Steeped In Traditions

Turquoise tree and packages.

  The Christmas Season sparkles with colors that can be somewhat surprising. More and more we are seeing modern alternatives to the more traditional red and green. Now I admit my house does look like Santa had a wreck in my living room sending color and magic everywhere you look. For the most part our home is decorated in a traditional fashion but each of our bedrooms have trees and decorations that reflect the individual living in that space.

Vintage turquoise ornaments found on Ebay.

      I am addicted to color! I obsess over fabrics, ribbons, prints, foliage, flowers and ornaments. I immediately fall in love with anything and everything that has texture and color. During the winter I tend to stray towards the richer darker colors. Burgundy, dark green, gold and midnight blue. These colors may take on different variations of the same hue but still they run consistently throughout our home.


Turquoise Whimsy

   I keep a notebook with samples of everything that I have used with which to decorate our home. Fabrics, paint chips, wallpaper samples, carpet, tile,wood stain...anything that has color I keep samples in my trusty notebook. This makes it so much easier when I get ready to purchase something new for a particular room. All I have to do is grab my samples and I'm on my way.




......by the sea, waiting for me!

  Decorating your home for Christmas is not any different, you want to use the same approach. Your home will have a more uniform feel if you keep your color palette to a minimum. I do understand not everyone wants "uniformity". Some people are looking for the more "lived-in" look. You have to decide what your own personal style is and build from there. We have 7 trees in our home. Yes, I know...don't send e-mails, I have already attended the lecture series on the "Less is More" look. Given by my husband, those in attendance:1...me. We still have 7 trees. There is one tree in our home that does not follow the minimum color rule. This tree is special. It embraces every color known to man. This is our family Travel tree. We began collecting ornaments from all of our vacations 25 years ago. The family tree is PACKED with ornaments from all over the  world. If we are traveling somewhere  and I can not find any ornaments, I will pick up any item that I can hopefully turn into an ornament. I've used everything from rocks to local currency! We love this tree and we all decorate it together. It's like taking a slow walk down memory lane. We laugh and reminisce over all the fun we have had in places like Europe, San Fran, NYC...etc. Or when Daddy embarrassed us with his very bad French in Honfleur! The kids love this special evening. As do their parents!

Tied up in turquoise.

  This then leaves me to decorate the rest of the house on my own, which of course I love. I'm crazy about all of these new color trends popping up in the world of Christmas decorating. Purple and bright lime green, turquoise and sage green, all shades of pink and icy iridescent white, purple and red, pink and black, black and turquoise...the possibilities are endless. Someday I am going to decorate a tree full of turquoise whimsy. Back in the late 60's my grandparents had a tinsel tree. Do you remember those trees? Totally silver and decked out in the finest turquoise ornaments, ribbons and plumage. I want one! Part Christmas tree, part peacock. Beautiful.

Dress up in your prettiest dress and celebrate!

  
Get inspired. Get motivated. Get moving. It doesn't matter how or what you decorate this Christmas season it's just important to step out of your comfort zone and into creativity. You may surprise yourself and your family. Here's to making your Christmas merry and bright!!