Friday, December 16, 2011

And the winner is...

Congratulations Andrew Shirley! Thanks for your response and filling out your sheet. Your prize is a $25 gift card to the place of your choice! Congrats!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

How to deck your halls with style!

Oh I love this time of the year! With all the lights, sweet smells, delicious food, shopping, gift giving, wrapping and of course decorating!
It's a great feeling to get out those red and green decoration totes and dress up the house for the holidays.
I wanted to share some fun tips and ideas for your holiday decor…


*Stay within one color palette and theme*

This will not only give your decor a more cohesive, put together look but it will also give your home a "professionally finished" look. 

Color schemes you could try are:
Red or Green & White
Blue & Silver
Brown, Gold & Red
Silver & White




*Spread the cheer throughout your home*

Don't only decorate the living room, kitchen & dining room. Spread the cheer to all the rooms in your house! Try adding a simple candle dressed with garland on your bathroom countertop or hang a Christmas print in your child's room.

*Don't be afraid to go BIG!*
This is the one time of the year where the "less is more" rule does not need to apply. Have fun with it! Whether its inside or outside I believe that the best Christmas decor lies at two ends of the spectrum:  Christmas should be an awesome display of fun, gorgeous holiday decor or a crazy Christmas explosion of lights and Santas on the roof for a National Lampoons Christmas Vacation homage.  Either way its totally entertaining and brings the holiday cheer.  So let your inner child loose and go big or go home.

*Let your home smell like the holidays*
The smells of pine trees, sugar cookies, and cinnamon are wonderful this time of year! You can bring smells in by getting a real christmas tree, making homemade potpourri, or baking homemade cookies before guests arrive. Another great way to fill your home with great scents are candles, besides their wonderful smells, lit candles also provide a sense of warmth to the space. Its hard to go wrong with a scented candle this time of year.

*Give your home a new look*
Try rearranging your furniture to make your fireplace, tree, or stocking the new focal point of the room. It  helps to showcase those pieces and will help give the room a new look. Don't be afraid to add a seasonal throw or decorative pillow to the furniture to dress them up as well.

*Bring the outside in*
 If you don't have a real tree, it's okay! You can bring other elements of nature by filling up a jar with pine cones and cranberries, using cinnamon sticks to line candles or as a tree decorations. Buy a beautiful poinsettia, just take it out of that foil lined pot it comes with and set it into a pretty festive pot. And remember poinsettia's are actually poisonous so please make sure it's in a safe place where a small child or pet won't accidentally eat it.





*Showcase cards and children's Christmas craft projects*
Dedicate a wall, bookcase, or fireplace to creatively display your holiday cards and if you have children, they're school art projects they made that year.
This adds a beautiful, personal touch to your decor.