Hello you lovely people, You and I have made it through Round 1 of the holiday season and I am positive you've made a lasting impression among friends and loved ones on how remarkable, yet exhausting, it is to be glowy, showy, and Extra. See the Japanese Maple below in front of Hembree House? It is Extra without even knowing Extra exists. It is Keepin' it Real. Look how effortless she is. Unlike myself, who in Thanksgivings past, have cooked and decorated until I absolutely dropped,
not even wanting or caring to eat the dinner I had so lovingly prepared. It just didn't appeal to me after all the work was done. Where is the fun in that? So I went about changing the rules and began keeping the decorating real (but still Extra) at Thanksgiving.
I did manage to get the tree up and I'm fine with adding the element of Christmas to linger with the Thanksgiving feast. The dining room wallpaper is by Thibaut. Henredon table and chairs from a consignment store. The leggy iron sconces are by BlissStudio.com, available to the trade.
(that's me to you!)
Completely forgetting about the centerpiece for the table, I went through the house picking and grabbing various items and created this remarkably simple "table runner" with pumpkins my daughter, McKenzie, had bought, moss balls from various displays in the house, honeycrisp apples, clementines and magnolia leaves from our property. FULL DISCLOSURE: I was outside in my pajamas clipping these puppies from the tree at 7am. My apologies to passers-by.
I added mercury candlesticks and vessels that I've collected over the years. Total $5.99 for the apples at Trader Joe's and $3.99 for the clementines.
A local floral wholesaler had these beautiful stock stems available. I bought two heavy bunches early and they kept their promise of intoxicating perfumery all througout the week. Easy, pure and uncluttered. True decorations in their natural state.
For additional color and to keep the eye moving around the room, I added more clementines to a nearby side table in an antique creamware bowl. BTW, I highly recommend purchasing these books for design inspo! Rooms by Amelia Handegan and Inspired Interiors by Suzanne Kasler. Classic design, pretty palettes, warm and inviting rooms. You deserve it. You've made that dinner, after all!
A few more natural decorations...
Today I took this photo of a fresh table display from the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Holiday Home in Sandy Springs. Funny, I wished I had added limes, pomegranates and crabapples to my runner. I even have a silver bowl my MIL gave me years ago. Oh well. More ideas for next year!
Are you feeling inspired to use nature to your advantage? I sure hope so.
Dana from @FarmhouseConnections on Instagram saw a local news reporter visit a nursery and taught viewers how to decorate using twigs and small branches from your yards to make arrangements. She gathered dogwoods, blue spruce, scotch pine, crabapple, Oregon grape and juniper to decorate her porch. How charming and lovely! I love this and so stress free to create.
~ And one more of what Nature can provide to make you smile ~
This made me smile at the end of the day. "Big Wreath. Small dog." posted by the delightful Instagram account of @misspickering "Tales of life in a 16th century flower shop". Check them out and see the flora and fauna inspiration they can bring into your home for Christmas.
I hope you are having a relaxing and real holiday, everyone. Cheers!
Traci
Hembree House Interiors
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