Holiday Home Tour

 

Let me just start out by saying...I am from The Christmas City...born and raised in the tiny little village of Minden, Nebraska!  Where Christmas is kind of a big deal...as it should be.

 

 

Home to the most beautifully lit courthouse in the land and the "Light of the World" Christmas Pageant.

 

It is our little towns claim to fame.  A tradition that started back in 1915 and I think all of us hometown kids are pretty darn proud of OUR amazing town square. 

From Thanksgiving to New Years, year after year, my parents would "Buzz the Square" every time we were out and about cruising the town.  It's beauty still gets me every time.  We've passed the "Buzz the Square" tradition on to our children. I'll never forget the first time Charley saw the lights...she literally could not deal!  Her jaw dropped and she covered her eyes as if she couldn't believe what was is front of her...such big stuff for such little eyes! 

 

So that being said, that little Christmas City I call home gives me complete free rein to be over the top ridiculously crazy when it comes to the Holidays.  It's all I've ever known, and I'm pretty proud of it!  But who needs a reason to celebrate, other than the reason for the season, Jesus Christ!  It's his birthday...and that shit should not be taken lightly!  So let's do this!  Get your festive pants on, I'm taking you on a little holiday home tour of yours truly, WIFE | MOM | BOSS of The Rollin J, Shelly Jo Jarvis.  Filled with sappy sentimental Christmas traditions, lots of home decor, and an inside peek of our little life here at the Rollin J Ranch.  Oh, and a little fashion inspiration as well, after all, that is what this blog is all about;) 

First stop...cut a tree!  I like to get the tree up early!  When you work in retail, you jump the gun on the Holiday season.  This year we cut our tree the weekend before Thanksgiving.  CRAZY...I know...just save it. (Insert talk to the hand) 

Fresh out of the pasture...our "unique" cedar tree...Fancy AF!  (I see a new T-shirt in the future) Just give it a good shake to knock the critters out of it:/  The kids decorated it with their own Christmas ornaments as well as mine and Matt's from when we were kids.  Annnnnnd approximately 600 tiny white lights to help that sad sucker out.  It's ugly but we love it! 

 

Next it's nap time so this mama can do her own thing!  Kick the husband out to the cows and I went to town decking the halls! If you know me, you know I LOOOOVE to decorate!  It's my "artistic out" that I need from the daily grind we call life.  Makers gonna make, must create, weird artist thing going on here...it just makes me feel good.  My favorite artistic out at work is doing flat lays of outfits!  Seriously LOVE taking pictures of clothes...no joke!  *Note: I did not get all this done in one nap time...I'm not that good.  And if you know me, you know I'm as slow as Great Grandma's sweet maple molasses!  Why rush....pffff I ain't got time for that!  So without further ado, here's my little Holiday home tour of The Rollin J Ranch House we call Home.  

 

 

Chalk boards have become a staple in my home decor...they are so easy to change from season to season. And you bet your ass I'll have hot cocoa waiting for you if you come see me!  It might have some peppermint schnapps in it though...ya never know. 

 

Even our boots got a little festive!  

When Joey saw that I had put greenery in her boot she said (as sassy as can be) "Really mommy??? Decorations in my boot???"  I about died laughing... that girl is fuuuun-ny!

The Mudroom...were life happens.  Home of the meltdowns over missing mittens and miss matched boots.  Where this mama washes, drys, folds...repeats.  ER to freezing cold animals.  Where we nurse fresh baby calves and newborn puppies to life.  It's where our old dogs lay on cold winter nights.  We've even had a playful buffalo bust through the door before!  Most days it is full of chaos and craziness, but it has become one of my most favorite rooms in the house.  It's the first thing we see when we get home and it might always be messy and wild but it means we are finally HOME and I wouldn't want it any other way! 

 

Hang your hat up and stay awhile!  Our house is not that big but I managed to take 4,000 photos so get comfy y'all! 

 

I spy a spoiled cow dog. 

A small forest in vintage tins.  

Did someone say cow?

Where's the cow?

 

Just kidding...go back to sleep Mabes.

...annnnnd she's out!  Zzzz The rough life of Mabel.

Fake greenery that looks so real you can smell it! 

Pile on the pillows, plaids, and fur!  This house is not short in any of those departments.

This hutch...words cannot describe my love for this hutch.  It has a pretty amazing story behind it. (My dad will gladly tell you all about it over a cup of coffee) Long story short, it was my great grandparents, passed down from generation to generation and somehow I was the "chosen one" to receive it next.  I'd like to think my parents chose me to give it to over my two sisters (sorry sisters...not sorry) because of my love for all things old.  A little known fact about me, I wanted to be a pioneer SO BAD when I was little.  I just couldn't understand why I had to be born in the 1980's and not in the 1900's...whatever, I'm over it now!  Grow where (or in my case) "when" you are planted.  I'm not sure why they picked me to gift this big beautiful antique to, but I'm sure glad they did!  We use it as our "office" beings we filled our actual  office room with our third born child.  This hutch is the heart of the home and it makes me so happy! 

Santa is watching you...we start that around July and it seems to make life a little bit easier;) 

Snowflakes hanging from the chandelier. 

Santa's cookie plate I found junkin' with my mom one day.

I've started to frame our Christmas cards (like our own personal family cards that we send out each year) in festive frames...that way we can look back at how much everyone has changed. 

We've even got our own little piece of The Christmas City.  My mom had some canvases made for my sisters and I to hang in our homes during Christmas.  Very special!  Thanks Mama:)

A usually all white master bedroom gets a little bit of color during the holidays! 

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care...or kinda close anyway.  I found these adorable cutter quilt stockings on Etsy.  I used to hang out at honky tonks and rad parties but now you can find me kicking it on Etsy on a Saturday night.  I know I could make these just as easy, however, there is just something about cutting up a quilt...I just can't do it.  So I'll let someone else do it for me. 

I'd rather not see these bad boys go up in flames so I hung them under one of my favorite prints instead of directly over the fire place.  I hope our kids read this quote and live by it everyday of their lives! It's a powerful one!!!

Our nativity is one that is near and dear to my heart.  Given to me over a long period of time by some old family friends. They gave my sisters and I each one piece every year until all our nativities were complete. It's a tough one thank goodness because the kids are always playing with it.  They even gave baby Jesus a bath the other day. #neveradullmoment

Aztec, plaids, and an old quilt...that's my kind of combo! 

This yellow quilt was made by my Great Grandama on my mama's side...I  seriously get all the good stuff! 

Next up, Buster's room.  This little guy is all boy!  Rough and tough and buck wild!  So his room is very rustic and outdoorsy.  Above is his changing table with a sweet old sign I use as a shelf for his toy animals. 

Bottle brush trees are so classic and timeless!  That little red truck was my husbands when he was little. 

The cow creeping in one the right was Buster's first Christmas gift.  It was a cow/calf pair but she lost her calf...bad cow! 

Next stop down the hall is Charley Jo's room.  She's our eclectic horse lover.  If she could sleep in the barn with all her horse, she'd be one happy little girl.  Unfortunately for her, that's not an option at age 2 1/2. So we just fill it full of toy horses and hope it satisfies her enough to keep her in the house at night. 

This little nativity was mine when I was a child. 

Vintage Goldenbook prints from... you guessed it... Etsy! 

Every year we bust out tons of Christmas books from storage and replace the normal everyday storybooks with old and new Christmas stories. It keeps the kids interested. Change is so good! 

And last down that long decked out hallway is Joey May's room.  She is our old soul, mother hen of the family.  Her room is very vintage and pink.  She decorated her tree all by herself with vintage pink Christmas ornaments.  

She is the master of tea parties and as sweet as they come! 

Christmas art is so special. So far Joey is the only one old enough to really make something.  Her preschool makes the cutest crafts!  Can't wait to see what they do this year!  

Snowmen footprints!!! So easy, so cute, and so fun!  The kids and I did this project last year along with a couple extras for the grandmas.  This year I'm thinking reindeer toes or mistletoes, or maybe handprint Christmas trees...or all three, heck why not!  They are only little once!

 

Mema came to town and if you know my mom, you know she has a thing for gingerbread houses.  She brought a few for the girls to decorate.  They loved it!  

At this point in my life I do not enjoy cooking or baking or doing anything in the kitchen beside drinking coffee.  So this is as Betty Crocker as I get...Green Christmas Wreath Cookies. So simple!!!!  The girls were a lot of "really good" help. 

Buster just supervised and made sure the finished product tasted alright. Maybe someday I'll grow up and enjoy cooking and baking...but today is not that day!

On your way out the door you'll see more bottle brush trees and a Merry Christmas banner.  

Step out the back door and you'll find a little surprise...

When you own an Airstream camper,  you decorate it

for Christmas!  It's in the rule book...and it just has to be done! 

Curious pen of replacement heifers wondering what in the world I am doing. 

...annnnnnd then the very next day it snowed!!!

When it snows on your Airstream camper, you take pictures of it...it's in the rule book.  It's just what you do. 

...one more...

...okay now I'm on done!  

Moving on...

So that brings us to my holiday style picks! Cute and comfy are a MUST for the holidays so above are my top 6 picks just to get you started. Blankets scarves are still hot this year (literally) and we've got plenty to choose from!  Beanies make great stocking stuffers. Festive tees and super soft sweaters are always a good idea to stick under the tree.  

Last but definitely not least...Ring in the New Year in our rose gold Sequin Maxi Skirt!  (Currently sold out but trying like hell to restock it!!!)  Shop all these looks at therollinj.com. Use code HOLIDAYBLOG at checkout for 10% off your next order! Shopping in store? Just mention the blog at checkout and we'll be glad to hook you up! Now through 12/31/16!

So from our home to yours, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you so much for taking the time to go on this Holiday Home Tour with me!  This sleigh ride is signing off!  Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight! 

Xoxo

Shelly Jo

WIFE | MOM | BOSS 

of The Rollin J