we expect you to be. I for one have piles of clutter everywhere right now and dirty floors and am having overnight guests tomorrow!
God is so pleased with you, sweet sister. You shine his light brightly and boldly and it is beautiful. Refuse to get pulled down by anything that won’t matter in eternity.
Which ones Lily? I have posts for all of them 🙂
Here is the post about the shelves next to the fireplace. Here is the post about the living room nook shelves. Here is the post about the floating coffee station shelves. Here is the post about the kitchen shelves with the tile background. Hope that helps!
xo – kb
I love these ideas! I’m always looking for organic and modern ways to bring Christmas into my home. I love the wooden tree – so beautiful.
http://www.katelately.com
Everyone feels down from time to time and you most certainly aren’t alone- I think that ‘a little down’ can feel worse during a time of year when we are supposed to just be happy and festive and smiles all of the time. It’s easy to let negative thoughts get the best of us, I am guilty of that for sure. So, take care and ride it out- if you are like me you will bounce of this in no time at all. I’ve been a reader for a long time now and man, I have no idea how you manage all that you do- I get tired just reading your blog! And, your shelves are beautiful. Please please, come style my house. I have no sense with these things.
Thanks for keeping it real. This time of year is wonderful but can also leave you feeling pretty down and disappointed when things aren’t as perfect as we feel they should be. Just take it one day at a time!
oh no – I hope you don’t get too tired reading 🙂 We all need all the energy we can get!
xo – kb
Yes to all these feelings lately. The book “Present Over Perfect” has been wonderful for me, thought I’d pass it along in case it could help you, too!
Gorgeous shelf styling as always – those agate bookends have been on my list for months! LOVE!
I was just on the phone with a friend who commented about the same time of year blues. Then it hit me, In addition to all the ways we want to and are SUPPOSED to feel at this time of year, our bodies and minds are adjusting to shorter days of light and that’s a real thing. For me, dark before dinner just feels kinda blah when you have kids (2 boys) that you need to RUN outside! Thanks for keeping it real and your home is holiday gorgeous!
oh Katie! I want to give you a big squeeze. Of course I know you’ll come out of this on the other side with flying colors anyway, but want to just say … you got this! You’re a light for me, and make me want to be a better mamma / friend / wife / lady. Sometimes when I’m feeling blue this song comes on (thank you, universe!) and it always helps me lift my chin up a little bit and fake it until I make it (you must know this one!):
If you’re going through hell
Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared, don’t show it
You might get out before the devil even knows you’re there
Seriously. I think this plays a major role for me. I feel like the day should be done but then there are HOURS left and the kids can’t be outside and it’s just depressing!
xo – kb
Yes! Love that one 🙂
xo – kb
Katie would you PLEEEEEEZZZZEEEE come to my house and decorate my blah spaces for the holidays???? I can pay you in cookies – oh, and Jingle Jangle (from Trader Joes – the best stuff on the planet!) You seriously have the best shelf décor skills ever. Everything looks amazing 🙂
I understand! I too am a stay at home mom of four boys and hormones are a crazy, crazy thing. One thing that helps me it Vit D. Lots of it. Morning, noon and before bed. It makes a world of difference for me.
Your blog is fantastic. You are fantastic. I’ve been following you since the beginning.
Thank you! I will have to pick some up. I still am working on getting rid of my prenatals – I bought stock it seems! ha! I guess I’ll have to up the VitD!
xo – kb
Is your globe chalkboard? I feel like it’s screaming for a “Joy to the World” script, or even to be turned into a snow globe or something. Love all your holiday shelf styling! Can’t wait to have more furniture in our house with nooks to tuck in cute little pops of holiday spirit – we’re definitely lacking in that department.
Yes it is! It actually had Joy to the World on it before…it just got smeared. I need to put something else on it now 🙂
xo – b