Summertime Christmas Savings!

This is a great time of year to get some Christmas decorating bargains! Lenox has some great bargains on their website, like this Christmas teapot with a flower arrangement for $39.95.  The original price was $84.

They also have some beautiful ornaments at discounts ranging from 25%-85% off the original price.  This Santa ornament was originally $43, but is on sale now for $9.95.

These Christmas dessert plates come in a set of 4.  The original price was $60, but you can buy the set on sale for $17.95.  That's a GREAT bargain.

I love these little budvases.  You can buy the set for only $19.95-- that's 60% off the regular price of $50.

There are lots more bargains to be found on the Lenox website.  You can find home decor, figurines, and all sorts of things scattered throughout the overstock page.  I love Lenox's products, and not only are these great deals, but you know they will be great quality and part of your Christmas traditions for years to come.

Happy shopping!

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Weekly Pinterest Favorites: Reds

Source: bhg.com via Christmas on Pinterest

You know how sometimes you'll see a picture in a magazine, and you'll try to duplicate it, and it just doesn't look the same?  The reason for that is that not all decorating ideas work for all spaces.  I like to look at pictures like this one above and try to pinpoint why it works.  This one's actually pretty easy.  The reason this works so well is that the white contrasts beautifully with the bright red door.  That's not to say that it won't look nice on, say, a black door, or a brown one-- but it definitely won't look at dramatic.  But if you have a red door or even another bright color like green or blue, this would be a great accent for you.

Source: flickr.com via Christmas on Pinterest

Here's another example where red is used dramatically and to great effect.  The thing about red (especially a bright red) is that it works best when it doesn't have to compete with the background.  A red bow on a green wreath is nice, but look how amazing this red looks against the white.  I think this wreath would look great on a neutral colored door (like brown or black).  A brightly colored door would compete too much with it.  See how it works?

Source: Uploaded by user via Christmas on Pinterest

This is a relatively inexpensive way to add some real punch to your table-- hot glue cranberries to a foam ball.  You can display them on candlesticks, as pictured, or you could glue a ribbon to them and hang them from a chandelier.  You could group them in a hurricane.  There are lots of great possibilities!  (One word of caution, though-- apply the hot glue to the cranberry and stick the cranberry to the foam ball, but don't try to apply hot glue straight from the gun onto styrofoam.  It will melt.) 

Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest!

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Trimming the Tree: Lights

The first order of business in decorating a tree is, of course, the lights.  Personally, I prefer white lights because that's what I grew up with.  But what kind of lights you use is entirely up to you!  I once saw a beautiful tree that had a combination of colored and white lights in different sizes.  It sounds like it wouldn't work, but it really did.  So do what you love.  It's your tree.

Last year was my first year to use an artificial tree.  Up until then I have always had real trees, but we had gotten tired of the hassle and the expense.  Plus I thought that if I started using artificial trees, I might eventually get to buy more of them and have trees all over the house like I have only dreamed of.  And now I have two trees, which I am Very Excited About.

I found that the only drawbacks to the artificial trees were 1.) they didn't have as many lights on them as I would like and 2.) they're kind of thin through the middle and you can see through them.  With a real tree, obviously, the needles are very thick all the way through the tree and even grow on the trunk itself.  

So as I pondered a way to remedy this situation, I had an idea that would fix both those problems in one fell swoop.  And I will share that epiphany with you.  But first, let's talk about the lights.

When we used to buy a fresh tree every year, we usually bought around an 8 foot tree.  I would typically put about 1400 lights on it. That may seem like a lot to you if you are the kind who just loops lights around and around the tree.  But the way I was taught to put on lights is to start at the top and go out and in every branch.  You will use a lot more lights this way, but it makes a huge difference in impact.  Not only do you have a brighter tree, but it also makes the tree glow from within.  That's a trick that the pros use.

So back to my artificial tree dilemma.  I came up with a solution that is fairly simple to do but does help to fill out the tree, and gets some extra lights in there.  I started with a humble piece of garland:

This garland was $5 per 9 feet at Garden Ridge.  If you'd like to try this with your tree, I would recommend you get this kind-- the kind that looks similar to the branches on your tree-- rather than the fuzzy kind.  You want it to blend in with the tree.  

Next, I added a strand of lights (which I have a ton of, from my fresh tree years).  Like so:

Please ignore the stains on my carpet.  Goodness knows I do.

Now, behold the tree:

Do you see what I mean about the middle being thin?  You can see the pole.  It kind of ruins the illusion for me (the illusion being is-it-a-real-tree-or-a-fake-one?).  So I took my garland and wound it around the trunk of the tree, like so:

Okay, so as it turns out it was really hard to take a picture that would demonstrate what I did.  But basically, I just wound the garland loosely around each tier of branches.  You want it to lay about 1/3 of the way down the branch from the trunk.  Also, make sure the garland is fluffed out really well, otherwise it won't cover the gaps.

Voila:

In this picture, there is garland added to the bottom 2/3rds of the tree.  See how you can still see the gaps on the top?  See how much better the bottom is filled in?

Here is the completed tree.  I am very pleased with the end result.  It's definitely much fuller-looking.  This is a nine foot tree, which is pre-lit with 700 lights.  I added about 500 more, which brings me pretty close the the amount of lights I'm used to on a tree.  

When it's time to take the tree down, I leave the sections of garland in the tree and fold up the branches with them still inside.  That way I don't have to start from scratch every year.

Finally, if you use a fresh tree, here are some helpful tips I put together for you.  Enjoy!

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Trimming the Tree: Getting Started

Let's talk about Christmas trees!  It's that time of year when folks are putting up their Christmas trees-- pulling out their ornaments, checking strands of lights, maybe choosing a new ribbon or tree topper.  The thing that's so wonderful about trees is that they're so personal-- my tree and your tree will never look the same, but isn't that the best part?  Everyone has a different idea about what makes a beautiful tree.  And that's the way it should be!  How boring would it be if every Christmas tree looked exactly the same? 

I also know that there are some aspects of tree decorating that baffle some folks.  So I thought it would be fun to do a little series on trimming the tree.  My hope is that these tips are universal-- so that whether you prefer your lights all white or multi-colored, blinking or steady, ribbons or garland, angel or star-- you can still find something useful to help you in your tree trimming. 

First of all, let's talk about your tree decorations.  I like to think of Christmas trees as having layers of decorations.  The first layer would be the lights, followed by (in the case of my tree) ribbons that wrap around the tree, followed by a beaded garland, and finished with ornaments. The more layers you add to a tree, the more rich and full it will look.  Here's an example from Pinterest:

Source: trendytree.com via Christmas on Pinterest

This tree has layers of wide ribbon (which is dramatic and takes up a lot of visual space) and large poinsettias.  The gold tones and rich reds really give this tree an air of sophistication, almost decadence.  I really love this tree.  It makes me want to go buy some wide ribbon. This may not be your style of tree, and that's okay.  But the method can be applied to lots of different styles of trees. 

So before we get started, think about the decorations that you use for your tree, and consider adding a layer.  It could be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like. 

Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about lights for fresh trees and how to make the most of your artificial tree.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I can't wait to show you!

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A Visit to St. Nick Nacks

Calabash, North Carolina is known for several things.  For one, their seafood-- it's the birthplace of Calabash-style shrimp.  In fact, local legend tells the story of how Jimmy Durante stopped in Calabash for dinner one evening in the 1940's.  He met the restaurant owner, a woman named Lucy Coleman, and enjoyed some conversation with her.  When he left, he said, "Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash."  And so began his legendary sign-off, "Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."

But there's yet another thing that the quaint town of Calabash can boast-- an amazing Christmas store called St. Nick Nacks.  St. Nick Nacks is actually part of a larger store called Callahan's Nautical Gifts (which has great fudge, by the way).  I look forward to shopping at St. Nick Nacks every time we go to the beach.  It's one of my very favorite places!

According to their website, St Nick Nacks has 100 decorated trees and over 3 million ornaments.  I can tell you from experience that if you can't find it there, it probably doesn't exist.

The way that the store is organized, each tree is located next to a display of the ornaments that are used on it.  But if you see an ornament on a tree that you can't find on a display, you can always pluck them from the tree.  I've done it many times myself.

 

The trees are wildly varied in color palette and theme.  You can find traditional trees, modern trees, whimsical trees, rustic trees-- you name it, they've got it.

Not only do they have beautiful trees, but they have lots of Christmas housewares, too.  You can find all kinds of decorations and tableware for any taste.

 Need a dinosaur ornament?  They have those, too.

The store keeps going on-- in the back you'll find a delightful display of Dept. 56 villages.  Their village displays are amazing-- multi-layered complete little towns.  So much fun.

They have a section devoted to Thanksgiving and Halloween decor as well. 

There's so much to see that it's a little overwhelming.  But don't forget to look up, because some of the fun stuff is hanging from the ceiling!  Like this bicycle, wrapped in colored lights and dressed up with greenery.

If you're ever near the coast of the Carolinas, don't miss the opportunity to visit St. Nick Nacks!  It's a quick drive from Myrtle Beach.

Thanks to the folks at St. Nick Nacks for allowing me to take photos inside the store (they usually prohibit photography).  I love you, St. Nick Nacks!

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Welcome, Pinterest People!

I had sort of a happy shock this morning when I pulled up my Pinterest account and found I had 165 followers!  Last week when I checked I had 30.  I don't know where you all came from, but welcome!  I guess I need to post more often. :P

I thought it would be fun for me to highlight some of my favorite pins.  And by the way, if you haven't joined Pinterest yet, it's so much fun.  You can "pin" images from anywhere on the web to your custom boards.  It's a great way to organize design ideas, recipes, or any kind of inspiration!

These are a few of my favorite pins (isn't that a song?):

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Christmas on Pinterest

I have a vaulted ceiling in my foyer, and I have always thought it would be beautiful to have a tall Christmas tree there.  But one of the things I've been worried about was how expensive it would be to buy ornaments to cover a 15 foot tree.  This picture solves that problem!  It's so beautiful, and decorated so simply with just lights and pinecones.  The matching garland on the staircase ties the look together.  I love it!

Source: beneathmyheart.net via Christmas on Pinterest

Our house has double front doors so when I saw this photo it really jumped out at me.  I love the symmetry of this look.  I actually have planters on my front porch that look similar to this (albeit empty ones, at the moment).  The wreaths would be fairly easy to replicate with some large hydrangea blooms.  The planter arrangements would be a little trickier.  I love the height that the branches add to them.  I have a couple silk poinsettias that I display at the holidays-- I think I'll look for some ting-a-ling or curly willow to add to them.  Project!

One more, because things look better in threes:

Source: elizabethannedesigns.com via Christmas on Pinterest

This beautiful centerpiece makes a big impact, but it's fairly simple when you break it down.  The main elements are just a large plate with a grapevine wreath on top, and three cylindrical glass vases in graduating sizes.  Add fresh cranberries with water and a floating candle to each vase and some holly sprigs and it's done!  I love this idea.  Imagine how beautiful it is when the candles are lit!

Happy November, everyone!

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Trim Up the Tree

I'm always excited to see what ornaments Hallmark comes out with every year.  I love that they have something for everyone-- things that are nostalgic, trendy, traditional, and a little bit crazy.

Have I ever mentioned that we have a lunar module ornament on our tree?  Yep.  It's from Hallmark-- we bought it the year we got married.  My husband is a big fan of the space program and particularly the Apollo missions.  The LEM is a family favorite every year because whenever you turn on the tree, it starts talking.  It's a recording of Alan Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14, talking to mission control.  He says, "Hey, Freddo, we sure picked a clear day to arrive, not much haze in the air at all.  It's really a wild place up here... incredible."  (The joke is that he was talking to Fred Haise- which is why he says there's "not much 'haze' in the air...")

The point is, we do love Hallmark ornaments at my house.  I don't decorate with them exclusively, but I like to collect the ones that have a particular meaning or connection to my family.

Here are a few of the ones that I've got my eye on this year:

Mickey and Toodles in Space
I have Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fans in my house, so I know this one would be a big hit!

Barbie as Blair in Barbie Princess Charm School
I've got a big Barbie fan in my house, too.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

A Shocking Surprise (from How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

When my oldest daughter was two, I dressed her up as Cindy Lou Who for Halloween.  I made her a Cindy Lou Who dress and made her wear antennae and everything.  I used a picture of her in her costume for our Christmas card that year, and I used the same quote that's on this ornament: "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

How the Grinch Stole Christmas makes me cry.  In a good way.

Phineas and Ferb
Hands-down one of my favorite shows on TV.  For kids or otherwise.  I have a stuffed Dr. Doofenschmirtz on my desk.  All shows should be like Phineas and Ferb.  The world would be a happier place.

There are so many more ornaments that I love (oh Peanuts gang, I adore you).  I'm looking forward to seeing them all in person!  What are your favorites?

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New Blog Design!

Christmas Rapping has had a facelift! 




Thanks to Emily at Blogaholic Designs!  She did great work and she did it incredibly fast!  In addition to custom work, she also has lots of bloggy freebies on her site.  Be sure to check it out!

Also, heads up!

That's right-- this weekend is Hallmark's Keepsake Ornament Debut Weekend!  There will be special events going on in Hallmark stores across the country, so don't miss it!

I think I'm going to do a whole other post on my favorite Hallmark ornaments this year.  There are so many I love!  Yay ornament time!!!

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Ornament Time is Here!

Well hello!  It's been ages since I've seen you all.  How have you been?  Are you having a nice summer?  Lovely.

In case you're wondering, I will definitely be blogging about Christmas and soon.  I'm already making a list (and checking it twice) of things I want to blog about.  I've got a couple things coming up this month, even.  But today I just had to pop in and mention one important thing:

That's right, friends, this weekend is Hallmark's Keepsake Ornament Premiere Weekend.  They have special offers going on in the stores, so please do check them out.  You can also see their list of Keepsake Ornaments for 2011 on their website.  I like this one:

You can go visit their website and see a video of this ornament in action.  It plays the song and Lucy twirls around while Charlie, Snoopy, and Linus sled in a circle.  So cute!

Please enjoy, and see you very soon!

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Some of My Favorites

First of all, I wanted to let you know that I replaced some of the photos on my home tour post in case you'd like to check them out.  Truth be told, I took those pictures at 11:00 PM, so the lighting was bad and they were kinda fuzzy.  Plus I was tired.  I got a few today that are clearer, so if you're interested in details then please give them a look-see.

I wanted to show you a few of the decorations that I use and love.  I don't change out my decorations from year to year-- I prefer to use the pieces I already have.  For me part of the joy of decorating for Christmas is getting to see these things that only come out once a year.  It's a pleasure to pull them out of the attic, dust them off, and set them up prominently in my house.

This ceramic tree sits on the table in my foyer.  I swiped it from my Mom's house a few years ago.  She painted it in a ceramics class she took with my grandmother when I was little.   It has lots of sentimental value to me.

I've had this rocking horse since before we got married, I think.  I love its old-world charm.  It moves around in my house every year at Christmas, but I always find a place for it because I just love it.

My now-sort-of-famous nativity set.   It's a Fontanini set.  I love the rustic look of the stable, the wise men on exotic animals, the look of awe on the shepherds' faces-- I love it all.  The Fontanini family has researched the time period of Jesus' birth and include lots of little details that illustrate that fact.  It's a lovely set and I'm very happy to have it.  And my daughter loves to play with it.

I bought this topiary (it's one of two, actually) at St Nick Nack's in Calabash, North Carolina.  If you ever have a chance to visit Myrtle Beach, Calabash is a short drive north and boasts some of the best seafood around.  It's also home of St. Nick Nack's, a huge Christmas store located within an even bigger store called Callahan's Nautical Gifts.  I bought these topiaries several years ago to decorate my mantel.  They reminded me of something I saw in Christmas with Southern Living 2006 (the greatest issue of Christmas with Southern Living ever, in my opinion).  You can't really tell in this picture, but the red of the berries really pops against the green color on my den walls.  And I just love topiaries.

I bought this wreath at the Southern Christmas Show back when we first got married.  We moved into our current house a few years later.  Our current house has double front doors, but alas, I couldn't find one to match it.  So now I just hang it on the inside of one of the front doors.  I keep thinking that one day I'll try to make a duplicate of it for the other door, but I kinda doubt I ever will.  I still love it, though.

If only I'd found a spot for my singing Bing Crosby this year...

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Buyer Beware

I was in a craft store which shall remain nameless this past weekend.  I was looking for silk poinsettias.  Little flashback:  a couple years ago I bought the most gorgeous live poinsettias from Trader Joe's.  They were so full and looked beautiful on my front porch.  I got to enjoy them for less than 24 hours.  That was the day I learned that poinsettias are not hardy enough to withstand cold temperatures.  It was a sad day.

So I decided that this year I would play it fast and loose with our homeowner's association rules and attempt to find some artificial poinsettias that would not shrivel to nothingness in the cold.  And hope that the aforementioned homeowner's association would not catch on to my little scheme and issue me a "stop it!" letter.  (I've gotten one before.)

So there I was, in the craft store-which-must-not-be-named.  And there, right at the front of the store, was a display of silk poinsettias!  And they were 60% off!  I rejoiced in my fortuitous timing and began looking for a pair that matched.  I found one the perfect size and color, but alas, I could not find another to match it.  Then I noticed that on the adjacent display there were some that were exactly like I wanted, but they had big bows affixed to them and were more expensive.

I held the two plants side by side.  I studied them.  I tried to figure out what might be different on the more expensive one other than the addition of a bow, but I couldn't find anything.  So, I enacted the "just ask" policy, went up to the counter and greeted the salesperson.  Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi.  I was looking for another poinsettia like this one (points to cheaper one), and this one looks like it's the same thing except for the bow.
Salesperson: That one is Custom Floral.
Me: Right, but it looks to me like it's the exact same thing as the other one, except that it has a bow on it.
Salesperson: It is the same, but it's Custom Floral.
Me: Well, could I take the bow out and just pay the cheaper price?  I don't need the bow.
Salesperson: No, it can't be altered.  It's CUSTOM FLORAL.

Needless to say, I left the store with no poinsettias.  Because friends, while the plain, unadorned poinsettia was $20 (plus 60% off), they were charging $39.95 for the one with the bow.  Twenty more dollars.  For a bow.  Otherwise, it was exactly the same.  That's highway robbery!

Plus, I feel like the good name of Custom Floral is somewhat sullied when it gets thrown in with something as haphazardly put together as a foil-wrapped fake poinsettia with a giant bow on it.  I mean, at least put it in a basket or a decorative pot.  But they just left the gold foil on it.  I gotta tell you, if that's all it takes to be a custom floral designer-- excuse me, Custom Floral Designer-- at this particular craft store, then sign me up, man.  I can make a mean bow.

This story does have a happy ending, because I was able to find a couple poinsettias at a different craft store, also on sale.  All's well that ends well.

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Come On-a My House

I have a few pictures to share today in honor of The Nester's Tour of Homes. I'll be bringing you more pictures in the coming days. So come on in and take a look around my house!

This tree is in the front window.  I think it looks really pretty from outside.

I'm cheating here and using a picture of the staircase from last year.  But I'm doing it the same this year, so I feel justified.

The dining room.

The mirror in the dining room.  I got this idea from the current issue of Victoria.

The dining room table.  I've had this rocking horse for years, and I still love it.

The den.  You can see the new stockings I bought from personalcreations.com.  More on those later!

Close up of the mantel garland.  I used a red and gold plaid ribbon and some berry picks that I bought at Michael's to embellish the plain garland.

To see more of The Nester's Tour of Homes, visit her blog!

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