Christmas on the Porch

I know I said I wouldn't be decorating for Christmas until at least December 1st...but the weather here has been amazingly beautiful this week with temperatures in the high 50's and low 60's - not summer weather by any means but so gorgeous for Ontario in November!

I took advantage last weekend to string some lights onto the porch railing and in the shrubs and trees along the front of the house...but it needed something more.

I went to the Dollar Store and purchased five rolls of this red, green and white sinemay mesh ribbon and then draped it over the lights on the porch railing.  I also added red bows to the ends by the stairs.

I cut some pine and cedar branches from the trees in the yard and added them along with some sticks to my black iron urns on either side of the stairs.

I then used some wire to add some large red and white ornaments to the urns.

The ornaments I also purchased at the Dollar Store and they are plastic so I don't have to worry about them breaking.

Yesterday I purchased this wreath at one of the thrift stores I visited on a day out with my friend.

It's actually plastic and a bit retro, but I love it, and at just $5.00 it was a steal.  It should be able to withstand any bad weather that might be headed our way in the next month or so.

But right now, I'm just enjoying this unseasonably warm November...especially since the geraniums are still blooming beautifully on the porch!!

Cheryl

Starting My Christmas Decorating...

We spent the last weekend moving our daughter into her new home.  

As I showed you last week, our house had been taken over by boxes and a myriad of

items that needed to be moved.

When we downsized back in August, she took all the furniture
that we weren't going to be using here, and rented a storage unit,
 knowing that she would be buying her own home in the near future.

None us thought that it would be so soon though, and

 although we miss her terribly, we are so proud of the woman that she has become.

To get my mind off her moving, my BFF and I met up on Monday for a afternoon of

thrifting and lunch.

I picked up three poinsettias to fill my metal planter and placed it on the kitchen table.

The plants were $2.99 each at a local greenhouse.

They have some glitter on the leaves for that extra festive feeling!

I found some teal ornaments at the first thrift store we went to...15 of them for just $2.

I also purchased this lovely glass dish.  It has an iridescent finish.  

Both made it into this vignette on the sofa table in the living room.

I've managed to keep this little Norway Pine alive since last Christmas, so it got added as well.

The rest of the teal ornaments got sprinkled throughout the living room.

I added a photo of the kids with Santa from years gone by, and a FREE printable I found

over @ Craftberry Bush.

I framed it in a thrifted frame to add a nostalgic look.

I will doing the bulk of my Christmas decorating after the first of December, however, we did get

our outdoor lights up a couple of weeks ago.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheryl

Linking Up @:

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Decking the Halls...Part II - Kitchen and Dining Room

It's been a busy week here...I've completed a little more Christmas decorating - this time in the kitchen and dining room.

Nothing extravagant or over the top...subtle touches - quick and simple is the theme for me this year.

Taxidermy is a real trend lately, and its something that McG is excited about!  Finally, I have agreed to let him have some antlers in the house!  They usually reside outside in the garage!

These are young bull moose antlers.  I added a small sign I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby and a star ornament from The Dollar Tree.

Next is the sideboard.  I kept everything as I had it originally, just added a branch of red flowers I found on clearance at Target for $2.39 and some green, blue and silver ornaments, a silver tree and a Christmas candle from Bath and Body Works.

A simple garland with lights on the ledge between the kitchen and dining room.  It is decorated with blue ornaments and green and red glitter birds.

On the island, I added a large vase with ornaments and a battery powered candle.

This year I am finding simple ornaments and subtle touches like branches and pinecones are all I need to get the holiday spirit in my home.  I am really liking the simpleness of it - it looks lovely without being overdone.

Are you decorating more simply this year as I am - or are you enjoying lots of decorations?  I'd love to hear from you!

Up later this week - our basement family room.

Cheryl

Linking up @
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Christmas Details...

I wanted to share with you today some of the Christmas decorating I completed this past weekend.

For those of you who may be just joining, I decided to take an nontraditional approach to my colour scheme on our living room tree this year.  I shared last week that I was going with Teal and Orange as my main colours on this tree.  I did add some additional blue, green, copper and gold ornaments, as well as, some mercury glass birds to the tree.

I also added some other decorations around the room.

For the top of the china cabinet, I changed out the fall platter for a gold rimmed plate with cardinals.

I took the sticks out of the urn and added some pine branches instead.  I changed out the printable in the frame to a great Christmas subway art printable I found over at Eye Candy.

Next I added some ornaments to my blue Ball jar.

And finally a small wooden sign - Believe!

For the dining room table, I used an old wooden tool trug that McG found at a yard sale this summer.  I filled it with Christmas greens and a few pinecones and some red and blue ornaments.

One of the endtables got a metal sign on clearance from Hobby Lobby and a few ornaments.

I also have a small Norfolk pine that I dressed up with some tiny ornaments.

Nothing too extravagant...just little bits of lights and shiny bulbs.

I have yet to finish the sideboard and the ledge between the kitchen and dining room.  I will be back later this week to show you those and our main tree in the basement family room!

Cheryl

Linking up @

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Jennifer Rizzo

Finally...We are starting to decorate for Christmas!! (And a sneak peek of some new colors...)

That's right people...I know you've been seeing all kinds of Christmas decorating going on already in blogland.  It makes me feel like I'm a little behind the times, but here in our home there can be no decorating before December 1st - says a proclamation sent down by King McG himself....

Actually if he had his way I think we wouldn't decorate at all...(shh - he's a bit of a scrooge!!)

Many years we didn't decorate until after his birthday, but then it just feels like we are making a whole lot of effort for nothing as he likes to take it all down and put it away on Boxing Day!! - told ya - S-C-R-O-O-G-E!!

Today we will be working on getting all the boxes out from under the stairs - and tomorrow I will be in full force decorating around here.

I wanted to share a few photos of some new colours that are being used on our small tree upstairs in the living room...not really traditional colours....

TEAL AND ORANGE!!

These pictures make the orange ornaments look kind of red, but they are a coppery orange.

These beauties I found at the Dollarama  - $1 each - SCORE!!  The glittery orange pinecones below were three for a dollar!  I paired them with some mat-finish teal ornaments that I found at a local greenhouse 6 for $6.99.

Here they are tucked in an arrangement on my dining room table.

I can't wait to get the decorations flowing around here...I am definitely in the Christmas mood...

I know you are going to hate me for this but...
I am done my Christmas shopping and have everything wrapped!!  
All I have left to do is to send out my Christmas cards and get this place decorated!!

I will be back with more details on my decorating adventures this weekend...with lots of pictures so stay tuned!!

Tell me...is your home decorated already for Christmas...or do you live with a Scrooge too!


Cheryl

Christmas Vignettes...

Vignettes...is a word  that seems to be "buzzing" in blogland lately...

So - not to be left out - I'm showing you all the Christmas vignettes around my home.  Christmas decorating here has taken a more subdued tone...in small doses all around the house.

The wreath on our front door has changed from this scarf wreath...

to this...pine cones and sugared fruit on an evergreen and grapevine base.  Simple and elegant but not over-the-top.

The entryway table has only a few baubles..a couple of ornaments and a white metal 6-point star.

Moving upstairs finds a vignette on top of the sideboard...I showed you how I made that here.

A small tree and an old photo of the kids with Santa in the living room on the media cabinet...(shhh...don't look at the mess in the background on the kitchen counter!!!)

Heading downstairs...4 penguins my daughter won at a Christmas raffle when she was in elementary school.  They stand guard every year here in the entryway.

Now vignettes in the family room...JOY, PEACE, LOVE on the mantel.

And my favourite Christmas vignette of all - our new tree inside our antique trunk!  This is a popular trend now, using unconventional containers to hold your tree.

...but now a vignette that I haven't shown you yet...NUTCRACKERS!!

These are on a side table in our family room.

and not to be forgotten...Christmas vignettes in the bathroom - with RUBBER DUCKIES!

In a boat in our nautical themed bathroom, these duckies were a gift and I love to include them in my decorating each year. 

and lastly - a small vignette on the shelf over my kitchen sink.

A christmas cactus blooming in the window!

I hope you enjoyed this Christmas Home Tour and all our small vignettes.  

Are you Christmas decorating in small vignettes or in big doses??

Do you decorate your bathroom for Christmas?

I would love to hear from you!

Cheryl

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