Welcome to my Christmas in the kitchen tour!
At this time last year we had only been in our new home five short months and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't pay much attention to the kitchen when it came to decorating for Christmas. Last year my focus was on the living room which you can see here and here and I was so happy with how everything turned out. The kitchen, not so much. In the past I know I've rushed decorating and eventually regretted my choices - especially when I've gone with something trendy. When you're dealing with a new space, I think it's best to take your time and get a feel for it, mull your options over, and only bring in decor that you're really happy with - and not just because you've seen it on HGTV and everybody has it. Last year with the focus on the living room, the kitchen ended up looking unfinished and very "decorator beginner".
On one of our many trips to Lanesboro, MN last year I came across this quirky and fun Minnesota What You Need To Know map that I knew would make a great addition to our guest room. When I brought it up to the register at the Slant Avenue Mercantile the guy behind the counter told me that IKEA had several frames that would fit this map perfectly. I thought between the cost of the map ($5) and the cost of the frame (I was guessing less than $10), this would make for some inexpensive decor. 
Just because it's fall it doesn't mean that your window boxes have to be empty and lifeless. Fall can be very pretty for a few weeks when the leaves are at their peak color, but what about after the leaves have fallen? I wanted to keep those bright oranges and yellows around until at least Thanksgiving because once the snow flies, it will feel like forever until spring is here.
