Home is Where the Heart is

13 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas, Everyday Design, The Home

Tags

art, christmas, christmas tree, decor, garland, gifts, green, holidays, home, houses, interior design, ornaments, poinsettias, santa claus, silver, snowflakes, tinsel

I just love the holidays. Not just because I get to give people gifts and make them smile and get to spend time with family and friends. I really love it because it gives me the excuse to decorate, even though I always think of reasons to do so. Now that Dan and I have the house and a new addition to the family, this Christmas is even more special. We have our little family now which makes so happy.

I wanted to create a warm feeling throughout the house but mostly in the spaces we spend a lot of time in. This would be the living room and dining room. So the weekend after Thanksgiving, I took out our Christmas bin and got started. Boy, was I excited!

I started with all the knick knacks which I have collected throughout the years or have received as gifts. I bought 2 poinsettia plants to add some color and to bring a festive look to the stairwell, I wrapped green garland around the banisters.
Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

Then, for the first time, I hung real garland around our doorway between the living room and the dining room which brought a whole lot of holiday cheer to the space.
Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

Then I hung our stockings, which I bought new this year. I love the white fur faux ones I bought from Pottery Barn for Dan and I. They look so nice, especially with our names on them. The dogs each have their own little stocking as well. I purchased this cute train stocking holder from Bed Bath & Beyond for only $20, which was a great deal. I had been looking for weeks for the perfect holder and I was so happy I found it.
Home is Where the Heart is

Usually, we put up our little fake tree we have had for years but this year we went and bought a real little tree since its the first holiday in the house. I love it so much. It is decorated with a combination of ornaments that I have had for years growing up as well as Dan’s with some tinsel and silver beads. We sat it on our media cabinet and surrounded it with all our gifts.
Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

In the dining room I kept it simple with a poinsettia plant and the white ceramic tree my Grandmother made for me years ago. There are little hints of the holiday throughout the space.
Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

Our kitchen does’t have much space for much decoration so I just added a little bit of bling and found a perfect spot for a santa doll my Grandmother gave to me.
Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

I hope you all had fun decorating your homes. Don’t you love the holidays!

The Gift of Wow

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Crafty Ideas

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christmas, crafts, gift wrapping, gifts, handmade, holiday, ribbon, stamps, wrapping paper

One of the my favorite things about the holidays is gift giving. I love to see the expression on people’s faces when they receive a gift they love. I also enjoy wrapping them. Actually, I LOVE to. Every year, I try to get creative and use different styles of paper and I always handmake my tags. This year I kept it simple with 2 kinds of wrapping paper, white ribbon and white tags stamped with Merry Christmas on them. I also added a few fun items to look more festive.

It’s always good to share ideas and inspiration, especially when it comes to someting you do every year. You don’t want to do the same thing, thats a bit boring. So hopefully these help you see gift wrapping in a new light. Get creative and give the gift of wow.

Photo Credit: Blowout Party

Photo Credit: Makoodle

Photo Credit: The Gifted Blog

Photo Credit: SC Johnson

Photo Credit: Life in Modification

Photo Credit: Fine Frugality

Photo Credit: The Mom Writes

Photo Credit: DIY Weddings Mag

Photo Credit: Ellinee

Photo Credit: Kids Kubby

Guest Post: Seasonal Decorating Ideas

07 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Home

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

books, card garland, christmas, Decorating Ideas, diy, holiday, leaves, ornaments, Poles Direct, Shehla Ali, snowflakes, snowglobe, snowman, tinsel, traditional, tree

When it comes to seasonal decorating everyone wants a stylish and sleek look, not the usual commercial over the top presentation. Here are few ideas you can try during this holiday season.

If you always put your decorations in the same place then why not rearrange things. It’s fun and won’t cost you anything.

Instead of having the traditional Christmas tree why not use books to make one. It really is easy and more modern. Just pile on layers of books making the piles smaller length wise on top. Once you have accomplished this, then wrap Christmas lights around it.

Photo Credit: Neatorama

Cut bits of tinsel and tie it on chairs at home. If you have a floor lamp then use that for Christmas décor too.

Use warm colors in your home. This does not mean you have to redecorate everything, just tiny adjustments will enhance your room and give it a seasonal effect. Instead of new carpet or flooring add a rug that will compliment the color of your floor.

If you’ve run out of room because there is too much décor, try taking extra ornaments and hang them on interior curtain poles.
Guest Post: Seasonal Decorating Ideas
Photo Credit: (left) Cozy Little House (right) Free Home Decorating Ideas

Create a display for all your Christmas cards. Stick a piece of string on one of your walls and hang the cards on them rather than causing clutter.

Photo Credit: Summer Holiday Vintage

Pick up leaves or cut out snowflakes and put them in glass frames and display them around the house.

Take an old jar and put fake snow inside of it to create a holiday globe. Include a festive icon such as a snowman or a christmas tree and you’ve created a wonderful decoration.

Photo Credit: Worley’s Lighting

When you have finished snuggle up with a cosy blanket, light some candles and enjoy your Christmas.

{Shehla Ali has written this article on behalf of Poles Direct, a supplier of curtain rods in the UK.}

Christmas Flower Decorations

06 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Daisy Hart, Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Home

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amaryllis, cactus, christmas, christmas tree, cyclamen, daisy hart, decorations, evergreen, holiday, holly, home, ivy, mistletoe, poinsettias, ribbons, sendflowers, tradition

The time for Christmas celebrations are slowly creeping in. What better way to get into the glorious holiday spirit than by decorating? Decorations turn your home into a more joyful one and simply put, makes the home look better.

The choice of decorating materials could be a little difficult, though. Nowadays, the market offers a huge variety of decorating items. Not only that, but you can also get into some DIY projects and make your own decorations. However, nothing works better than having lots of flowers around the house to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Guest Post: Christmas Flower Decorations

It is customary to decorate the interior with flowers and various evergreens. The tradition dates back centuries ago when it was believed that flowers had magical powers. The traditional Christmas flowers are poinsettias, ivy, holly and mistletoe. Equally valued is the Christmas cactus. During the past couple of years, floral arrangements that consist of more ‘unusual’ flowers, such as roses, carnations, etc. have been used as well.

Guest Post: Christmas Flower Decorations

All these floral arrangements and plants are usually woven into garlands, arranged in containers or carried and worn for personal adornment. Christmas flower bouquets include corsages and nosegays.

Guest Post: Christmas Flower Decorations

A very famous and constantly present item in every house is the Christmas wreath. Apart from looking good, it also has a meaning. It is a token of God’s mercy and eternity. When it’s made of evergreen boughs it represents new life and hope and is a symbol of God’s everlasting love. The wreath is the perfect holiday accessory which you can hang at home and at your office. It is most popular as an ornament, hung on the front door as a welcoming sign for all guests. The predominant colors are green and red in order to match the theme of the occasion.

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

Guest Post: Christmas Flower Decorations

Although there are dozens of options, here are some ideas and tips on how to use flowers in order to create beautiful decoration. Rely on your imagination and experiment in order to create even more:

– Get your florist to create a fun theme. You can ask him/her to use white carnations in order to create snowballs and snowmen.
– Fill the pots in your garden with amaryllis, cyclamen and poinsettias. You can even go as far as to wrap them in festive ribbons and paper.
– If you organize a small Christmas get-together at your place, you can greet all guests at the door by giving them a miniature wreath for them to bring back home and hang wherever they please.
– Flowers can also be used for the purpose of decorating the Christmas tree. You can use either fresh or dried flowers. Both will have an excellent effect on the tree and are way better than the generic plastic and glass toys. You can even fill small vials with fresh (or dried) flowers which are to be hung on the Christmas tree.

Flowers are sure to contribute to a more colorful Christmas by adding a nice touch to your overall decoration. You will be convinced when you see how impressed your guests are.

http://www.sendflowers.org.uk/anniversary-flowers/

Written by Daisy Hart