Holiday decor

Welcoming the holidays with a wreath,

inside or outside the home

is perfect for the beginning of fall season

right through the holidays.

On this traditional style wreath

I especially liked using rose hips instead of the

traditional berries

and the quail rather than a dove.

For a coordinating look in the dining room,

cut a burlap runner and layer it over a white tablecloth

then create a garland down the center

with similar greenery and embellishment.

Consider embellishing with burlap roses with pine cone centers,

and quail eggs with found feathers.

Holiday decorating continues around the cottage...

Tabletop treasures

Romantic Homes Magazine asked me to share a few

tips and tricks...

for adding holiday sparkle to our tabletops in this months issue.

.

Here are a few suggestions...

Consider using mirrors in a variety of ways on your tablescape,

mirrors are wonderful for reflecting light & colors

and even better when paired with candlelights flickering!

Silver with whites are great neutrals.

Add a pop of your favorite holiday color to the neutral color scheme

even pink or turquoise,

by piling your treasured ornaments into a beautifully cut crystal bowl.

Costume jewelry is great for additional holiday sparkle,

raid grandmother's jewelry box for embellishments

on place tags, napkin holders, wreaths and Christmas stockings.

Grandfather's pocket watch adds family history,

sentiment and interest.

Combining old, cherished pieces with new purchases creates original recycling chic,

especially when using collectibles with a family history.

Silver spray paint on dried leaves, berries and pine cones

are rich embellishments and cost so little,

displayed with a nest created out of tinsel

and a bird topping it adds to the sparkling nature scene.

Consider decorating the table with positive quotes

in place of name tags

or as the focal point of the centerpiece.

Whatever you choose to do,

enjoy the process and have a happy holiday !

To view how the mirror tree was created click here

Grateful for the opportunity to share the fun !

Gratitude

..

{with a snap of some my original ceramic bisque creations}

*

Happiest Holiday!

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Merry & Bright Tablescape

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I began with an old mirror as a base on top the cocktail table

{ the mirror was an alley find }

to reflect the sparkle & lights thru out the room

holiday decorating continues around the cottage...

{ view how the mirrored tree was created here }

Partridge in an acorn tree

I trained a climbing fig plant over this topiary frame

it has become the perfect perch for the partridge

acorn ornaments were added,

a tiny corner of the window ledge is styled for the holidays

view more about the jeweled tree here.

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Holiday Hydrangeas

Judith from Lavender Cottage left a sweet comment 

and I popped over to view her world.

This is her photo with the caption...

"The Annabelle hydrangea flowers that are now a crispy parchment colour

have pretty ice crystals covering them. "

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OMGoodness, I LoVed the photo of her hydrangea with ice crystals!

I'm so inspired to play with glitter on the ones in my garden.

so I began with this one...

then I clipped one that was just beginning to fade...

and yet another that I lightly sprayed with white Krylon paint then glittered

here is a view of all 3

hmmm.... what to do with the new beauties?

a holiday door garland!

Thank you Judith for the inspiration.

Red Berries and Gold Buttons

Still playing with buttons...

this simple little berry wreath was just begging for embellishment

I especially like the Channel buttons finding a new home

and creating a statement of their own.

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On the 12th day of Christmas

A welcome gift...
time to play and create, even paint, in my sun filled studio!
But before wrapping and storing away Holiday decorations I'd like to share a few of my favorite creations...

The first is a before and after snapshot of my latest bejeweled design.
The cone shaped, mirrored with glitter decoration was purchased at Marshall's for $9.00 on sale as it was missing it's top piece.
I couldn't resist the merry and bright possibilities it held, though at the time I wasn't clear on how I would be embellishing it.
It was probably the beauties of Margaret Larkin showcased at Rodgers Gardens that gave me the inspiration a few days later.
Not owning much costume jewelry I chose to pull out my button box and pilfer thru looking for all the silver toned buttons I could find, and anything else that wanted to be included in the same genre. Using straight pins with pearl heads I was able to attach a plethora of pretties, and amazingly I just happened to have a vintage footed silver tray that fit perfectly as a pedestal.

I love that it can evolve and other colors can be added as one wishes

and favorites can be removed easily and still worn.

view more creative decorating tips here