Whew! Last week was hectic. Two parties, play practice, cantata practice, a Fall Festival, and Halloween! Not much time for
bloggin'. I don't think I had an evening off last week. I woke up this morning and it hit me - less than two months to go.
CHRISTmas is only 52 days away! I began packing fall away and clearing Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin Patch to make way for the Colors of
CHRISTmas!
This warm and welcoming entry just captured my eye. No this is not my house but I think I might be able to imitate that beautiful golden glow.
Don't you love gold? I mean the color not
necessarily the stuff in Ft. Knox. Although a little of that this time of year would go a long way. Last week I took off with camera in hand to find some inspiration.
I was looking for ideas to spice up my November decor. Gold is a great color for holiday decorations, especially if you decorate early (like some people I know) because it carries you through Thanksgiving right up to
CHRISTmas! Deer hunting in North Carolina is such a popular
pastime in November that the bronze deer grazing by this entry looks stylish and timely.
Carrying the golden theme throughout the whole house adds sophistication and elegance not to mention ease.
Nothing looks more elegant to me than a lovely evergreen bedecked with silver and gold CHRISTmas ball ornaments. Varying the size of the ornaments adds interest and keeps the eye moving around the tree. This color
palette is soft and neutral enough that you won't get tired of it before New Years Day.
Here's a shot of some quaint little stockings.
Different enough that every person has their own unique style but similar enough to add holiday panache to your mantle.
Here's another GREAT idea!
Simply tuck sprigs of evergreens in your china cabinet or curio and display your favorite serving platters or a collection of antique silver. This picture has inspired me to display some pretty pewter pieces in a large plate rack that I found at a garage sale. It's going to get a coat of black paint and a little distressing and it will be ready to go. Visit again to see the finished project.
I love setting my formal dining table with festive
tablescapes year-round. The fall and
CHRISTmas in when my creativity is at it's best.
This opulent place setting looks fit for a KING! Try sitting a place at your table this year for the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS! Invite Him to come into your life, your heart and your home. That's really the reason for the season!
Thanks for stopping by for my CHRISTmas 2008 House Tour. We will be touring all week. Today we are going to take a look in the Entry, Living Room and Family Room. I hope you enjoy the tour and that you will be inspired with ideas and tips for making all of your holiday decor merry and bright.
Nothing brings a smile to my face more than a beautiful holiday wreath. This year I decided to go big, bold and RED! I started with a blue spruce wreath and layered in fresh magnolia leaves. I have always loved Magnolia trees. When we moved to North Carolina I was so happy to see one standing in front of the house we decided to buy. It provides me with beautiful clippings year round. I wrapped a wide red velvet ribbon around the wreath and finished it off with a fluffy bow and two red floral picks - one poinsettia and one magnolia.
As you enter our foyer, I have a console table in the hall. I love to use this space to decorate for each season. I've gone with a rather understated look this year because I wanted to highlight the big black and gold mirror featured in the photo. This was a find at ROSS. I saw the same mirror in a fancy department store catalog for three times what I paid for it. I love the two kneeling gold reindeer. I found these at Old Time Pottery. Love that place! Other than the floral arrangement and the gold NOEL plaque, a Pottery Barn runner in a red print is all that was needed to welcome the holiday and our guests.
Next stop, the Living Room tree. This year I went with RED, GOLD and BROWN. A different color story than I've used before but nevertheless I liked the results. I found a red and gold floral print ribbon at - you wont believe it - LOWES HOME IMPROVEMENT store. I cut 8" lengths and tied them on the ends of the branches. This tree also features RED CARDINALS found at Michaels on clearance for 70 cents each! I'll show you a close up of them in a later post.
This is the mantel in our Living Room. I decided to place my two "Holly & Ivy" Reindeer in the center flanked on each side with the matching stocking holders. Now we're off to the FAMILY ROOM.
