holidays: Christmas flashback...

One of my favorite traditions for Thanksgiving Break is decorating our Christmas tree on Black Friday (instead of dealing with crowds at the mall). Having been raised by a Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens loving mom, I've been decorating themed trees since high school. This week I've been looking back at my Christmas decorations from our first four Country Townhouse trees, and thinking about what this year's theme will be. I love seeing how we've combined some of our favorite decorations over the years - and how my photography skills have improved!

2011: Homespun with red cardinals, burlap, and kraft paper.

2012: Victorian theme (not that you can really tell?) with white poinsettias.

2013: Rustic with burlap, glitter stars, and chalkboard paint ornaments.

2014: Virginia theme with Colonial inspired plaid, cardinals, and gold ornaments.

Do you choose a theme for your holiday décor? 

What ideas are you loving this year?

DIY: Patriotic Washi Tape Decor for Independence Day

Since our family's annual vacation always coincides with Independence Day (thanks, furniture industry), I don't really go all out in decorating for what's actually one of my favorite holidays.  This year, I wanted to add just a little quick patriotic flair to our home decor without spending any money.  I ended up creating three little vignettes based around two of my favorite things - words and crafting!  I started out by "shopping" around the house for red, white, and blue craft supplies, books, and other decorative items.

I grabbed some washi tapes I'd purchased for former projects, some cute twine and straws from the dollar bin at Target and was starting to get inspired.  Throw in the chipboard letters I've had hanging around the craft shelf since I used them to make the pennant banner for our wedding's cake table, and I had my theme.

I tend to both clean and decorate rooms in a clockwise order, so I started in one corner and worked my way around the living room and kitchen.  Since we don't have a mantel, I always like to keep some decorative items on the ends of our entertainment console.  In this corner, I started with a vintage Roget's Thesaurus and milk glass vase from our wedding centerpieces.  The flowers are Sweet William and Statice from the grocery store - very budget friendly, and they look like fireworks!  I love the tabs in the thesaurus.

On the other end of the console, more wedding books and milk glass along with leftover pinwheel favors from Aubrey's Etsy shop to tie in with my wordy theme.  The candleholders were such an easy craft - I grabbed blue and white candles in glass containers from my stash, peeled off their original labels, and got creative with my washi tape while watching television one night.  Keep in mind that more cylindrical or square containers are easier to tape stripes on than ones with a tapered shape.

In the kitchen, I used a Pier1 cake stand from our wedding to hold three jars of goodness - I chose three glass jars of different heights to create a visual triangle.  The taller two are real Mason jars, but the shortest one was holding artichoke hearts just a few days ago!  My white teapot, a gift from my mama, is also from Pier1 and holds some flowers from my container garden.

Instead of actually making any words with my chipboard letters, I decided to display the letters themselves.  The daisy Mason jar lid is from one of my favorite affiliates, the Plaid Barn, and a leftover from Breeze's bridal shower.

I just love the farmhouse style a cake stand stacked with Mason jars adds to my kitchen, and the pop of red, white, and blue makes me smile every time I walk by!

Happy Independence Day!  Do you have anything special planned?

Linking Up With:

Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Creativity Unleashed Party at Shaken Together

DIY Party Time at DIY Show Off

Eat. Create. Party! at Endlessly Inspired

Inspire Me Please at Liz Marie Blog

Pinworthy Projects Party at Just Us Four

Wednesday Whatsits at Real Housemoms

Whimsy Wednesday at Simply Designing

Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday at Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons

Serenity Saturday at Serenity You

This Project Was Featured:

sunday simplicity: the heart of Christmas...

2ees Photography via Apple Brides

"May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; 

The spirit of Christmas which is peace; 

The heart of Christmas which is love."

-   Ada V. Hendricks 

sunday simplicity #110: a joyful color palette...

The Cat's Meow

The Bride's Cafe

The Cat's Meow

welcome, winter.

Style Me Pretty

"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."

- William Blake 

christmas spirit: it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

Today I wanted to share a bit more of my holiday decorations with you all.  As I mentioned in my post about my silk floral wreath, I wanted to go a little less country and a little more sophisticated this Christmas.  The stems of silk florals I found at A.C. Moore made me think of A Christmas Carol and classic Victorian Christmas decorations, so I let the non-cheesy elements of a Victorian celebration inspire me.  I created two vignettes with things we already had in our home!

Here's one end of the console that holds our television set - I treat it like a mantel since we don't have one.  I replaced the StudioTen15 letterpress card that was in this frame for Thanksgiving with a Victorian-style Christmas card we received last year - you can't really tell in the picture, but the white section is covered with iridescent glitter.  I always keep Christmas cards because I never know what craft ideas I'll have for them in the future.

And the other end of the console - the greenery is fake, the pine cones are real, and the ornaments are "mom's attic" vintage.  The Mikasa crystal bowl was a gift from Mr. Q's aunt and uncle last year and holds circles cut from more of last years' cards - I haven't quite decided what to do with them yet.

Linking Up:

All Star Block Party at Full Circle Creations

DIY Holiday Hightlights Party at DIY Showoff

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Frugal Friday at The Feathered Nest

Handmade Christmas Link Party at Clean and Scentsible

Homespun Christmas at Savvy Southern Style

Hooking Up with House of Hepworths

Primp Your Stuff Linky Party

Super Sweet Saturday at Sweet Boutique

Do you change your holiday decor each year?  Do you use a "theme" to guide your decorating?

fall color: vintage-inspired purple rhapsody and honey gold wedding

Purple rhapsody looks smashing when it's used in vintage-inspired design...

Urban Scarlet free printable save the date from Wedding Chicks

Honey gold looks great in accessories with a vintage twist...

Twigs and Honey via Hello Love

And rich purple rhapsody + warm honey gold + fun southern vintage style = unexpected perfection.

Lauren Larsen Photographs via Ruffled

inspiration for a black and white anemone wedding

Anemones are a flower in the ranunculus family that are recognizable for their black centers.  Black and white anemones are a fun and beautiful way to add graphic impact to a classic black and white wedding color scheme.

Bella Weddings and Events

Dana Tanamachi

fall color: tomato & tangerine in home decor

As a lover of neutrals, I can be intimidated by bright colors - and tangerine and tomato are the brightest colors in this season's Pantone palette!  However, I love the idea of adding orange and red accents to a neutral room for fall!  I especially love these colors when they're used to create an eclectic, bohemian style.

Tangerine and tomato throw pillows and studded ottoman from Better Homes and Gardens

Switching in an orange or red rug could be a quick way to update for fall and completely change the energy of a room.  I like the quirky, collected style of this room from Five Days Five Ways.

inspiration for a neutral pastel wedding

I love the color palette I've been seeing all over the wedding blog world: a taupe, pink, and gray palette.  I think of these colors as neutral pastels - so easy to work with that they can be layered together with ease.  I think this palette lends itself especially well to a vintage-style wedding and works equally well for spring or fall.  I think pastels make any event feel a little bit more like a fairy tale.

"Love Story" Save the Date in blush by Cadence Paige Design from Minted

Bunting banners add whimsy and vintage style to a simple pastel save-the-date.  For an intimate wedding, the bride and groom could send each guest a DIY banner with the information on the last triangle in lieu of a card.

Maria Lucia Hohan Atelier via The Cherry Blossom Girl || Karlisch and Wrubel via Style Me Pretty

Dresses in a range of neutral pastels look so beautiful together - this color scheme really lends itself to a mismatched-bridesmaids look.

JL Designs and Stephanie Williams Photography for Southern Weddings

Do-it-yourself and do-it-together projects look so gorgeous in a feminine color scheme.

labor day weekend

Ruffled

Hope it's a great one, darlings.

summer color: inspiration for an elegant citrus wedding

Possibly because Pantone has designated Tangerine Tango as the 2012 Color of the Year, citrus weddings have been a major trend this summer.  A citrus theme is a timeless way to celebrate color and sweetness in a summer or early fall wedding.  When I started looking for citrus wedding ideas for my readers who are planning citrus themed weddings, I couldn't stop.  Today, here is some inspiration for an elegant citrus wedding with a tangerine, lemon, and gray color palette - these ideas would look lovely in a ballroom or under a beautiful white tent.  Later this month I'll share citrus-themed ideas from around the wedding blogosphere for those planning bohemian, modern, or vintage-style citrus weddings.

Heavenly Blooms

Lemon drops are an adorable favor idea.

Style Me Pretty | J. Crew

Bridesmaids in bright citrus shades and classic ballerina buns... with dresses this fabulous, white bouquets using the same flowers as the bride's bouquet would be a good fit.

Heavenly Blooms

Roses make an appearance along with lemons and oranges in this stunning birdcage arrangement.

celebrate: 2012 london olympics closing ceremony party decor

planning your closing ceremonies party:

Here are some ideas and inspiration for a 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremonies party, no matter what style of gathering you're hosting!  This week I'll feature decorating and menu inspiration for a potluck party inspired by the Olympic rings, a British party inspired by the Union Jack, a casual dinner party inspired by the 2012 Victory Bouquet, a Brazilian party inspired by the tropics, and a cocktail party inspired by gold, silver, and bronze medals.

POTLUCK.

Tower Bridge via the Daily Mail

If you're having a simple potluck or barbecue get-together, keep decorations simple, too, with streamers and balloons in the colors of the Olympic rings.  Mini international flags from a party store are also a fun, easy decorating touch.

I absolutely adore this party table from Savannah Smiled - check out her champagne flutes with "Olympic Rings" in the bottom!

SERVE:  

• Olympic Rings Pizza from Taste of Home - add black olives, green peppers, and pineapple for colored rings!
• International Appetizers from SheKnows

LONDON CALLING.

Irish equestrian Billy Tomey photographed by Mike Hutchings via Yahoo! News

If you didn't go totally British for an Opening Ceremonies celebration, the Closing Ceremonies are still a fine time to do so.  I'm thinking lots of red, white, and blue; large cardboard double-decker buses, Big Ben, and red telephone boxes with holes cut out for photo ops, a Union Jack tablecloth (attach ribbons to a white sheet with an iron and fusible webbing!), and plastic crowns and bowler hats for your guests. 

Katom Restaurant Supply

World Market has some really cute UK-inspired items right now, as well as a good selection of popular British foods.  

World Market

Serve:  

• Jamie Oliver's Fish and Chips!
• Union Jack Fruit Pizza from Betty Crocker
• Tea Bag Cookies from The Mixer
• The international aisle of most nicer grocery stores will stock popular UK treats like Hob Nobs biscuits, Jaffa cakes, and Cadbury chocolate.

Come back later today for a Brazilian avocado-coconut milkshake recipe, and visit again tomorrow for dinner party, cocktail party, and Brazilian-inspired ideas!

If you'd like to add any of the images in this post to your Pinterest boards, please click the link below the image and pin from the source so the creator gets the credit they deserve.  Thank you.

Happy Party Planning!

Sunday Simplicity #77

Elizabeth Anne Designs

"There is something intrinsic about the presence of flowers 

that makes everything seem more special." - Jenny Steffens Hobick

Southern Weddings

inspiration for independence day entertaining: decorating your 4th of july picnic

Today I've rounded up a few simple, inexpensive ways to add pops of color and style to an Independence Day picnic.

1. crepe paper streamers

Style Me Pretty

Isn't this picture from Bellafotografica gorgeous?  While you may not have a setting this perfect for your Fourth of July picnic, you probably have a tree, or at least an awning, from which to hang some simple crepe paper streamers (pick up a roll at your local party store or order from Amazon)

spring color & wedding wednesday: a neon party!

Nothing would say "fun, young couple" like a neon wedding, but for those of us too traditional to take that kind of leap, a neon birthday party or bridal shower could be just as much fun.  Or:  how much fun would it be to have a traditional black-tie wedding, and then BAM! neon reception!?

Love the combination of highlighter yellow, black and white, and beautiful typography in this invitation suite by Kate Arends via Ossai Bridal Accessories

Love this table runner featured on Hostess with the Mostess

Katelyn James Photography