I’m especially pleased with the kitchen this year! I spend so much time in there (always!), and I wanted it to be as festive as possible. And for those of you keeping score…yes, the woodwork has been painted white, the walls pale grey. And the floors have been refinished. BIG, MESSY, expensive job, but necessary.

INSPIRATION:

We have a light-filled eat-in kitchen area that is so nice to spend time enjoying the view as well as the food. The bunny, Barton, is a perennial staple, changing his “uniform” on a whim for Easter, Christmas, summer, fall….you name it! To see other holiday décor where Barton the bunny makes his mark, check out “Better Late Than Never – Christmas 2016, Part 1“, “Spring & Easter Around the House“, “Easter Bloom“, “Easter Brunch“, and “Barton’s Easter Brunch“.

The combination of a Spiced Gingerbread candle from Bath & Body Works, gingerbread houses, and the gingerbread bakery pot for the little jingle bell-filled tree left me no choice but to ACTUALLY BAKE gingerbread! I hadn’t made any since…what, maybe high school???

The towel hanging on the side of the table says “Sorry for What I Said During the Football Game”. It’s a gift from my super cool friend, Liz, at Home & Gardening With Liz. She knows my rabid (and perhaps a teensy bit unhealthy!) affection for my hometown Kansas City Chiefs all too well!

This little area is always fun to decorate, but especially at Christmas when I can go completely overboard! A simple string of 50 white lights adds a glow beyond that of the the Hot Cocoa & Cream candle from Bath & Body Works. (This candle REALLY smells like cocoa!!!) The peppermint trees add color and are continued across the room in the kitchen windows.

This 4-ft. tree is laden with ornaments that represent my time spent in the kitchen at Christmas. I found the little rolling pins in the woodworks department at Hobby Lobby. The checkered “Merry Christmas” ornaments are actually just gift tags. The crystal platter behind the snowman chef in the window is from my late Mom’s Mikasa collection.

Other touches around the kitchen include small trees and boxwood wreaths EVERYWHERE!!! I added red jingle bells, like the ones on the breakfast bar tree, to each teapot already situated on the window shelves. The boxwood wreaths and peppermint candy trees add more color and texture to the space. The top of the refrigerator gets a simple greenery arrangement that can continue to enhance the space throughout the winter months.

Our little half bath off the kitchen even gets a little something-something for Christmas! The little ornament on the tree is from my good friend (from way back in high school!), Joan Payne Walter, who said she saw it and thought it looked just like me. It IS dressed like me, too. Wild!

That’s it for the kitchen. Next post we head upstairs to the primary bedroom suite and guest bedroom. I just HAD TO spread a little cheer up there, too! Don’t worry…after Christmas the posts will be much fewer and farther apart!

If you’d like to check out other fun Christmas kitchen posts on this blog, try “Better Late Than Never – Part 4“, “Christmas Coffee“, and “Timberland Christmas“. If black & white buffalo check is your jam, peek in on “Better Late Than Never – Part 2“, “Checkered Christmas – A Snowman Theme“, and “Black & White Barnyard Breakfast“.