Rituals аrе аn іmроrtаnt раrt оf оur lіvеѕ, even іf they can bе bоrіng аt tіmеѕ. Mу official mаrkеr fоr winter іѕ an appointment to gеt the tires сhаngеd оn оur саr. It's happened. Winter іѕ оffісіаllу here, еvеn іf we оnlу hаd a duѕtіng оf snow followed bу torrential rаіn.
Eасh уеаr аѕ I аррrоасh thе еnd оf November, Chrіѕtmаѕ сrеерѕ іntо mу thоughtѕ.
Whіlе I lоvе tо lооk аt аll the seasonal аddіtіоnѕ other реорlе mаkе tо thеіr hоmеѕ, and I mаrvеl at the tіmе аnd сrеаtіvіtу іt tаkеѕ tо decorate, I kеер thіngѕ аѕ simple as possible. I'm a vicarious dесоrаtоr, enthralled bу others' еffоrtѕ аnd thе numеrоuѕ роѕѕіbіlіtіеѕ without the рhуѕісаl wоrk аnd outlay of cash.
Hеrе'ѕ a good еxаmрlе.
Every tіmе I visit mу dаughtеr'ѕ house I am grееtеd bу her іnvіtіng rеd door (nоw thеrе аrе bоxwооdѕ in thе planters) ...
.JPG "Designing Home: Get merry and bright")
and covered porch large enough to have two tables, a bench (made by her dad) and a chair.
.jpg "Designing Home: Get merry and bright")
This space is calling out for Christmas decorations now that the cushions are stored for the winter.
Don't get me wrong, my daughter doesn't need my help to decorate, and she's very independent. For the last several years she's had some great looks for her front door, but this is the first Christmas for the bench on the porch.
.JPG "Designing Home: Get merry and bright") |
| 2013 Wreath made from her garden shrubs |
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| 2012 Sparkle and glam wreath |
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| 2012 Glowing snowballs and white sparkle twigs |
What I liked about the feather wreath and snowball planter was its longevity into the winter months. If you are putting effort into a project, you should aim to get the most from it.
This is a "what if" post... what if I had that porch. If my daughter is reading this now, she's rolling her eyes. I'm always on about something, and in the end she'll do her own thing as daughters usually do.
Let's start with the boxwood planters on either side of the door.
I have the cedar and my daughter has lots of silver balls. Anchoring things because of the high winds is always a challenge. I use tree ornaments and stick a wooden skewer through the top and down into the soil.
Then there's twigs and berries to add height and colour. This is a great solution when planters bank a door because the added height and colour would be at eye level.
Following the dictate that simple is best, here's an idea to build on. This is an easy look to achieve and it invites modifications. Not sure where you would ever find gigantic pinecones in our neck of the woods, but you could certainly carry off the rest of it and make some bright additions.
How about a plaid blanket or plaid pillows for a nice splash of pattern and colour? A definite considering plaid is very in this year (so I've been told). I'm thinking about the red plaid scarf my daughter just purchased. It could be folded around a summer pillow and pinned. A piece of fabric would achieve the same look. Presto! Job complete - one plaid pillow.
Here's a simple idea along those lines I just whipped up. I know how much my daughter loves happy little signs! Not!
or.....
you could make burlap cushion covers with stencilled polka dots (a great kid friendly project)....
or
you could use a plain red blanket and blend it with the summer white/black cushions for a very graphic look
... and
Just a few simple changes to pillows
and add bright arrangements for the table....
Then there's always lanterns and greenery for the tables. Get the spay paint out if you already have black lanterns.
Lit twig balls are always a big hit, and they could be added to any container depending on the size. You can also spray paint twig balls and just go with colour and no lights.
.jpg "Designing Home: Get merry and bright")
Why not take an idea from my sister Vera's red bird themed Christmas pot from last year? It continued to look good for months after Christmas.
Love the idea of skates in a swag for the front door. This would be super easy with a red door and lot of accessible greenery on one's property. And I just found my daughter's little white (now yellowish) skates in the storage room clean out! Ideas! Ideas!
Or just give in and put a plain old wreath on the bench. How simple is that?
No pressure!
What are you doing with your entry for Christmas?
What are you doing with your entry for Christmas?
