This year we had so many fun moments during the holiday season that I just had to share a post on our Frevert Christmas 2023. From geeking out on all things Stewart Plaid from Pottery Barn to kicking things off in New York City, it was definitely one to remember!
christmas 2023 in new york city
This year my husband, Kevin, was able to bring me along on his work trip to New York City at the beginning of December. I’ve always dreamed of experiencing Christmas in New York and it was just as amazing as I thought it would be. While he did have to go to a few meetings, we were able to spend lots of time together and see lot of the sites we wanted to see.
We stayed at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square, and we enjoyed it so much. I would love to stay there again next time we are in NYC. The location is very close to Bryant Park and lots of broadways shows (although we didn’t have time to see any on this trip).
The highlight of the trip was seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. It’s just like it looks in the movies! It was such a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season. We also loved walking down Fifth Avenue. It actually smelled like Christmas! Not kidding. I googled it and Nest New York‘s signature holiday scent was being dispersed through 50 tree displays lining Fifth Avenue.
We also loved walking to Central Park and spending some time there before Kevin had to head off to his meetings. From there, I went to check out some shopping on Madison Avenue and stopped in Ralph’s Coffee for a delicious latte. I loved seeing the homes in this area and took a photo in front of one of my favorites.
It was a quick, 2-night trip but everything in NYC put me in the ultimate holiday mood. Seeing (and smelling) all of the holiday magic in NYC made me so excited to come home and finish putting up our holiday decor!
christmas 2023 Outdoor planters
In the spring, I added these gray planters from Target with 4′ faux cedar trees from Nearly Natural. You can check out the blog post about it here. For Christmas 2023, I wanted to spruce them up a little bit for the holidays and create planters that will look great all winter.
I started with 2 large river birch branches for each planter. I found these at my local Michaels store. You can order online and pick up in store! Then I went to a local nursery and found a mix of branches in bundles and 4 large pinecones. Here’s the mix I picked up: Western Cedar Boughs, Douglas Fir Boughs, and Princess Pine Bunches.
We have a magnolia tree in our yard, so I cut a few branches from it and added them in for more texture and color. I love the way they tie in the brown of the pinecones. Here are some tips for creating your own planters:
Go Vertical with Thrill – Make sure you get some birch branches and either a spruce cutting or a real or faux small evergreen tree to create some height.
Add Some Spill – Include some branches that naturally fall over the edge of your planter.
Finish with the Fill – Put in a mix of textures and heights with bundles of branches in varying species. Finally, add some pinecones, twigs, or faux berries for the final touch!
Be sure to follow the care instructions from the plant nursery so you can keep them fresh as long as possible. They love the cold weather and appreciate a good spritz of water every 5-7 days.
christmas 2023 holiday cards
For our Christmas 2023 holiday card, we simply set up my iphone on a tripod and captured our family photo on our front porch one afternoon. It was the quickest, easiest, least stressful family photo we’ve ever taken! I loved the way our planters looked, so I thought this was a great spot to get a photo. It feels special that it’s taken at our home this time instead of a random spot outdoors.
I created our cards on Canva and even had them print them. They shipped quickly and were great quality for a much lower price than some of the other popular printing companies. There wasn’t a holiday card option for printing, so I selected the invitations setting and it worked perfectly!
We definitely take lots of candid and selfie photos throughout the year, but I love capturing a formal family photo each year. It’s not always easy to get a great background, with the right outfit, on a good hair day, with cooperative pups (or husband) – but it’s all worth it in the end!
christmas 2023 TREES
For our trees this Christmas 2023, I wanted to finally try a minimal look with just lights and no ornaments. I loved the look of it so much that I’m not sure I will ever go back! We have two 10.5′ artifical pre-lit trees. They are Phillips brand and I ordered them several years ago from Target. I would link them, but I don’t think they have them anymore.
Because our living room is very symmetrical, I love the look of having two trees. They fit perfectly at each side of our fireplace and make our living room and kitchen feel so festive with the lights on each evening.
I took the trees down on December 26, and we honestly missed them a lot! They add so much to the room and it feels empty without them. It’s a lot of work to unbox each piece, carry them upstairs, assemble all four levels, and fluff each branch along the way. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn’t be Christmas without our trees!
christmas 2023 GIFT WRAP
For gift wrap this year, I kept things simple with black kraft paper and brown velvet ribbon I ordered from Amazon. I was inspired by my decorative bowl with black, brown, gold and green. So I recreated that color combination in my gift wrap! Luckily I found these small gold and green decorative accents at Target. Then I found a set of classic Santa gift tags at Homegoods. I absolutely love a classic Santa.
Our dining room became my gift wrap station this year. It was nice to be able to spread everything out and wrap all our gifts in a couple days. Wrapping gifts is a highlight of the holiday season for me. It’s so fun to give our nieces and nephews something they will love and enjoy. And I have a lot of fun wrapping each box and tying each bow.
christmas 2023 stewart plaid everything
Our Christmas 2023 was Stewart Plaid evvvverywhere! I had purchased a few Stewart Plaid pillow covers from Williams Sonoma years ago, and I was delighted when I found the entire Stewart Plaid Collection at Pottery Barn. I added kitchen towels, an apron, cloth napkins, and bowls to my collection. I love how the same plaid was repeated throughout our living room, kitchen, dining room, and hearth room. This made our whole living space feel connected and cohesive.
I love the look of a classic holiday plaid because it feels timeless. It will never go out of style, and it can be styled in a fancy way or simple way and it still feels right. I’ve selected the white Stewart Plaid, but you could mix the red, white, black or green versions.
Next year, I just might have to add the matching bedding. Wouldn’t that be so fun to wake up in on Christmas morning? I think so!
christmas 2023 HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
One of my favorite things at Christmas 2023 was trying new holiday cocktails! After seeing the idea of freezing rosemary in a glass so it looks like a Christmas tree, I had to try it! For my first try, I froze cranberries and water with the rosemary in the middle. Then I added prosecco and pomegranate juice. It was delicious, but the bottom didn’t stay frozen for very long.
For my second try, I put crushed ice and water in the bottom around the rosemary. It took a little more effort to get it to stay straight up. I used binder clips and blue painters tape to get it frozen in the correct position. But it did stay frozen longer and it looks like snow!
I also tried a Christmas Spritz – a fun twist on the Aperol Spritz. To make it festive, I froze cranberries and rosemary in some large square ice cube trays. Tip: Make sure they will fit in the glass you want to use.
To make this cocktail, I got all of my ingredients at Target! You’ll first add La Marca Prosecco, a splash of Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, a splash of Aperol, and then top with Waterloo Orange Vanilla Sparkling Water.
And there you have it — a complete wrap up of our Frevert Christmas 2023 holiday season! I really tried to make a conscious effort to be present in every moment this year and enjoy the season as much as possible.
December 26th always brings Christmas to an abrupt end and it can make me feel a little sad that it’s all over. It’s fun to look back at all we did and remember the special moments.
We had several gatherings with family and friends that aren’t included in this post, and those times are always incredibly special. From Christmas pop-up bars and double date nights to celebrating with both sides of our family, we shared lots of special moments that we’ll always remember.
Looking back at how it all started with our trip to NYC and how much fun we had along the way, I think this might be one of my most favorite Christmas seasons ever!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Have any questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you below!
X O X O , K A T E
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