Christmas in July (?!)

For me to be thinking of Christmas in July is practically unheard of. And actually being prepared enough to buy gifts this early?  Ha! (Although, have you heard about Amazon Prime Day on July 11?? This might be good incentive to get that Christmas shopping done early. But I digress…)

Despite my aversion to thinking about the winter holidays during summer, I’ve come to realize that “Christmas in July” is actually a pretty big thing. There are promotions and Instagram hashtags dedicated to it. I also found this website which attempts to explain the history of Christmas in July, if you feel like some extra reading. 

Whatever the reasoning, I thought I’d try getting into the holiday spirit in July, even if begins and ends with this blog post.  After all, Hobby Lobby is already starting to put out their Christmas decorations, so that seemed an ideal place to start. I decided to turn it into a fun trend-spotting activity to see what to expect this year. (Yes, I was that crazy person walking around taking pictures of everything.)

Here are some of my findings as I perused the aisles… you’ll notice that a common theme throughout is SPARKLE!

 Gold & Silver
These colors have become pretty standard for holiday decorating, but I’m including them because I’m a fan.  Plus, gold is making a big comeback right now if you haven’t noticed!

Feathers

I think the peacock feathers have been popular for a couple years, but now there are also regular feathers. I’m really not sure how feathers have anything to do with Christmas, but I guess it’s just a result of their popularity in general home decor.

 Sweets

Along with the traditional candy canes and swirled peppermint-candy look, there are also some cupcakes thrown in the mix. Because, why not?

Icons & Motifs

I noticed several different icons/motifs that were available in different-colored ornaments, including the Eiffel Tower, the fleur de lis, purses, high heels, and peacocks.

Color Combos

A few worth mentioning…

Pastels – Pink and mint mixed with silver

Contemporary – Red and aqua mixed with white

Elegant – A deep “merlot” color mixed with gray/silver

In some of my online Christmas decor research, I also stumbled upon Patience Brewster, a collection of handcrafted ornaments, cards, and more.  (I recommend reading her story on the About Us page, too.) The colorful ornaments have a lot of whimsy and personality, and some put a quirky twist on classic icons. It's fun to look through all of them!

Being a dog lover, I was of course drawn to the canine creations. These were some of my favorites... aren't they cute?? I'm also thinking they'd make great gifts for fellow dog-lovers.

images via Patience Brewster

Browsing through the collections, I saw they also have nativity figures. A nativity set is one thing my husband and I are lacking in our Christmas decorations. I don't have a lot of space for a nice big one right now, but I'm hoping once our basement is finished (by the end of this year) that will all change!

images via Patience Brewster

Whew!  Okay, I think I'm actually feeling in the Christmas spirit after all this! Now, if only I had a crackling fire, fuzzy socks, and a cup of hot chocolate...

 

NOTE: Little House on the Corner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.