This year my cozy apartment is living large with a stunning new blue and silver Christmas tree courtesy of Balsam Hill.  Here are some tips for decorating a tree beautifully filled with sparkle, color, and a touch of the dramatic.     Growing up, decorating for Christmas was a big deal in my home.  My dad was all about hanging lights on our front porch and creating gorgeous swags filled with miniature lights. My mom always had a DIY Christmas decor project and could be counted on to cover our tree with lights and ornaments and garland until it looked like one huge sparkly Christmas … [Read more...]

  Living on the edge of the woods with all that natural beauty inspires me in my Christmas decorating.  This year I purchased a skinny tree and filled it with rustic farmhouse Christmas tree decorations I made.  It's easy and inexpensive to create ornaments using the bounty of nature.   Remember the 31 Days of Handmade Christmas Ornaments that we were so inspired by back in October?  We enjoyed it so much that my friend, Mary Beth and I invited the group back for our First Annual Extraordinary Christmas Trees Tour.  Not everyone could join us, but we have 13 gals for a fabulous 3-Day line … [Read more...]

  What's your most favorite time of the year? Mine is Christmas.  But not for all the reasons you might guess. The days leading to Christmas are when my creative juices are at an all-time high.  You can usually find a mess somewhere in my home because I'm creating a storm of home decor and handmade Christmas ornaments and gifts.  And when I'm creating... I couldn't be happier. Whether you're creative, crafty, or simply wannabe... you will want to grab your favorite drink, get your pinning finger ready, and get prepared to be inspired.... 31 times!   31 Easy Handmade Christmas Ornaments … [Read more...]

  What's your Christmas decorating style?  I'm having so much fun trimming my home in coastal style that I decided to share with your some unique ways to decorate a nautical Christmas tree.     Before we talk about the decorations... let's talk about the tree.  Don't you LOVE the aroma of a fresh evergreen tree at Christmas time? It makes the house smell so fresh and festive.  It's an aroma you just want to capture and bottle.  The candle manufacturers try really hard to create a wonderful balsam fragrance... but it just doesn't compare. How do I know? Because I was asked if I would … [Read more...]

Have you noticed them?   Christmas trees on cars?  Or maybe campers even? I can't tell you how many Christmas trees on cars we saw on our drive home at Thanksgiving. We live near several Christmas tree farms, so really it should be no surprise.     There's something wonderful about seeing a car (or truck) with a tree tied on. There's something special about bringing home a fresh-cut tree. I like to think that each car I see is filled with joy and anticipation. And I imagine the plans being made to decorate that perfect evergreen treasure for … [Read more...]