All Because of a Plate

Picture a gal walking into HomeGoods one September morning.  As she passes through the automatic doors, she is greeted (by name) with a comment she hears all-too-often, which is "weren't you just here YESterday?!"

Laughing (and, okay, *slightly* embarrassed), she buckles her purse into the child safety belt in her cart and goes on her way ... starting on the left aisle, as she always does.  As she turns the corner of aisle 3, she notices splashes of Christmas decor has been added!  Her eyes, caked with Benefits macara, get bigger and bigger as she spies beautiful holiday plates.  It is then that she sees this gorgeous one: 

She knows that she MUST add it into her holiday decor.  Her heart races as she comes up with a plan ... right there in the middle of the aisle.  Nevermind the fact that older, respectful women are trying to get around her ... this gal is on a mission to make this plate work!

So, here's what she did ... she decorated their sitting room in reds, white and greys ... all because of this plate (and its twin): 

Because of this plate, she bought beautiful new fabric for the window:

Because of this plate, she had to buy a companion plate to place on the sofa table in front of the window, with a red feather tree and ornaments offering to be holiday company to it:

Because of this plate, she had to dress the tree in matching colors:

Never having done a tree in reds, silvers and whites:

with a few of these cute fellas finding their way on there, too:

And, of course, a wild and crazy topper sealed the deal.

Because of this plate, leftover ornaments made their way over to the bookcase ...

and, Miss Reindeer got a silvery, blingy collar (with a little help from rhinestone "ribbon" from Michael's):

Because of this plate, the robin's egg blue accent chest was traded out for a mirrored chest, with festive subway art (from HomeGoods) and more leftover ornaments being added on top:

"Do you see what I seeeee?": 

 

Because of this plate, I ... I mean "she" is truly enjoying her holiday sitting room, dressed in reds, whites and greys. 

So, tell me, have you ever changed your entire decorating plans ... all because of a plate? 

Join me at:

Jennifer Rizzo/Holiday Housewalk Party
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
Southern Hospitality/Holiday Home - Vignette Party
Housepitality Designs/Better Late Than Never Christmas Inspiration Party

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My 3 Chrismas 2012 Mantels plus 1

 Please enjoy viewing 3 of my Christmas Mantels

  



Plus 1 that I helped a friend decorate...















The inspiration below for my friends mantel...


Her actual mantel this year...











These parties I love to link up to or check out my Blog Parties tab
Monday
Party Time @ It's So Very Cheri
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It

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Christmas Craft Ideas & Inspirations

Christmas is just around the corner and I know everyone is looking for easy and quick Christmas crafts. So here I am sharing some very easy, beautiful and fun crafts. 

Ornaments: 

1). Want to make this cute little fairy ornament find tutorial here.

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2). Very beautiful tear-drop ornament, for DIY go here.

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3). Easy and lovely dry pine cone ornament.

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Bells: 

1). Find tutorial for these beautiful paper bells here

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2). Quick and fun paper cup bells.

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Lanterns:

1). These lanterns are super easy and fun to make go here and make one for you.

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2). Simple and amazing wine glass lantern tutorial.

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Snowflakes: 
1). Learn to make loads of snowflakes here

2).This priced and sparkling snowflake is must have for this  Christmas.

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3). Snowflake Ballerinas tutorial.

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Christmas Tree: 
1). Find tutorial for this paper Christmas tree here.

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2). This felt tree looks so beautiful and easy to make. Find tutorial here

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3). A tree that you will definitely going to love: Acorn Christmas Tree 

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Wreath: 

1). Wreath made of paper rosette.

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2). Pompom wreath tutorial

Image Source: Click Here

Hope you all will going to enjoy these Christmas crafts. Have a very happy & creative weekend.

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Hand Painted Christmas

My hand painted Christmas...


Painted red frame



Hand painted pitcher

















My 2011 Christmas Mantel with painted frames



Last years painted ornament



Hand painted buffet, frame and chalkboard




This year I used the frames differently and framed my skates




Hand painted Skates




I hand painted the base of the tree pot and the table cloth to look like MacKenzie Childs

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Ikat

Ikat

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Ikat is the method of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process used to pattern textiles that is almost similar as tie & dye method either on the Warp or Weft fibers. Image below is to make you understand what warp and weft fibers are.

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Origin:  'Ikat' is an Indonesian word which means 'to bind' or 'to dye'. origin of this weaving technique is unknown. It probably developed in several different locations independently but is practiced across the globe.

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Style: Depending on the resist dying technique on warp and weft fibers, there are mainly three types of Ikat

Warp Ikat: Ikat created by dyeing the warp are the simplest form of Ikat. First the yarn bundles are tied on warped strings of the loom. Then the bundles are covered with wax or wrapped tightly with thread or some other dye-resistant material- to prevent unwanted dye permeation. The resist dye procedure is repeated until the desired result is achieved. 

Koyalagudum, Andra Pradesh specialize in warp ikat particularly suitable for furnishing fabrics made from cotton. 

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One can see the pattern on warp even before weaving. Refer the image below.

Image Source: Click Here

Weft Ikat: Weft ikat uses resist dyeing for the weft fiber. This type of ikat is very difficult to weave. Weft ikat are commonly employed where pattern precision is of less aesthetic concern than the overall resultant fabric. Pattern is visible only after weaving.

Image Source: Click Here

Double Ikat: Both warp and weft are tie-dyed in this kind of ikat. This form of weaving requires lots of skill for right patterns to be woven and is believed the best form of ikat. The amount of labour (A sari length takes two men seven months to complete) and skill required also make it the most expensive. Gujarat, in northern India is home of one of the most famous ikat traditions called the Patan Patola. These silk fabrics are double ikat, traditionally done with vegetable dyes, but now using chemical dyes. The complexity of having both the warp and weft resist dyed makes the actual weaving much more demanding of precision. The intersection of these threads must be precise or the design is lost. 
Process: Bindings, which resist dye penetration, are applied to the threads in the desired patterns and the threads are dyed. Great care must be taken in tying resist areas with water repellent material such as bicycle inner tubes cut into strips. Alteration of the bindings and the dyeing of more than one color produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When all of the dyeing is finished the bindings are removed and the threads are ready to be woven into cloth. Designs generally are worked out on graph paper. Great care must be taken in putting the warp on the loom, keeping all the threads in position is necessary for the design to work. The natural movement during weaving gives ikat designs a feathered edge which characterize this technique. Some styles of ikat favor a blurred appearance.

India, Japan and many South-East Asian nations such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand are famous for their ikat production.

Ikat fabric is timeless and is used in many forms from furnishing to clothing. I also love ikat fabric for its feathered edge designs. Do you have something in ikat at your home lets share with us here at my Facbook page. I would love to look at those eye candy.

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Christmas in the Great Room

Welcome to our holiday great room (but please excuse the crazy lighting):

Come on in ... have a peek around.

Go grab some egg nog and have a seat (I even turned the wing chairs around to face the sofa for a better conversation area):

Feel free to toss our holiday pillows from Pottery Barn aside so that you can get comfy: 

That goes for this festive pillow (from Wal-Mart), too ...

I hope Buck, our guest of honor to our mantelscape, appreciates that I mixed in faux shed antlers to our coffee table centerpiece:

Hmmmm ... think I should add a little ornament or two to our Charlie Brown tree?

As for our *main* tree ... this year, I decided not to wrap it with mesh, but, instead weaved red, gold and green glittery garland throughout it.  I also decided to add more pops of white:

What didn't change (and, I doubt, ever will) is my love for crazy toppers!

These fun oversized snowflakes from New River Pottery are the perfect solution for adding more white to our tree:

As are these cute sparkly fellas (also from New River Pottery):

Don't you just love the nighttime glow?   

Now, it's your turn!  I'm off to visit your amazing holiday homes!

I'm joining:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
Jennifer Rizzo/Holiday Housewalk Party
Housepitality Designs/Better Late Than Never Christmas Inspiration Linky Party

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