House of Hydrangeas

We knew we'd be heading out to see little Cohen's debut somewhere around Christmas so we kept the decor at my mom's house pretty simple.  Even though we wouldn't be spending that much time at her home, it was still necessary to add a little Christmas cheer.  Traditional garland, a mini tree adorned plain white lights, and a chandelier and centerpiece full of greenery and crimson accents were the perfect solution.  I hope you're enjoying your home decorations and the last few days before Christmas!

I started feeling a little under the weather last night, but unfortunately, Jon and I still had a list of errands we needed to run starting this morning. I managed to last until about 12:30p and then I was done. Jon was sweet to let me sit in the car at most of the stops while he ran in to take care of things, AND I was able to keep the radio on Christmas music all day. He isn't the biggest fan of repetitive Christmas music, but he knows it makes me happy so he didn't say a word :) All I wanted to do was come home, eat some lunch, snuggle up on the couch in my jammies and watch Prancer (my favorite Christmas movie).  Unfortunately Prancer didn't happen because it's packed up in storage, but I was out in no time anyway.  I'm still feeling achy but am hoping for some progress soon.  At this point the Christmas spirit seems to be the best medicine.  So with that being said, I thought I'd bring you a little Christmas cheer with this party designed by Abby Barnet...

Last night made for a very relaxing night in.  All of us, Remington included, snuggled on the couch while watching TV and the lights of our glowing garland and tree.  Snuggling with momma. I love how my new camera actually captures the glow of the tree. Here is the "after" shot of our garland arch with the starting collection of our holiday cards.  Thanks to everyone who has sent us some snail mail.  We love displaying your holiday greetings! I attached them all with simple clothes pins, and I love how it turned out. I wish the garland was a little longer, but I already owned it and didn't want to buy anything new since we'd only be here for Christmas this year.  Hopefully it will fit better at our next house! Tomorrow begins our 2+ week journey to three cities and a total of 34 hours of driving...this year, with a dog!  Lord help us!

One of the best things about the holidays is getting together with friends and family.  And let's face it, there's no better time to host a dinner party then when your house is all decorated for the holiday season! Personally, I think that people's homes feel the most warm and welcoming at this time of year but to make your guests feel even more welcome, you can do one little thing.  Make them a place card for the dinner table.  I know it sounds like such a simple thing, but when people see their name on something, they feel like they are important.  They feel like there was an invitation, a seat and a meal thought out just for them.  It will also alleviate any stresses of figuring out where to sit.  If you can create the place card out of something they can take with them as a parting gift, that's even better.  You'd be surprised at how the smallest thing can mean so much. You'll need some silver bells, ribbon and card stock to create this pl...

When the holidays come around, you are sure to find every kind of wreath imaginable.  While the traditional ones are great, I think it's fun to do something a little more unique. It's hip to be square. Thrift store frame, ribbon and wreath.  Perfecto. If you have a thing for silver bells like me, this is for you. Cushion moss wreath - brilliant and beautiful.  Thank you, Martha. Full, thick and oh so luscious.  LOVE the ribbon. Big, live wreaths like this can be pretty costly.  To achieve this look on a smaller budget, buy two wreaths-one big and one small and place the smaller inside the larger and attach them together with floral wire so it looks like you have one thick one.  Insert real evergreen pieces all around to make it look real and adorn with various ornaments and berries.  Photo credits.  1.  Better Homes and Gardens.  2.  Country Living 3-4. Martha Stewart 5. A Soft Place to Land

When I ran across this page in the Pottery Barn holiday catalog last year, I was immediately drawn to the paper wreaths shown hanging on the windows.  So I tore it out and placed it in my idea binder.  While I knew these wreaths weren't something Pottery Barn was selling, I was still bound and determined to have some of my own.   It's was a pretty simple DIY project, and if you're interested in making some of your own, here are the steps: 1.  Cut a circle about 3-4 inches wide out of cardboard. You can use kitchen bowls to create the outline. 2.  Purchase some books at the thrift store (or use some of your own that you don't mind getting rid of).  The older they are, the better as far as I'm concerned.  The yellowing pages add character to the overall look. 3.  Cut the pages out of the book. 4.  Roll up the pages into tubes, gluing the ends down so the tube still keeps its shape when you let go.  Then glue the tubes ...

I ran across few garland ideas on bhg.com that aren't what you'd typically think of, but that's why I love them and wanted to share them with you.   First, is a simple evergreen garland adorned only by long flowing bows. This goes to show that you can keep something simple and still have it be beautiful.  The flowing shape of the bows replicate the shape of the evergreen leaves.  It's subtle elegance.  You might be seeing this in my house in the future if we have a stair banister (which I'd love!). Next up are some sparkles.  It is no secret that I love shiny things, especially in decor.  This garland is uber simple.  All you need are some pretty ornaments and some ribbon (preferably satin).  Make sure to tie knots as you attach each ornament so they stay in place on the strand. This idea is pretty similar to the first in that it only consists of evergreen and one other element.  All you need a strand of evergreen and a few orn...

Here is the "after" of our very first tree!  I took one picture with the flash and one without. I received this ornament last year from two of my dearest friends after Jon and I got engaged, and every time I look at it, I smile.  October 10, 2009 will always be a special day for us, and I love that we have an ornament to commemorate it.  This ornament is the first gift I ever gave Jon.  We decided to not get each other gifts the first Christmas we were together because we'd only been dating a little while, but when I saw this airplane ornament, I couldn't resist.  He never had a tree so he kept it hung on his dresser mirror.  This is the first time it's ever been hung on a tree. I added in pinecones for a more rustic look.  I love the contrast of the glitter and mercury glass with the rough, natural elements. We don't have a fireplace, so I hung our stockings on our long mirror.  I asked to keep the excess branches trimmed from the bottom of...