Keeping it simple

Gone are the days when I have every square inch of my house decorated for Christmas.  As  I grow older  I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by too many things.  I've spent the last five years simplifying my life and "re-gifting"  objects I'd acquired including many of my Christmas decorations.   They are now resting in someone else's house thanks to  the effectiveness of donations to thrift stores.

Each time I send a box  off I feel like I can breath a little easier.  My home is enjoying this freedom too.  While it is calm and comfortable, I still  want little touches of colour and the unexpected.  Some of the things I couldn't bear to part with get rotated from year to year and I enjoy them so much more when they take centre stage.    

The one thing I can't part with are tree ornaments because they represent so much family history. Contrary to what many people anticipate when they know I am a decorator, I do not design  a fancy themed tree each year. I admit I feel like I'm letting them down in some way, but  it's that family history  and warmth that are more important to me when I decorate for myself.

So here are some glimpses of Christmas at my house. You already know I rely on what is left in my garden, but I also like a little bling.  

Wall colour:  BM Rockport Gray HC 105

My kitchen always has a fresh plant for Christmas and the amaryllis is my favourite.  It shows up in my art work frequently.  More about that in a later post.

The artwork to the right of the window is an encaustic piece titled Thaw  (8 x 10 inches) painted by yours truly.  It is appropriate for the season.

The only addition to the window ledge in my kitchen is the glass of lime green berries which work well with the sea urchins and the first piece of stained glass my hubby made. 

walls: AF Fusion 675
shelf: AF Wish 680

I just repainted my entrance with AF Fusion which is a soft gray with a purple undertone.    One little wreath on a coat hook and a Santa that a dear friend gave me years ago is just enough to say it's Christmas. 


 Wall colour: BM Light Khaki  2148-40 

I always have candles on my dining room buffet (made by my man) so each year I just add one thing to the arrangement.  This year it is a pearl star that used to be a tree topper attached over a candle.

 

table:  BM Kendall Charcoal  HC 166

This year I painted my oak coffee table and end table and they are now  some of my favourite pieces of furniture in the house. Wood is prominent in my house because my husband is a woodworker.  I'm always battling the painting of solid wood horrors.  My IKEA bowl usually holds ornaments at Christmas time.  This year they are white and silver to honour the new look of my table.

 Wall colour: BM   Elephant Tusk  OC 8

Silver finials are my Christmas addition to  a red poppy and poppy coasters on the end table. They are just  enough to say it's Christmas

YES, I love gray and purple too ! 

Creating natural arrangements for Christmas

Arranging natural materials creatively requires knowledge of balance and proportion.  Some people seem to have natural instincts in this area, but  the skills can be learned from floral arranging books. 

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By using the following four elements you can achieve a stunning Christmas planter.

1. Droopers (Spillers)

While there are many places/ways to start, I usually start with the hanging material  to cover the edges of the pot. These have to be set in almost horizontally  as the cedar in the above image.  You want it to droop gracefully and cover the edges of the pot. 
 

- Spanish broom

-  pine

-spruce branches
- cedar

2.Uprights (Thrillers)

Sometimes if I have interesting tall materials  I arrange them first to establish height and then work out and down.  Thrillers are always tall and act as the apex of the triangle design.

- dried goats beard stalks

- corkscrew hazel

- yellow - twig dogwood, red dogwood

- spirea with dried seed heads

- forsythia stalks (which are very light and work well with dogwood branches)
-birch sticks

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Twigs make great uprights, and don't forget that small potted trees can be placed in the middle of a planter and other materials can be added to cover the pot. A planter within a planter!

3. Fillers 

Once these two aspects have been arranged you need to fill our the arrangement (fillers) by applying the branches at roughly 45 degrees. I have lots of possibilities in my garden:

- boxwood

-yellow mound cedar

- holly 

- blue spruce

- rhododendron leaves 

- dried hydrangea blooms

 

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4. Accents  

These are the final touches that hightlight and brighten your arrangements.   The sky is the limit here. 

- sprayed grapevine spheres

- brightly coloured plastic ornaments 

- wooden Santas

- plastic ribbons 

- plastic Christmas flowers
- artificial birds 
-woven twig stars

-toys 
- small colourful lanterns
- large sphere shaped ornaments 
- ribbons

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berries, pinecones, pods

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fresh fruit or plastic fruit

 

 

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and even birdhouses!

Rich and Simple Table Settings

 Christmas entertaining calls for an extra effort  in the decorating department.  Don't let  a busy lifestyle and budget restraints put a damper on your table settings.  A little ingenuity and do it yourself  is all you need to wow your guests.

Rich and Simple

 The addition of gold charger plates, simple gold  ornaments,  and a puffy silver and gold garland can  tie a table setting together. Of course, it helps to have beautiful china  and crystal, but your could  use plain white tableware and spray assorted napkin rings with gold metallic paint. Dollar stores offer a range of inexpensive containers for tea lights.

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A Little Crafting

Your table setting can echo metallic decorating schemes with a little crafting. White  napkins can be decorated with metallic paint using a stencil.  Check out Lumiere fabric paint. Ribbon and simple gold decorations complete the setting.

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A winter theme

There's nothing like blue and silver to give you that cool, shimmery feel of winter.  The white snowflakes, small clear glasses,  and silver glitter balls can be found at most dollar stores. And who knows what other ideas you will get when you start to look around for inspiration. 

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 Do you have a favouite table setting you would like to share?