Sunday Snapshot ... Fredericksburg Christmas Porches

Yesterday morning, The Husband and I did our annual shift as guides for one of the houses during the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour in historic downtown Fredericksburg.  Every year, half a dozen or so houses are selected for the tour, and each is decorated and staged beautifully.  There is so much wonderful Christmas inspiration in these houses!!  (unfortunately, no photography is allowed INSIDE the houses ... but I can take all the photos I want outside.)

I'm still looking at porches, as I refine the design for the posts and gingerbread trim that I hope will soon adorn OUR porch. 

I loved everything about this porch!

This is the rest of the front of the same house.

The 'wreaths' on these front doors were actually picture frames, wrapped in ribbon.

This was my favorite front door!  The red door, with the lime green accents in the decorations, was stunning!  (The hostess on the porch told me that the color is called "Perfectly Red" ... it really is perfect.)

... and this was my favorite color combination.  The apple green of the front doors was a perfectly-coordinated punch of color to go with the white siding, grey trim, and pale blue porch ceiling.

This is the house where The Husband and I worked all morning.  He was on the porch giving the history of the house, and I was in the dining room ... where it was warm.

My favorite house on the tour, both inside and outside, was this one.  It's known as the Hurkamp House, and it was built in the same year as our house (1848).  As we toured the inside, I was practically bombarded on all sides by inspiration that I can use as we transition from the construction and restoration phase of our place to (hopefully, one day) doing some real decorating around here.

Working this tour every year, with its beautiful historic homes and elegant decorations, always has me coming home motivated to put OUR house into its best Christmas shape.  Later today, The Husband will drag the tubs of decorations out of their storage area, and I will see what I can do.  Stay tuned.