Thursday, December 29, 2011

Out With the Old...

Christmas is over, I'm trying hard not to feel blue,
Goodness knows I've plenty to do!




The New Year is coming and I hope that it brings,
All sorts of fun and fantastic things.

Gardening, cooking, and of course some decor,
Photography, blogging, and maybe some more.



So away with the decorations and in with the new,
Life is so full of great things to do!




Happy New Year

Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Christmas Wish

As the countdown begins to Christmas Day this little snowman is here, from my house to yours...


to wish you a very joyous, happy, and wonderful holiday,



          may it also be filled with the love, and blessings of the season.




Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Un Petit Quelque Chose ~ Silver

A few weeks ago when I took out all of my silver serving dishes to get them really for holiday entertaining  I thought...you know it's really too bad, these are so pretty they deserve to be on display a little more. and not always just stored away.

So I decided to use them to add some festive glitter and glam to the kitchen.

 

I made the first vignette in a cabinet near the eating area and like it so well...



...that I  put another grouping across the kitchen on the ledge above my sink.



I used fruit, artichokes and some holiday greenery that I already had and for additional effect threw in the silver candelabras. Some battery votive and pillar candles make it all sparkle at night



I think it adds a festive feel and it is lots of fun to be able to see all of these pretty and useful items. In fact I like it so much that I might do it again next year!




My kitchen faucet is really not supposed to be decorative and certainly isn't silver but I love it's commercial look and it seems to fit right in.

(For those of you who are interested, I used one of Picnik's holiday textures with these pictures.)

Merry Christmas

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas Time

I was sitting in my front room sipping a glass of wine the other evening whilst enjoying the lights on the Christmas tree  and I thought...I wonder if this would look as pretty in a picture as it does  in real life. So I got up, got my camera and took these photos.


 In my opinion, Christmas trees are in their full glory at night with all the light reflecting on the ornaments.


I decorated this tree in pink and clear balls, an extravagant, crunchy, crystal garland and pale cranberry colored ribbon. The tree combined with the clock tells me that it  really is ~ Christmas time. 


Lights, glitter, and a bit of glitz...


...yes, it really is that time of year.


Thank you for visiting and...

A Very Merry Christmas to you!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Poinsettias

What better to add to the festive feel of the Holidays than Poinsettias. And, they were the perfect answer to ..."what can I put on the credenza in the living room this year that would go along with my more natural theme in decorating".



I brought in this basket from the greenhouse, put in some chicken wire for support and added the poinsettias along with some eucalyptus branches...in cooler climes you have evergreens, in California we have eucalyptus. These were scooped up from some tree-trimmers working in the area.


The little bird ornament was made by my daughter at http://loveandlifeatleadora.blogspot.com/ several years ago...I wish she would make some again, they are so cute!


A ribbon and some glass ornaments add just a bit of sparkle


I don't think this credenza has every looked better. What do you think?



Thank you for visiting and...
Merry Christmas



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Boxwood Epergnes

I have been trying to cut down on so much glitter and glitz in my holiday decorations this year by using lots of natural ingredients and re purposing things I already have. I was inspired by a Boxwood Christmas  arrangement in silver epergnes that I saw, and this is my interpretation. I don't have silver epergnes...sure wish I did...but I do have these lovely crystal ones.


I really like the combination of the Lady Apples with the Boxwood. I nested the apples in moss allowing some to creep over the edges. I saw some wonderful ideas for moss decorations in the Christmas edition of Jeanne'd Arc Living. This is the first time I have purchased this magazine and I am very impressed ~ costly, but beautiful!


The table runner is an old lace curtain valance. I never throw away anything lace!


Apples and berries; red and green ~ perfect for Christmas.


To tie the centerpiece in with the rest of the room and add symmetry I included one of my blue and white ginger jars.




Great! I had all of this and it was fun to put it together. Have you been changing your decorating style this year...mixing it up, re purposing, or maybe using new colors? Whatever, I hope that you are having a good time doing it.

Thank you for visiting and...Happy Holidays

Monday, December 5, 2011

Living Room Mantle


Last week in my area of Southern California has been a very unusal one. On Wednesday night we experience hurricane strength winds. Enormous ammounts of damage was done, mainly because of falling and uprooted trees. I was fortunate in that I only lost one small tree, some of my fences and damage to several arbors. I was without power for four days...early this morning it was restored. This really makes one appreciate the basic comforts of heat and light. I am so thankful that I was spared more costly damage and thankfully no one was injured. Because of this I decided  to repost my living room mantle from last year. I will be back with a new post later in the week.


I love the simple, elegant, designs that so many people are doing now, particulary in green and white , so fresh, clean and beautiful. But in my home it just wouldn't work...on the other hand, lavish, over-the-top, fits in very well and no place better than my mantle in the living room. Early on in the holiday season I found two beautiful garlands on a special sale at Michael's for 70% off and they became the basis for my mantle decoration this year. The garlands are composed of gilted magnolia leaves, sparkly pears, and some small pine cone clusters. I already had the additional greenery, the clear glass ornaments, the wired ribbon and the lovely velvet flowers. Here we go...the La Vie Qutidienne mantle for 2010!








A charming bird nest ornament made one year by my even more charming daughter at, http://loveandlifeatleadora.blogspot.com/




















Do you think that Santa will like it when he comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve. I hope so because I have a very long list!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wreath Fever

This holiday decorating season for me is definately the 'Year of the Wreath'. For some reason I need new wreaths for several places...the remodeled room for one and the front door for another. I love making wreaths, probably because they are so easy and always seem to turn out looking good no matter what you do. This wreath, for the window in the media/library was inspired by one I saw in a back issue of Victoria magazine.



I love the idea of adding red roses, I had a little trouble finding them this time of year...poinsettias, hydrangeas, berries, holly, but no red roses, and then I remembered buying a rose nosegay on sale when I was in the check-out line at Michael's last fall. I ending up pulling it apart, they were perfect for what I wanted.








You wouldn't know it from this view but my Sugar Plum tree is just around the corner, but that is for another post.


Do you have wreath fever? Or is your holiday decorating going in another direction. From what I am seeing, simplicity, natural materials, and re-using what you already have seems to be the focus this year.
Thank you for visiting.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Holiday Door Bouquets

Over the past weeks I have been cutting the very last of the fall blooming roses, and various herbs to to dry for the winter months. I thought it would be nice to make bouquets to hang on different doors throughout the house. They will be a nice addition to the holiday decorations and add a lovely scent as I have included lavender, rosemary and sage along with the roses. This one is on the door going into the master bedroom.


At one time I dried many kinds of flowers and herbs and then for some reason stopped doing it...

...now this year I have returned to making potpourri, and now these bouquets.


Next spring and summer I plan on planting more things that will be suitable for drying. But for now...


I think these will add to the festive atmosphere of the holiday season and will be in keeping with the more 'natural' I decorations I am planning for this year.


I hope that you are having a good weekend, I am sure that many of you like me are starting their Holiday decorations...isn't if fun! 

Thank you for visiting.


This post has been linked to: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/, http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/, http://www.bystephanielynn.com/, http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/, http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/