Finally feels like home

Ever since we bought the house, I've wanted to decorate for Christmas.  The first year we put up a tree and some icicle lights outside.  Then we tore up the living room.  The next year we had the tree in the middle of our crack-house living room.  Last year I finally got my crap together and finished the woodwork.  So we got the tree up the less than a week before Christmas, even though there wasn't much furniture to speak of.

This year, it's 2 weeks before Christmas, and I have a Christmas tree, outside lights, and furniture.  And, the furniture isn't cheap, college dorm stuff either anymore.  YAY!  As I was walking through the room, I realized again how homey it looks now, especially compared to when we bought the house.  Remember??

In the past year, I've acquired the majority of the furniture: a mission style futon frame (which will eventually move to the office or basement family room), two matching victorian-ish bookshelves from my Aunt Virginia and Uncle Chuck, my gigantic arts and crafts bookcase with leaded glass doors, and my bargain basement mission-style rocker.  Tying it all together is the awesome rug that is reminiscent of the arts and crafts period, a leaded glass table lamp, and a leaded glass floor lamp.  And there's the mission style table that I got almost 2 years ago.  Considering how much I adore the room, I'm amazed at how little it cost to furnish it.  All told, the antiques were less than $1000, which proves you can find nice vintage furniture without paying a fortune.  Granted, collectors would probably laugh at my assortment of nameless pieces, but I'm so very happy with the way it's turned out.

It's still not quite done, but soon we'll be hanging pictures and replacing the last few bits of woodwork.  And note to self: find a nice mica lamp and move that damned Eiffel tower lamp somewhere else...