The Tree is Offically Up.

A confession ::: most of the tree actually went up the night before Thanksgiving. I just. Could not. Wait. Any longer. We've added a lot of new stuff to the living room in terms of storage, so there was a lot of thought put in to where the (rather large for such a small house) tree would be placed. It ended up in the same spot as last year: in the hall, where our informal cafe table normally sits.

So, up went the pre-lit tree. Up went the big fat ribbon garland. Up went the ornaments. And then, as I stepped back to admire, it seemed bare. It needed more. So, I put mom in the car and off to Old Time Pottery we went! More ornaments, more sprays and a few more extra large adornments for the tree.

Additions:
gold leafy sprays $1.29 each
red grape clusters $2.29 each
extra large ornaments $3.99 each
peace & joy ornaments $2.29 each

I *heart* OTP!

Topping Off Your Christmas Tree.

During my childhood, the most exciting part of decorating for Christmas came when it was time to top off the tree. My brother and I switched off each year. We had a delicate & beautiful hand-crafted angel from Robert Moore & Co. Our tree was very traditional. White lights and ornaments ranging from the ones my brother and I made in kindergarten class to gifts and heirlooms. We loved pulling out all the favorites each year and carefully choosing a place for it to spend the next few weeks on our real tree. An angel topper was the most fitting for our tree's personality.

Each Christmas tree has a theme - a theme that reflects your family's personality. And the topper reflects that theme. What is your theme?. I have a different theme this year and will be working on it over the next few days. Stay tuned to see this unique idea for your tree this year!

Christmas Tree Oh! Christmas Tree.

Need a little inspiration this weekend while putting up your tree? Many of us get our decorations out with excitement and then realize that we need more ornaments or things aren't as pretty as they seemed last year. For those of us who will be doing adding a few touches or those completely starting over, here are a few tips for your trees.



1. Pick a theme. It's easy to go with a color theme - red, bright green and gold is mine. Everything from the ornaments, to wrapping paper and bows are all in that color scheme. You can also go for shabby chic, traditional, country, or even a candy colored theme that doesn't even use traditional Christmas colors.

2. Once you have the tree up, fluffed and the lights on, start with your base layer or decoration. If you are adding ribbon some sort of garland, this is the time to do it. Start at the top and work your way around, making sure to keep an even distance as you swirl around your tree. Don't have too much wine, or you'll get dizzy!



3. Make things odd. Groups of 3, 5 or 7 work best when placing things on your tree. Find balance in the colors and the groupings and the size of your ornaments. Get all of your ornaments out where you can see them at once. If you have a lot of the same ornament style, pick up 3 or 5 at a time and place them around the tree - starting at the top, then down a section on opposite of the first one, making a zig zag all the way around. Repeat with all of your decorations, making sure to take a step back every once in a while to see what you've missed or what needs to be moved to create balance.



4. Now is the time to add any type of spray or sticks or whatever to your tree. Place beautiful glittered poinsettia's around the tree using the same technique as above. Or use glittered sprays, branches or even feathers! You can place them around the tree or gather them at the top like a burst of glitteriness at the top.

5. No tree is complete without tons of gifts underneath! Find wrapping paper to go with your theme and wrap everything to coordinate. Use the same garland or ribbon you used on your tree or find the same colors. The possibilities are endless here.

In my opinion, a tree can never be too overly decorated. Seems to be the trend over the past few years to take the theme over board. It's always a work in progress. Enjoy your decorating.

StyleScope from HomeGoods.

Loving this. My love for HomeGoods is proved again... they have put together a style horoscope for their buyers.



The Results.


Although I didn't think the title matched my style personality, the description seemed spot on. Comfort. Warmth. Bold color. Balanced neutrals.



I love organizing, yet it is also a challenge in such a small home with little time. My bed is my happy place. We love entertaining, and it has become easy now that our pantry keeps things that are easy to whip up at the last minute.



Don't be afraid of bold color in small spaces! I have a dark chocolate bathroom, a huge red wall in the main living space and a bright green bedroom and it looks great - but somehow all cohesive. Think things through and take a look through different magazines for inspiration. A few of my favs... Pottery Barn, West Elm, Ikea, Crate & Barrel. Take the quiz here!

Fall Tablescape.

Love setting the table by the season.

Placemats: Pier 1 clearance table
Michael's: candles, berry ring, vase sand filler
Old Time Pottery: ceramic pumpkins, tall vase, vase rocks filler
Hobby Lobby: yellow spray (50% coupon)
Publix's: mini white pumpkins

Corporate Place Cards

Leadership Brentwood held their Business & Economic Development Day last week. They had multiple panel speakers and needed professional and readable-from-a-distance place cards.

Spice Up That Fall Wreath.

This cute wreath is from Joann's (it was buy one get one free!) I decided to spice it up a little. Christmas Village this past weekend gave me a great idea - using a monogram. So, with a trip to craft store for spray paint and ribbon...this is how it started.


And this is how it turned out.



For those who are intimidated by making your own bows - here's a little How To. It is VERY simple.


1. Start by making a figure 8 with your ribbon.
2. Continue to stack the ribbon on top of itself, making multiple figure 8's. (On the last one, leave a tail.
3. Pitch it in the middle
4. Secure with a bread tie.
5. Wrap a piece around the center to cover up your tie (and make your second tail).
6. Cut the ends to have a clean finish.

Stay tuned...I'll show you how it will transform again at Christmas.

Thanksgiving Tablescapes.

Setting your table for Thanksgiving can set the mood and make your day feel special. Keep it simple - without a lot of clutter. Add a little something special with a favorite serving piece or dine by candle light.

Sink Organization.

Love this organizer from Oxo - it cleaned up and organized my sink area and gives the sponges time to dry out in between uses.

China Cabinet Redesign.

Last year, my china cabinet looked like this.



Just like my grandmother and mother's china cabinets were organized. I inherited 12 place settings of china from my Nana, and it is one of my most sentimental possessions. Wanting to display as much as I could, and using a more modern layout, I stacked all the plates and lined up the stemware so most of it could be on display. This also freed up a lot of space below in the drawers and shelves for linens, candles, etc. and brings more balance and depth to the overall look.

This is the after...

What I Want For Christmas.

The key to a small house (with an owner who loves to collect kitchen gadgets) is organization. I love these magnetic strips and containers for spices from Ikea. They are really a great buy and are so much less expensive than any others I've found. Hopefully, Santa will fill my stocking with them this year!

Current Obsession: Feathers.

A few years ago, I remember that feathers were going to be all the rave in bridal fashion. (It usually takes a little while for it to trickle down to the South... and it is finally here!) Ostrich feathers are a popular choice, but I love peacock feathers for fall weddings...definitely goes with all the popular jewel tones this season. For your Spring 2010 brides...peony's and ostrich feathers...like above are stunning.

Feathers are elegant...used in many a Victorian affair. I tell many brides when they are planning their wedding, a theme can help. Feathers can be incorporated into many places...bouquets...hair pieces...place settings...your dress...even your invitations. Now you don't have to go all Carrie Bradshaw on us...feathers can be a great detail for the fashionista in all of us.