Here’s the smart lady’s way to entertain during the holidays…plan parties back to back and early during the month of December. You don’t exhaust yourself with cleaning, decorating and all of the other details! I was called in to fluff up the pretty house for the parties…inside and out. Here’s what we did…
I am soooo impressed…the Mr. of the house hung the garland and then added the lights and poly deco mesh! He did a great job on this job, on the big tree and all the outside lights! They wanted something on the front door, so we found this cherry red cone in the attic with gold and red picks in it. I wrapped it up in the same poly deco mesh around the door and tied it in a chignon knot.
We placed apothecary jars on the credenza in the foyer and filled the with the same ornaments that hang on the big tree in the family room. A beautiful piece of very wide ribbon adds some holiday color to the gold and bronze arrangement. The before picture was taken with my cell phone…before the camera died!
For the dining room table, a large gold crown on a bed of gold mesh ribbon is surrounded with votives. The crown holds a collection of seed beaded pomegranates in bronze, gold and blood red…so pretty!
The owner had these great hollow tree forms that were stuffed with the gold twinkle lights. More of the twinkle lights were placed underneath the poly deco mesh, and large gold ornaments placed on top present an elegant and simple design.
Cell phone pic of the buffet before…gorgeous things but a maybe a little much, so we moved the jars to the foyer credenza.
Note the knots! Poly deco mesh ends fray and have a mind of it’s own…tie them into a loose knot for a finished look.
This red and lime green polka dot ribbon makes me smile! The owner found it and the lime green poly deco mesh as Sam’s Club early in the season…love it!
I tied it on lots of the serving pieces in the kitchen, including the footed mini cake stand and on large silver jingle bells. This counter was used for the desserts.
There is a gorgeous wrought iron chandelier underneath this poufy twist of lime poly deco mesh! I wrapped the fixture with a double treatment on the top and bottom edges of the chandelier base and then wove in the red polka dot ribbon in the center. To tie in the adorable Christmas tree (decorated by the three teenagers that live in this house!,) I borrowed a few of the cherry red seed bead ornaments and hung them from the bottom of the chandelier.
Originally, these three wreaths had the classic Della Robbia fruits adorning them in bright lime green, orange and yellow with a bright buffalo plaid ribbon in the same colors. Cute as can be…but not working with the red and lime green we were introducing into the room. I used that great polka dot ribbon and some red ornaments the owner had, plus a few new things in the red and green scheme. I love the outdoor lighted Christmas trees reflecting off the pool and into the windows…and the Ho Ho Ho sign! The picture above is a cell phone pic of the hearth room Christmas tree. Darling!
To keep a consistent look, the glass urns were filled with red and lime green ornaments, toy drums and little wrapped presents.
These parties are going outdoors as well, so a simple, natural theme was used and inspired by the terrific twig snowflakes the owner found at Pottery Barn and hung on her outside fireplace (below.) A lantern was filled with an assortment of small pinecones and fresh red nandina berries.
A clipping off of a natural garland is decorated with nandina berries and pine cones
A wreath of rosemary was placed around the pillar candle in this hurricane lamp. Red nandina berries were added for color in the lamp. Pinecones and red raffia soften the hurricane lamp on the table.
I lined this wrought iron basket with magnolia leaves, then layered nandina branches and rosemary branches all around. Pillars, berries and pinecones were placed on top and a pretty red raffia ribbon, too. The rosemary smelled so wonderful!
What a fabulous outdoor fireplace…with lots of room to sit right next to the fire! Natural garland was decorated with lights, nandina branches and berries, and pinecones.
Close up on the twig snowflakes from Pottery Barn…striking!
I believe a big cigar smoke is what this area was intended for…I might take up the habit!
A simple rosemary topiary in urn was placed on top of the bar in the cooking gazebo at the opposite end of the pool.
I love the trees in the retaining wall…these pictures don’t do this quiet haven justice!
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