Feeling the Christmas spirit

I must say there is something where after you've had that delicious Thanksgiving dinner, that good old fashioned Christmas spirit feeling comes in full force. I started my decorating on the outdoors first. I have three urns outside that I already knew what I was going to do with them. I envisioned them filled with various fresh greens that offered their beauty through their different textures and scents. Here are the end results

 

 

 I mixed some weather-proof red berry garland to give them a subtle pop of color. Usually you can tell when you squeeze the berry, if they are soft to the touch when you squeeze them then I wouldn't recommend them for the outdoors. I would assume that if you live in a warmer climate, where you do not experience freezing temperatures then you can dis-regard this tip.

 

 

 

I love having some kind of cascading effect in my plantings on the base. I always wondered how I can obtain that look in the winter months when everything that cascades would freeze. I was so glad to be able to do this with my winter greens.

 

 

 I purchased a wreath for half off at Hobby Lobby that I was okay with, but knew that I could definitely spruce things up a bit in it with extra greens to add fullness and texture, and of course some burlap ribbon intertwined with some sparkly thin ribbon to add some glisten when the lights hit it.

 

 I purchased these vintage looking ice skates from where I work and wasn't sure if I should incorporate them into the wreath. I put them up to it, and fell in love, it added a little touch of character to the wreath. What do you think?

 

 

I hung the fresh cedar greens around the entryway and added lights to give a welcoming holiday feel even before guests walk through the doors. I also added cinnamon scented pinecones into the wreath and urn arrangement.

 

 

 

I definitely completed my outdoor decorating just in time. North Dakota is definitely going to be experiencing some chilly temps and nasty weather in the next few days. Highs is the negatives! Yikes!

I really hope you found some inspiration and got some holiday cheer from this post. I love decorating for the holidays, and there is nothing more satisfying than being able to show some of my hard work to others. Right now I'm getting to completing my Christmas tree inside, and will begin a post on that.

 

Big Hugs,

Melissa :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Easter/Spring Tablescape

Easter is pretty much knocking on our doors and so is beautiful spring. I swear the holidays and seasons keep creeping up on me faster and faster each year.

I am so excited to share with you my Easter or spring tablescape. Here in the northeast the Bradford Pear trees are blooming up a storm and are so lovely, how about cutting up some twigs and using them as your centerpiece?

I love the cloud of white and the exposure of the twigs, giving the look a more natural feel.

This look is so easy and inexpensive to change up for Easter, you can go with a spring theme on your plate settings and just tie the napkins up with a satin ribbon (color of your choice), and some boxwood and spring flower of your choice. Here I chose grape hyacinths because they hold up pretty well without water for an extended period of time.

Now it's so easy to turn this plate setting into an Easter setting, simply place a decorative nest of your choice and voila!

You can certainly add some tiny artificial eggs into the nest to give it an even more Eastery feel, however I chose to keep it very simple and sweet.

The wired urn I had purchased from Aidan Gray. It has a top to it, but I decided to remove it for this particular arrangement. I lined it with a moss mat and also added the moss mat onto the scrunched burlap I laid on the table. I wanted to give this look a little more of a garden feel, and I feel that moss is a great way of incorporating that look.

You can purchase moss mats at any of your local craft stores, and the nice thing is you can cut them to fit your needed size or leave as is!

I hope you all enjoyed this post and got some ideas for decorating your next Easter or spring tablescape. I wish everyone a Happy Easter!