Grapevine wreaths can be so very easy to decorate with for most holidays. You might remember my Easter Egg Wreath or my Natural Fall Wreath. Both were quick and simple to make. This Grapevine and Winterberry Noel Wreath was also easy to put together. Early this fall I created a few grapevine wreaths from those growing up in the trees nearby. They're easy to make and they're free. Yay! I've been having lots of fun decorating with Winterberry or Michigan Holly which grows in wetlands. I love their vivid red color. They really add a colorful pop to all the … [Read more...]
Do you love attending home tours? When you go on a holiday home tour, what are you hoping to see? Have you attended any holiday home tours this year? I bet you'd love to take a tour of my home. We can't do that this year since everything I own is packed up in storage, but how about we push the button on the time machine and go back in time? Are you ready? Here's a link to some holiday fun at my last house. Be sure to 'sign the guest book' and let me know if you picked up any ideas or what you most liked. Oh...you're wondering about the 12 Days of Christmas? We're … [Read more...]
Joy Joy is my word of the year. Joy is in my tagline, A Place of Joy and Inspiration. Joy Day! is a special day on the blog each week. Joy is something I strive for and desire for you. How about we spread Christmas JOY all over our homes? Today I have a fun roundup of ideas I've been seeing around the blogosphere that are joy-worthy for your home. So without further ado... Here's some Christmas Joy for you... I love the simplicity of a frame hanging around letters hung directly on the wall. This entire mantel design has such a wonderful textural … [Read more...]
There are just 16 days until Christmas arrives. Are you ready to have a panic attack or does this heighten your anticipation? Christmas looks different to all of us depending upon our circumstances. I remember re-runs of an old PBS sitcom...."Keeping Up Appearances." The main character, Hyacinth Bucket, was overly concerned about looking good to the "important" people of the world. She wanted those of her "stature" in life or less, to see her as impeccable in every way, equal to those of wealth and high social standing. She even went so far as to pronounce her last name as … [Read more...]
This year, I wanted to be really intentional about observing Advent. I even shared a post with ideas for Advent readings and candles, here. But, when it came to my own advent candle wreath, I had nothing. Nada. It was something I wanted....but it is not necessary. Plus, I don't exactly have money to be spending on something like this, and since I'm living "in between" with my stuff in storage, well...I really could go without. Several weeks ago I was invited to participate in an upcoming blogger event, All Things Dollar Tree for Christmas, where you create something from … [Read more...]
As we approach Christmas, you may or may not feel like decorating based on a whole number of reasons. But, if your reasons have anything to do with the state of your current house...this just might be for you. Especially at the holidays, take time for making your house your home. As I was looking through some past posts, this one popped out at me and I thought that I would share the link with you. It's all about making your house your home....and my experience of doing that last fall. Funny how things change overnight. We were working at making that rental "our" … [Read more...]
Do you feel like you are already on the quickly spinning hamster wheel? For many of us, the holidays are so busy we hardly have time to breathe. I don't think that is how Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be. Do you? Hespe Have you ever thought about observing Advent? I'm not talking about the little calendar where you open the door each day in December as you countdown to Christmas. or even the very fun games and gifts and random acts of kindness that families can do together for Advent. No, I'm thinking about observing Advent in a more quiet … [Read more...]
Are you getting excited for Thanksgiving? Usually, we gather with friends and family we rarely see and enjoy those foods we only eat at Thanksgiving. If I'm hosting the meal, I put almost as much effort into creating a beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescape as I do the meal. I have to admit, for me, it isn't all about the food. Though I have shared a few recipes that would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. My Far East Celery is crunchy and light and makes a perfect accompaniment to turkey and stuffing. Or a true fall dish that you can enjoy as a salad or … [Read more...]
I know...I've been an awful tease. First I gathered some pine cones, made them pop! and told you they were for a wreath. Then, I decorated the mantel with a sweater vase filled with pampas grass and peacock feathers and mentioned the wreath. And if you saw some of my posts on Facebook, you probably feel doubly teased. Maybe you were beginning to wonder if you would ever see this wreath. Today is the day for unveiling my Pampas Grass Wreath embellished with pine cones and peacock feathers. So without further ado....drum roll please... I love that nature provided … [Read more...]
Have you ever done any decorating with pampas grass? This lovely row of beautiful plumes grows over at the neighbor's home. They have a landscaping business, so their property is beautifully landscaped with trees and shrubs and ornamental grasses. It's like a small arboretum. The rear of the property has rows of plantings where this pampas grass grows. One day as my friend and I were pulling grapevines growing wild in the pine trees, I kept noticing the long fluffy row of pampas grass rustling in the wind. I was so intrigued with them and they were so … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Many of us are thinking about how to set a beautiful and bountiful table. As I was dreaming about table decor, I remembered that this past New Year's table would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Actually...it's probably even more appropriate when you look at the elements of the table. Plus, mixing gold and silver in home decor is gaining in popularity right now. So...why not think about mixing gold and silver for Thanksgiving to create a truly elegant table setting? The key elements were leaves and nuts and pine … [Read more...]
Growing Paperwhites for Christmas is one of my favorite holiday traditions. There is something about their tall stems and pristine pure white blossoms that dress up a room so perfectly. Plus, with everything so bleak and barren outdoors, fresh new life and bright green stems just make me happy. If you would like to add this lovely touch to your holiday decor, you need to purchase your bulbs now. I have had Paperwhite bulbs start blooming two weeks after planting them....but some years they have taken three weeks or more to bloom. Bloom time is not an exact science. … [Read more...]
Today I have some tips on how to dry and debug pine cones. Or...as I prefer to call it...how to make pine cones pop. Okay...some will make popping sounds and some won't. Anyways.... What we're really trying to do is take those recently gathered pine cones, all closed up, damp from the rain and ground, dry them out and help them bloom (pop open) to their full potential. Pine cones are the flowers of the evergreen family. You gotta love any flower that stays beautiful almost indefinitely after it blooms. I have boxes and boxes of pine cones. Many of them are from the … [Read more...]
Welcome to Day 29 of 31 Extraordinary Days to Be... Or...simply: Be... Together, we will learn to Be… to live fully and beautifully in our “skin” and in our homes and beyond. If you missed The Introduction or you'd like to follow the entire series, you can find each post listed here. "To be, or not to be?" Good question! The correct answer is...to be. Hands down! The second question might be, "To do, or not to do?" What? Doing is good isn't it? Yes, it can be. During this #31Days series we've been exploring being versus doing. Often, if we … [Read more...]
Welcome to Day 24 of 31 Extraordinary Days to Be... Or...simply: Be... Together, we will learn to Be… to live fully and beautifully in our “skin” and in our homes and beyond. If you missed The Introduction or you'd like to follow the entire series, you can find each post listed here. If you've been following this blog for even a little while, you have a pretty good idea of how much I enjoy God's magnificent creation. So for fun, I thought I'd put together a little vignette. As so often happens...one thing morphed into another. It started … [Read more...]
Welcome to Day 17 of 31 Extraordinary Days to Be... Or...simply: Be... Together, we will learn to Be… to live fully and beautifully in our “skin” and in our homes and beyond. If you missed The Introduction or you'd like to follow the entire series, you can find each post listed here. My good friend often says to me, "Diane, you think too much." Have you been guilty of thinking too much? We are creative people. Yes, even you. The problem is that creativity gets hindered when we think too much. And that gives way to this exclamation, "I'm not … [Read more...]
Our #InspiredFallNesting series is coming to a close. And though I usually focus on the "pretty" of life...today we'll wrap things up with some practical Fall Nesting tips. It's great to pull out the colors of Fall and add pumpkins and gourds to the mix. But, if things fall on our heads when we open closet and cabinet doors, oh my! With Fall upon us, along with longer nights, shorter days, and cooler weather....now is the time to get things organized. Last Fall, as part of my 31 Extraordinary Days series, I shared some organizational ideas I used in my kitchen that helped me in a really … [Read more...]
