Three Christmas Home Tours - Progressive Brunch with Friends

Last year mom and I decided to do a week of Christmas home tours! We’re so excited to kick off Christmas Home Tours for 2022. Every day this week you’ll see a new home up on the blog and you are going to LOVE every single one. Today we’re doing THREE tours in one with a progressive brunch with our friends.

The best thing about Christmas is not the trees or the lights or the glitter. Those things are just meant to create the atmosphere for those we love. One of our friends decided it might be fun to have a progressive brunch and tour one another’s homes! We decided to bring ya’ll along too.

We started the tour at my home. My friends have been here before but I did some new things. They loved my cozy cabin vibe. But I got the best reaction from my back porch. Shannon and Michele are both treasure hunters. They love a good estate sale or Facebook Marketplace find. Almost in unison, they commented on my back porch hutch. It felt good to have something they admired because they have so many unique and amazing found furniture pieces. The hutch doubles as a little potting bench and I just added some ceramic houses and trees inside. I put greenery on top and filled my garden baskets with pine cones, and a Christmas pillow. You can tour my full home here after you finish this tour.

Since I was first in our progressive brunch, I made the drinks. Shelby and I did a coffee/cocoa bar with homemade white mocha and gingerbread syrup. We created a charcuterie board with some things that go well with coffee and cocoa. Some pastries, cinnamon apples, sugared almonds, marshmallows and such. We had a great time and were excited to get to the next house!

MICHELE OF VINTAGE HOME DESIGNS

Michele of Vintage Home Designs was next. We always love touring Michele’s home, especially at Christmas. Michele uses many of her old Christmas items in fresh ways so that it’s never the same. But the overall feel remains because her signature style is warm and inviting with all neutrals and an occasional pop of color. My eye was immediately drawn to the vintage ironstone plates that she arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree! And I wasn’t the only one, it was really a favorite on Instagram when she shared too. We always wonder what it must be like to be in Michele’s head! LOL She’s truly one of the most creative designers we know.

In keeping with the tree theme, Michele served us an appetizer of cheese, cured meat and veggies, all in the shape of a Christmas tree. She used rosemary from her garden to separate each of the items. She had yummy hummus and veggie dip along with crackers. We had water infused with oranges. Michele took a commonly served appetizer to a whole other level. Just a little thought will make your guests feel super special and loved!

SHANNON OF MY LITTLE WHITE BARN

All credit goes to Shannon of the Little White Barn for this progressive brunch idea. We all love to visit each others homes during this time, why not do it in a morning or an afternoon and have some yummy food along with it! Shannon loves to change things up! So this years Christmas looks completely new from last year. Although her home remains filled with thrifted and vintage finds. This year we were all drawn to the giant wood vessel that she filled with fresh greenery. Shannon was going to use it as the centerpiece on her dining table but then she found a fun sleigh and used it instead. The other piece made perfect sense on her dresser. Both of these made a stunning display. One of Shannons tips is to paint things more neutral. Sometimes she lets just a bit of the color come through. Painting vases or other pieces can give them a worn or aged feel even if they’re brand new.

Shannon is known for her chicken salad. She serves it on croissants. One day I asked her for the recipe. And unfortunately she made it up and doesn’t have exact measurements. But she gave me the list of ingredients so I could give it a try. It turned out great! Maybe not as good as Shannons but, honestly doesn’t it always taste better when someone else makes the meal. LOL We had such a blast on our home tour brunch with friends. Thanks for thinking of it Shannon!

So you don’t need to buy tickets to the Christmas Parade of Homes, though that is fun. Just invite a few of your friends to join you in a progressive meal and enjoy each other’s homes. You can gain inspiration from one another but above that, you’ll be practicing the real reason for the season to get together and have some food and fun!

Thank you Michele and Shannon for inviting us into your home! Make sure to give Michele a follow on Instagram at @VintageHomeDesign and Shannon at @Mylittlewhitebarn_. That’s a wrap on the 2021 Home Tours! You can see them all below if you want to binge tour.