Every year I have such mixed emotions when Christmas is over.....both sad the celebrations have ended (because as you know, I live and die for a good party!) and also relieved to simplify life again. Perhaps the most bittersweet day is when the house is undressed from all its holiday finery. So, to make the parting less painful, I quickly shot these last photos of our decked out abode.
As usual, I used my miserly tactics to create a fanciful Christmas with found yard sale treasures, cast off ghosts of Christmas's past and of course, dollar store accessories galore! Read on for more details on how I pulled it all together.
Here's to one last Holiday Hurrah!
First up! One of the many holiday highlights of our Living/Dining Room - our glitzy, wintry table.
You might recognize the look from my Sugar Plum Fairy Party shoot earlier this month, but with a few changes in color scheme, I was able to give it a new snowy life. First, I used a $1 vintage chenille blanket I found at a church rummage sale this summer - thank you St. James West! Laying it on the table instantly put me in a winter wonderland mood. With its powdery contours and "flowers" that mimic snowflakes, it serves as the perfect "blanket of snow". Next, I layered on the Tiffany blue table-runner my Mamaw hemmed for me out of scrap fabric I had on hand. While it doesn't lay down crisp, I have come to really like the decadence of its billowing fabric.
Placing the laser-cut flower mats (found at T.J. Maxx for less than $2) gave the table its first hint of gold, while my Dollar Tree gold chargers brought the gilding home. Finally, I set my vintage white ceramic tree (now, without the gaudy colored bulbs) on my milk-glass cake pedestal, adhered tissue paper flowers I had cut and covered with my large glass dome to complement my smaller ones housing battery operated candles. The final white touches of my ever-handy Dollar Tree ceramic plates and pretty snowflakes (also from Dollar Tree) tied to the tops of the domes were the frosting on the cake.
Next up! My pride and joy - mostly because I LOOOVE decorating it - my big black buffet.
This big boy weighs in at over 150 lbs allowing me to create awesome vignettes with storage to boot. With his generous counter and hefty shelf, he is put to heavy use at Christmas. Wow, reading that sentence back, almost makes me sound like a farmer talking about his prize bull...
My best friend Stephanie, obviously loves and knows me very well - who else could elicit squeals of delight after gifting a pair of massive, empty gold frames to me for my birthday!? Yep, she knows the keys to my heart : )
For the holidays, I designed and printed the artwork featuring the famous "Dear Virginia" letter with an ever-classic, vintage Santa. The newspaper article holds a special place in my heart, as do all things that promote the power of belief, faith and of course, true magic.
The frame is flanked with two brass arch-angels - at least, I assume they are no mere angels since they stand in such an imposing, stately manner. Luckily, their confidence did not stop me from snatching them up years ago at an after-Christmas sale at Kirklands for less than $10 for the pair!
To accessorize, I used a lovely magnolia garland purchased at Nashville's Old-Time pottery for less than $15 and graced the counter with a simple folded white tablecloth leftover from a wedding. The gold sleigh, indefinitely borrowed from my Mom's Christmas stash, carries two of my many snow globes, and is frosted with more Dollar Tree snowflakes.
Truly, a blizzard raged through my house dumping scads of these fantastically cheap flakes! 6 for a dollar? Why, yes! Give me 20! I felt like a Snow Fairy twirling and tossing them about. Meanwhile my husband quickly exited the room.
I couldn't leave Lucius out! My sparkling, nut-loving friend holds court with two-turtle doves atop our beast of a tube TV - and no, I'm not showing it in all its massive glory! Why, why, why did I let him bring it home....Of course, the snow fairy tossed more flakes his way.
And more snowflakes adorn the most beautiful $40 tree ever found. This stately fir was found cowering in a beaten box, his self-esteem shattered after a Christmas of un-purchased potential. His down trodden appearance must have deterred many a Hobby-Lobby-shopping-maiden as he was left among a forlorn January landscape with only tinsel dust bunnies for company. But, not I! Brushing off his glitter-strewn surface, I told him to sleep til his $400 glory could be seen by all.
The next Christmas, he was standing tall and proud (too tall actually...we had to saw off a foot of his metal trunk to fit our 8 ft tall ceilings, but shhhh...don't tell him. What he does't know can't hurt him).
Now he has feathered friends to spare.
My Christmas decorating would not be complete without an homage to Baby Jesus, the true reason for the season. Instead of the typical nativity set, I use my nativity snow globes to create a Bethlehemesque setting on a $15 yard sale shelf. Only, my mangers, have been paid a visit by the Snow Fairy.
My dear Bobbi, gave me the glorious chalkboard printable that I set in one of the hundreds of picture frames wreaking havoc in my basement.
Running away with all the Glorifying are my carol-loving angels. Both can sing with the best of them on high but while my printed beauty was created to fit the other gilded frame, my littlest angel was a cast-off from an old Christmas decoration box en route to the dumpster at my old office. Aghast at such hap-hazardous handling, I snatched the box up, singing Alleluia all the way to my car trunk.
While many see the show of legs through her plastic sheer cellophane as a tad brazen, I knew the right setting would place her in a lovely pure light.
Sitting on top of our "mantle" of white, she challenges anyone to call her garish!
Speaking of mantles, our burled wood player piano was bought, not by myself, but shock of all shocks, by my old-junk-hatin' husband! I think a sickness took hold of his brain and swept him up in the lust of bidding when he scored it for $50 at a family auction. Well the die was cast, and he will never, ever, ever be able to part us! Ah, gotta love the power of a good day of bidding wars - it will run off with you and before you know it, you will be stuck hauling around a two-ton family jewel for decades!
And the Snow Fairy strikes again!
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