World Market is one of my very favorite places to look for unique home decor. I am so thrilled to have them as a sponsor for this post.
I love to bring little touches of Christmas into my kitchen for the holidays. Since our main living area is just one big, open space, all of the holiday decor flows together well.
I grabbed one of these fun, premade gingerbread houses at World Market (this one), and decorated it with the enclosed icing. I opted not to put the candies on it, but I did sprinkle it with white sugar and sparkles that I had on hand and I love how it settled in the roof grooves.
To create my village, and add a bunch of Christmas sparkle, I used a mixture of trees and mercury glass votives from World Market (here/here/here) as well as some from my own stash. I just used a pushpin to hang the wreath. Obviously I have patience issues as evidenced by the very (VERY) uneven windows ;).
On the adjacent wall, I hung some of my stash of vintage cookie cutters on a scrap of ribbon.
I love my view from my sink of our Christmas tree. It almost makes the dishes more exciting. Actually, it makes me want to leave all of the dishes in the sink and curl up with a warm blanket under the tree.
I like keeping these takeout boxes (you can get them at your local restaurant supply store) on hand to send goodies home with friends.
Confession: I finally started hauling all of the crap back in the house from our kitchen reno, so I finally decorated above my cabinets. I added pomegranates and fresh greens for Christmas and I used my old door as a backdrop.
I buy a carton of fresh pomegranates every year because I love the combination of fresh greens and pomegranates for Christmas and because we LOVE to eat them! It has become a sort of tradition.
I know these French lemonades (here) aren't really Christmasy, but add red swirly straws to anything and it is festive, right? They were so adorable that I couldn't resist!
I still need to do a post on this table makeover, but I am loving these chairs that I purchased from World Market during their sale last month. I had been debating between different chairs from all over, and I kept coming back to these. I am SO happy with them... but that is another detailed post and story for another day!
To create this tablescape, I used everything I had on hand. Old books, mercury glass ornaments, candles, and leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving (The ones I was supposed to make cranberry sauce with, but then forgot... oops...)
I love how the vintage french red striped toweling looks with my Christmas decor.
And what would Christmas be like without delicious family recipes? So, this beauty is coming to you straight from my mom. My mom is pretty world famous for her Orange rolls, cinnamon rolls, and just about everything else. You will LOVE this! It is so festive and delicious, and it is the perfect breakfast to make for Christmas morning or for those overnight holiday guests.
I recommend reading through this before beginning. It isn't too hard, but there are a few steps.
Here is her amazing basic roll recipe that I would highly recommend keeping on hand for whenever you need it:
2 c warm milk
1 tbs. orange juice concentrate
2 tbsp yeast
¼ c sugar ( I like to use 1/3 c when using this recipe for sweet rolls)
2 tsp salt
½ c butter melted
1 egg
4 ½ to 5 c flour
In a mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour with the yeast. Add the warm milk
combined with the OJ concentrate, sugar and salt, mix. Add the egg and butter.
Beat all for 2 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Cover the bowl and let rise for about 10-15 minutes. Use as dinner rolls or in
your favorite sweet roll recipe.
Cranberry Orange Rolls Breakfast Wreath
½ roll recipe
2 c cranberries
1 c water
4 tbs orange juice concentrate
½ c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1/3 c orange zest
Icing
2-3 c powdered sugar (approximately)
¼ c butter softened or cream cheese softened
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup orange zest
Milk for desired consistency
Combine the cranberries, water OJ and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a
boil, stirring occasionally. When you start to hear cranberries start to pop, reduce
heat and simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes then place
mixture in a strainer.
Roll dough approximately into a 7X12 rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 c white
sugar and 1/3 c orange zest and prepared cranberries (reserve a few for
decoration if desired). Roll up lengthwise as you would for cinnamon rolls and cut about an
inch thick (we use the dental floss trick to cut ours). Arrange on a cookie sheet in a wreath formation about 1 inch apart. Let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool a few minutes and ice
and decorate with reserved cranberries. Enjoy
Doesn't that look amazing? It is so delicious.
I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas kitchen! Tomorrow I will be sharing our Christmas mantel, and Wednesday is THE DAY for my Christmas home tour. I can't wait!
I hope you visit these amazing Christmas kitchens too!
Yellow Bliss Road
Ella Claire
Liz Marie Blog
Just Destiny
Clean & Scentsible
Making Home Base
Domestically Speaking
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
AKA Design
Sand & Sisal
At the Picket Fence
Lolly Jane
Eighteen25
Love Grows Wild
Kim @ Sand & Sisal
Your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! And those cranberry rolls.... oh my. I will be making them soon! Have a fabulous weekend! ~KIM
Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage
Your kitchen looks amazing! So festive and fun! I have a vintage window that I have not been able to find a spot for and when I saw yours above the cabinets I got so excited. Mine fits there perfectly and I love it!! Thanks for the great idea!
Chelsea
Gorgeous, as always! I simply love the little Christmas village around the gingerbread house. And seriously, those rolls look so, so good! Happy holidays!
Liz Fourez
Your decorating always makes me swoon, Kristen! I love the little corner with the gingerbread house (I have no patience for those things either), and the cookie cutter display is just darling. Such a beautiful space you created for the holidays!
Jenn
Absolutely gorgeous as always Kristen! I love your little Christmas tree corner! I just bought one of those chairs for Connor's desk - glad to hear you are loving yours!
Laurel Stephens
So cute, Kristen! Your photos are fabulous and fun!
Destiny
HOw beautiful! Love everything about this! Great job girl!
Lolly Jane
Adore that cutter banner too!
XO
April
Love the cookie cutter banner! Such a cute idea. Where can I find the recipe for the rolls?
Shannon Acheson | AKA Design, Bloggers & Brands
Gorgeous, Kristen! I'm guessing you're loving the updated space to decorate this year?! xo