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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My Take on A MacKenzie Childs Tree

I am thankful to be blog friends with Patti over at Pandora's Box.
She actually lives close to MacKenzie Childs farm and has even worked in their store this past year! Oh what a dream! Patti shared with me the actual tree that they had decorated in the store last year...


I think it is just 2-die-4 wonderful and whimsical. So this year I thought I would work even harder to replicate it than I

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If Furniture Could Talk ...

I'm pretty sure if our furniture and accessories could talk, they'd have quite the stories to tell ... especially around the holidays.
 

 

They'd share how they watch in amusement each year at the *pained* look on my face as I stare at them (while pacing, stopping only to tilt my head back and forth and scratch my head), wondering how I'll decorate them *this* year:

 

 

An *every day* piece would share its delight as Mr. Reindeer moved on in for the holidays:

 

 

This small white pitcher would tell you how it laughed (and grimmaced, just a bit) as I gently *shoved* holiday greenery, berries and light up branches down into it:

Our otherwise plain lantern would tell you how it loves the new *hat* I concocted, made of greenery, ornaments and glittery garland:

 

 

A bowl once filled with seashells would share its excitement with you as it welcomed holiday ornaments, pinecones and snowflakes:

 

 

Annnnd, I'm positive our mirror would tell you it had *nooo* what was going on when I unexpectedly covered it in Christmas cards from years gone by (especially since I usually put them on one of our Christmas trees). 

 

 

"We Say Merry Christmas" and more greenery seemed only fitting to place above everyone sharing their holiday cheer!

But, before we know it, those pieces will be empty again after the holidays ... they'll see that same pained expression on my face as I wonder "what next?"  For now, I hope that they continue to enjoy the holiday merriment that has been added:

 

 

So, tell me ... what would *your* furniture and accessories say if they could talk?

Come on over and play at:

Savvy Southern Style/Holiday Vignettes and Mantels Party

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EAT Tray!

Such a fun piece.

This was an easy transformation. I took an old wooden tray with folding legs, placed vinyl letters on the top, then using Annie Sloan French Linen, just painted the top and sides of the tray.




After the paint dried, I removed the vinyl letters to reveal the wood beneath and did a little distressing. I sealed it and now it's a fun and functional piece.


Legs up or down!

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Joke's On Me!

This year, I wanted to keep our Christmas mantel simple.  Ha Ha ... *who* am I kidding?!
 

Meet our new buddy, "Buck."  He's the reason my thoughts of simplicity went right out the Christmas window!  He's a Virgo ... likes long walks through the snow covered forest ... annnd, if you stare at him long enough, you'll swear that he has winked at you!  The moment I spotted him at "New River Pottery" (an a-MAZING Christmas shop in Wilmington, NC), I knew I just had to have him as our holiday mantel guest of honor.

And, to properly welcome him to the family, I saw it only fitting to splash a few lights and ornaments to the wreath that came with him.  From there ... it only got worse!  Ornaments began to hang themselves from the top of the mantel:

A big, lush garland arrived on the scene ... only for me to add lots of ornaments, glittery garland and snowflakes:

Prelit topiary trees made their way to the mantel, too, but not before I placed them in cream urns I had on hand, along with *more* ornaments:

And, hmmmm ... where did Santa 1 and Santa 2 come from?  I must've purchased them while in one of my *Christmas comas* at HomeGoods!

And, after all of that I had to "believe" that I was done!

Needless to say ... somehow this ALLL came together to create this:

Not exactly *simple,* but we'll take it ...

And, while I know our sled would much rather be used to fly us down a snowy hill (that does NOT exist here in Myrtle Beach), I gave it no choice but to be dressed with winter greenery and faux skates and placed by the fireplace:

So much for a simple Christmas mantel, right?  I s'pose the only missing now is a warm fire ... next time!

So, please tell me ... do you always start out with one decorating plan and end up doing the exact opposite?
 

I'm joining up with:

Savvy Southern Style/Vignettes and Mantel Party
The Lettered Cottage/Christmas Mantel Party
52 Mantels/Christmas Link Party

Becca

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Happy Weekend

Leaving you all with this beautiful picture of bedroom designed by Derrell Parker and photographed by KuDa Photography.

Image Source: Click Here

Have a very happy weekend and stay creative friends!!!

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Abandoned Tables Made New Again!

I have been beating the weather clock, so to speak! Colder weather is upon us here in Illinois and I have been trying to get any larger pieces of furniture painted, out in the new hobby garage, since it is not heated.

I received four oak tables that needed an update. A sofa table, an oval coffee table and two matching side end tables. They were dirty, abandoned and crying out for some love...

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