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Christmas in July

Holiday table setting

I am so delighted to be part of a very talented group of bloggers who are celebrating Christmas in July. What exactly is Christmas in July? I did some research and you can read more about it at the bottom of this post. Psychologically, in the sweltering Arizona heat, a mental escape to Christmas it is a quick way to beat the high temps.

Pinks, burgundy and silver for a different holiday scheme

But right now, some stores already have their autumn decorations up and retailers seem to dictate the seasons long before they arrive. Each Christmas, I do try to decorate something/someplace in a “different” way. For years I would put our decorations in the same areas. But stepping back and looking at your space with a critical eye, can spark refreshing ideas on how to use the decorations you already have. Whether it be a new color combination or a holiday theme, by mixing it up a bit, tends to keep me out of a decorating rut.

Experiment with Color

Being a bit of a traditionalist, I do love reds and greens for Christmas. However, last year, instead of focusing on Christmas colors, I based my decorations on the shades and tones of each individual room. Since we do decorate nearly the entire house, there is a great deal of pleasure in making each room unique and different.

Our dining room (see post here) has a beautiful Oriental rug with shades of cranberry, pink and greens. This rug isn’t going anywhere as it is very high quality and the perfect size for the room. But red and green in a room whose dominating colors are cranberry/pink/teal, just doesn’t work well.

Pink it is!

Pink ornaments from Michaels

Though pink isn’t a traditional Christmas color, I am able to find this large container with ornaments in the blush/pink tones. The ribbon is typically available on Amazon here. But it is currently out of stock. A pink polka dot ribbon in similar shades can be found here.

In addition to the ornaments, these glittery floral picks are also from Michaels. Please note that I waited to the early part of December to look for pink-toned items. The inventory is so low at that point, but by chance I did find one container of ornaments hidden along with these pink blush picks on a low shelf. If you are looking for a unique color, I recommend starting your search a lot earlier than December!

Addition of a fresh tree

Armed with ornaments and ribbon, we did splurge on a fresh evergreen tree in a corner of the room. This tree is the perfect size for the dining room, elevating the entire Christmas theme (and smell) of the room.

Surprisingly, I did find pink Christmas wrapping paper to give the gifts under the tree a similar theme.

For a tree skirt, I gently wrapped my pink/white Valentine quilt around the base of the tree. Again, try and utilize what you have on hand.

With the tree complete and in the pink, now I need to focus on the rest of the room.

The Mantel

Being a historic home, we have a fireplace in nearly every room. With a wide and deep mantel, they are perfect for holiday decorating. In the dining room, I apply a faux garland, white lights and tuck in dried pink peppercorns, pink hydrangea and a sparkly pink ball floral wire.

The bottle brush trees in shades of pink, teal, evergreen add height and dimension to the linear mantel. For fun and balance, I hang the pink balls on fishing line on clear Command hooks on the underside of the mantel.

You don’t need to buy new holiday items every year. Here’s a photo of Christmas 2019 where I use the same pink balls, but in a different application. Playful and festive, they are hanging from the crystal chandelier over the dining room table. Reimagine and repurpose!

More festive touches

With the tree decorated and the mantel adorned, the rest of the room gets a few pink touches.

Pink satin ribbon with boxwood wreaths are pinned to the tops of the upholstered Parson chairs. These wreaths are an after Christmas significantly discounted purchase from Ballard Design. I use them year after year in different ways and they look as good as they day they arrived. See boxwood wreaths here.

Our Christmas dinner is a bit on the formal side and many memories are shared here in this room. Instead of using our traditional red/green, it is fun to change it up a bit to go with the rest of the pink/blush/tree decor.

The sparkly bits of the centerpiece are glittered pine cones, silver trees, coppery votives and silver mint julep cups as vases.

Natural elements like fresh greens, deep ruby pomegranates, alstroemeria and pink roses bring color to the table. Dark cranberry ribbon secure the napkins and a sprig of greens tie it all together. Plain white dishes, pink glassware are layers toward a compliment of colors.

With a burgundy/pink toile tablecloth, the entire new color scheme pulls together.

I can honestly say this is one of my favorite holiday rooms. Getting the colors right with minimal cost is so rewarding. Just writing this blog post and seeing the photos over again, makes me so happy.

Since this is a time of celebration, change your decorations up a bit. If you always put the snow globes in the same place every year, think of where else you can still display them but in a new and exciting way. And if you are buying a unique item or color, don’t wait until December to do it. Most stores will be out of stock by then.

What is Christmas in July?

Per Real Simple Magazine, according to legend, Christmas in July was first celebrated at a summer camp in 1933, when Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina decided to dedicate two days (July 24 and 25) to the holiday—complete with cotton fake snow, a decked-out tree, a gift exchange, and, of course, Santa.

The tradition carries on today, and blistering-hot Southern summers have yet to stop the camp’s tradition—now they simply go for a dip in the lake post-presents. 

Thanks for joining me today! And now let’s see what these talented gals are sharing below.

Christmas in July Blog Hop

Don’t you love looking at other holiday ideas? Me, too. My sweet friend, Rachel from the Pond’s Farmhouse is the host and clever coordinator. I you are visiting me from The Pond’s Farmhouse, welcome to my historical home.

Let’s get started and see what the other 13 bloggers have in store.


Click on the highlighted links below to follow along on the tour.

Stacy Ling – Bricks N Blooms –/– Chloe – Celebrate & Decorate –/– Anne & Ann Marie – Simply 2 Moms –/– Cindy – County Road 407 –/– Jenn – Down Shiloh Road –/– Kelly – The Tattered Pew –/– Rachel – The Ponds Farmhouse –/– Mary – Life At Bella Terra –/– Michele – Vintage Home Designs –/– Jen – MIdwest Life & Style –/– Kim – Shiplap & Shells –/– Kristen – White Arrows Home –/– Andrea – Design Morsels –/– Chas – Chas Crazy Creations





Saturday Meanderings

My patriotic charcuterie tray

As I am writing this I am in the mountains of Arizona and out of the insufferable Phoenix heat. The only downside to owning a second home is there is always some maintenance problem to tackle. But I’m not complaining, as it is cool, green and gorgeous here. So let’s get started on our chat about all good things this past week. Thank you for joining me for Saturday Meanderings on this July 4th holiday weekend.

Speaking of home maintenance..

Dead A/C and dead lawn

Upon our return from our 10 day trip to Nantucket, the air-conditioning unit servicing the kitchen, mud room, and library died. Fortunately, our HVAC person is able to quickly respond and get us a new one. OMG! When did the price of air conditioners skyrocket? But after a full day of installation, the kitchen is now nice and cool.

Painting the deck railing

Our cabin has decks made of wood. One of these days, I know we should go to the expense to replace them with a composite material, like Trex. But that too is expensive and anything to do with construction materials is difficult to get right now. Well, I just couldn’t stand the blistering surface of the top of the deck railing by the front door. So a couple of quick passes with a belt sander and a few coats of Behr’s Weatherproofing All-in-One stain and sealer, and it’s a temporary fix for now.

Isn’t Nature Interesting?

As you may recall, we bring our big pots of geraniums up to the mountains for the summer. They LOVE the cooler weather and occasional rains. One of the first things I do when I get to our cabin, is dead head the plants and water them.

However, yesterday, a bird did not appear happy that I was near the plant. It was chattering at me looking quite disturbed. Sure enough, look at the beautiful nest I found buried in all the foliage. But why 3 blue eggs and a speckled one?

Why is a cowbird egg in someone else’s nest?

Cowbirds are brood parasites, which means females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and let the other mother bird do all of the rearing.

The cowbird will wait for a resident bird to leave her nest and then will usually damage or remove one or more eggs and replace that one or more eggs with her own.

The foster parents unknowingly raise the young cowbirds. Who knew? Thanks to my son, Benjamin for sending me this information.

Update on Furniture damage

Thanks to many of you who shared their remedies for repairing the damage to the dining room table. I did try mayonnaise, but to no avail.

Once we return home, I may try a few more times, but in the meantime, are also seeking knowledgeable furniture repair specialists.

Grilling

It’s that time of year for lots of barbecuing and I cannot recommend these grill mats enough. Not only do they minimize clean up, but the grill marks still occur and the food tastes the same. Recently, we did grilled peaches and they were perfect!

I like the fact that you don’t have a messy grill when you are finished cooking. The mats clean up easily and are reusable. You can find them here.

My Garden

Pedilanthus macrocarpus, Lady Slipper. Image Green Meadow Growers

The high summer heat does fry many of the plants in the garden. Surprisingly some plants are actually blooming, like the Lady Slipper, a succulent that looks a bit prehistoric to me. The thin, lime green, leafless stems, create wavy, straight or arched clustered growth.

Lady Slipper in bloom

Right now, they are flowering with delicate pink blossoms that look like a lady’s slipper. Sorry the photo is a bit blurry.

Pumpkins in July? I just picked two pumpkins from the garden. One of these years, I am going to get the timing right. Last time I grew Fairytale pumpkins they were done by mid-June. But aren’t the stems wonderful?

Beautiful Pillows

Pillow sham from My Stylish French Box

One of the beautiful items I received in the May box from My Stylish French Box, is this gorgeous pillow sham. The colors are perfect for our master bedroom (see the master bedroom here). Not only is the quality very good, but I am able to order another one through the website. The second pillow sham arrived and don’t they look fabulous on our bed? Here is the link to the pillow sham.

Saint-Tropez

Apparently the theme for the August box will be Un Weekend à Saint-Tropez. To learn more about this box, click here. These boxes make perfect gifts too.

Happy Independence Day!

Patriotic table

Wishing you all an enjoyable, safe and happy holiday. Remember to celebrate the true meaning of July 4th~our freedom and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Thank you again for following me and sharing all your stories, inspirations, and recipes. I am so grateful to all of you!

If you missed any of my posts this week, you can find them below.

DIY Patriotic Wreath
A Trip to Nantucket



DIY Patriotic Wreath

I confess that I am not a good DIY-er. My optimistic and ambitious nature often leads me into a false sense of “I can do this”. Yesterday, I got a bee in my bonnet to use up some of the numerous ribbon I have and decide it might be fun to make a ribbon wreath. If you have any red, white, and blue ribbon or even fabric, you too can make this DIY patriotic wreath.

Since we always celebrate July 4th at our mountain cabin, I realize that I have very little July 4th decor here in Phoenix. So the combination of getting rid of excessive ribbon and my silly belief that I can do anything, I ambitiously set forth and seek my materials.

Generally to be successful, one needs a positive attitude, fortitude and hopefully a bit of aptitude. I definitely possess the first two, but for some reason DIY projects do not come naturally to me. However, I plow through them and occasionally I will have a success.

The Materials

Starting with a single wire 14″ wire frame (I did not use the green one in the photo above) and lots of leftover ribbon, you will also need floral wire and scissors. I would imagine you can make this with any wreath frame you may have on hand.

Making the Bows

Now I proceed to make bows, lots of them. The more you fold the ribbon, the more fluffy the bow will be. I use floral wire around the middle.

Tightening the wire will pinch the center of the ribbon. Pull the layers of ribbon apart for fullness.

My first mistake is that the bows are a bit too small. Making bigger and more abundant bows will make this project go by much faster. Once I realize this, I add larger bows next to the smaller ones.

Affixing to the Frame

Twisting the wire around the frame secures the bows, but does not keep them from rotating. The more bows you add, eventually they will pack together and not spin around. Again, think bigger bows! Less work!

Mix up the colors and patterns of the ribbons. This is a great way to use up all the scraps of ribbons I collect (does anyone else do that?)

For the 14″ wire frame, I made approximately 32 bows. To fill in, I also add single ribbons that are tied to the frame to add more color and interest.

Couple of things to note:

The larger the frame, the more bows you will have to make. This would actually look cute in a smaller size too. I wonder if you could just tie strips of fabric onto the frame and tie bows, but I’m not sure how time consuming that would be.

Here is the finished wreath. I suppose you could squish more bows onto it if you’d like. But at this point, I am ready for it to be done!

If I were to do this again, I would make much fuller bows and I bet you would be able to reduce the bow-making task significantly.

How Long?

The entire project did take me about 2 hours, with some interruptions. I think this would also be cute as a table wreath with a vase of flowers or perhaps a tray of cookies in the middle? If I were to use this outside, I would spray the ribbon with a UV protectant spray like this.

If you are not a DIY person, here is a very cute wreath on Amazon that is quite affordable. Patriotic ribbon can be found here and wreath frames here if you don’t have any on hand. Floral wire can be found at Michaels or any craft store or here.

Happy Wednesday, my friends! The air conditioner has been replaced and now it is cool and comfortable in my kitchen!!

For more July 4th ideas, check out these previous posts.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #666




Saturday Meanderings

Artichoke in the garden

Well, summer is officially here (technically tomorrow). This week the temperatures are excessively hot. One day it was 59 degrees in the morning and the next it is 113. There isn’t much one can do but stay inside with the air conditioning. Now I think I am ready to get serious about summer. Thanks for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings as we just wander around discussing whatever!

Making Summer Different

Gouache painting

After such a stifling year last year, I want summer this year to be extra special. Remember when we were younger and summer held an exciting kind of magic? That’s what I want to achieve this year and I feel a little late in the game. So if you have any fun and invigorating ideas please share. Lazy days at the beach, reading time every afternoon, no schedule, I’m all ears.

The painting above is my first attempt at using gouache paints. To see that post, click here.

New Recipes to try

Peach thyme tarts-Half Baked Harvest

I haven’t made these yet, but here are some new recipes that I think look so delicious. Half Baked Harvest is a great blog to follow as the very young and talented Tieghan Gerard puts forth unique and tasty recipes. Coming from a family of 10, Tieghan knows all about cooking for a big group. As a result, she is a successful culinary creator, book writer and continues to get culinary awards and recognition.

Panzella Style Caprese Asparagus Salad-Half Baked Harvest

Her Peach Thyme Tarts (recipe here) on are my list to make this summer, as well as her Panzella Style Caprese Asparagus Salad (recipe here). To see all her amazing culinary creations, her website is here.

The Last of the Garden

tomatoes on the vine

With the sudden increased heat, the garden is looking a bit fried. I am sadly picking the last of the tomatoes and soon, it will be time to let the garden go fallow. But check out these Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.

Sliced Cherokee Purple tomatoes

For dinner, these gorgeous tomatoes make a fabulous caprese salad with both fresh basil and mozzarella. I could literally have this every single day and not get tired of it!

Caprese salad

Does Anyone Know?

I recently heard a story about a woman being followed by what appeared to be an unmarked police car with flashing lights. She dialed 112 to tell a dispatcher that she would not pull over until she was in a more populated area (like a gas station). The dispatcher said no police were in that area and that instructed the girl to remain calm and keep driving.

When I googled this 112 number, there seems to be some conflict in whether it is true or not. I did ask our law enforcement neighbor and he states it is a legitimate emergency number, but then other websites state it is false.

I did dial it on my mobile phone and the screen confirmed it is an Emergency Number. Just don’t know if anyone has used this?

Roman Shades

Etsy Roman Shades here

If you are looking for Roman Shades, Andrea from Design Morsels has a great post about sourcing affordable Roman shades. Andrea is my go-to person when I want more details on just about anything. She does a great job investigating and finding the best suppliers. Check it out here.

Simple Centerpiece

Dinner table with friends

I am sure it is the heat, but I am all about simple, fresh and light in just about everything I do these days. We recently had friends over for dinner and instead of an elaborate centerpiece, I put pale lavender chrysanthemums in small juice glasses. These flowers are affordable, last forever and I continue to enjoy them this week.

Roses from Ecuador

Speaking of flowers, my June monthly subscription to The Bouqs.com did not disappoint. I just get roses now, because each month I am exceedingly impressed. Since they come directly from the grower (Ecuador this time), the flowers are so fresh.

Also, I am now an ambassador for The Bouqs so please, if you need flowers, I’d appreciate it if you would order through my blog. I will get a small reward from them and it doesn’t affect your price. You can find them here.

Dining Room Table problem

Yikes!

This past weekend we invited neighbors for dinner. Typically we eat outside on the back porch but the weather made us long for a cooler location. Typically I always use a pad on the dining room table beneath the table cloth. But I was in a hurry and didn’t think any guest would spill anything, so I just laid down a damask tablecloth. Bad decision on my part.

Mayonnaise is recommended

Since the table did look pretty, I left the tablecloth and flowers on until Wednesday. When I removed the tablecloth, I found this! Unfortunately, no one realized that some bourbon had splashed onto the tablecloth, creating very nasty damage.

Mayo applied

A few friends and Google suggests using mayonnaise on the stain, so let’s see what happens. I just applied it to a small section and it needs to sit for a few hours. Wish me luck.

Attracting Birds

Peach faced lovebird

When I thought of planting sunflowers seeds, I did envision me cutting armloads of flowers to use in our home. However, what I am discovering is that sunflowers attract lots of birds. So I’ve have altered my romantic vision and am allowing the birds to just enjoy them. The peach faced lovebirds gather in flocks now in my garden. They love these flowers so much they do not mind if I am nearby gardening. Aren’t they beautiful?

One of my Favorites

The Enchanted Home

Every Sunday, I faithfully read The Enchanted Home’s Seven on Sunday. Tina lists her seven favorite things and it is just pretty and informative. She loves all things blue and white and above is a picture of her home in Connecticut. I like it when we all share things we love or those who inspire us. Plus she is over “fifty-something” (I consider that a plus!) Check it out here and see if you agree.

Well, that’s a wrap for Saturday Meanderings. I hope the rest of your weekend will be filled with lovely weather and lots of rest and relaxation!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Also if you missed any posts this week, check them out here.

A Summer Breakfast

DIY Patriotric Garland




Combining Real and Artificial Flowers

Easter centerpiece using fresh and faux flowers

Everyone probably already does this, but I am just recently discovering the flexibility one has with combining both real and artificial flowers in floral arrangements.

When I think of all those years of being a purist on fresh flower arrangements, combining fresh and artificial really makes sense. Faux flower quality is significantly better than ever. Artificial flowers last forever and over time, can be the more affordable choice. Access to a wide variety of faux flowers is now available on the internet. When real flowers are pricey, filing in with artificial ones gives you an abundant arrangement at less cost.

Faux hyacinths

For our Easter table centerpiece this year, can you tell which flowers are real and which aren’t? The blue hyacinths and the white peonies are the artificial flowers. The pops of blue and white help complement the blue Indian block tablecloth and china. Faux blue hyacinths here and beautiful faux peonies in many colors can be found here.

Fresh and faux centerpiece

These faux peonies are found in many of my photos as I always have a good looking arrangement available to enhance my shots.

Faux Peonies

Here is another arrangement in a pedestal bowl. Can you tell which flowers are real? Actually in this one, only the creamy white roses are fresh.

Even the sprigs of greens and the alstroemeria are faux.

Once the white roses are past their prime, it was easy to fill in with new fresh pink ones.

Using the same base of faux flowers, it is fun to branch out using more vibrant and vivid colors. Isn’t it interesting how different this brightly colored one looks compared to the previous two?

The red geraniums and tulips are not real. If you don’t have an attractive pedestal bowl, there is a wide assortment here.

Even for my recent Valentine dinner party where I tend to go all out with fresh flowers, in the areas that need beefing up, you can spot a faux peony or two. To see more about this Valentine dinner party, click here.

Mostly fresh Valentine dinner party flowers

Recently I did spend a bit much on box of 26″ long faux lilacs from The Enchanted Home. I LOVE real lilacs but they do not grow here.

The quality of these branches is very good and I actually did spray the faux flowers with a French Lilac micro-batch perfume by Pacifica.

My friend, Karen says this is the closest fragrance to the real lilac scent so I bought some here. Since these lilacs are a close replica, it is fun to watch our guests walk over and sniff them.

Real lilacs

My first choice is to create beautiful arrangements with real flowers, if for nothing else, the scent. But if you are like me, my home looks better with multiple flower arrangements. Like the pedestal bowl ideas above, faux flowers can be the framework and each week you can add a variety of fresh ones.

Have you tried combining and artificial flowers? If so, share your experience.

Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.” – Luther Burbank

Happy arranging!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #622




Patriotic Table Ideas

Memorial Day weekend is less than two weeks away. Not only do I love the patriotic colors of red, white and blue but this is one American holiday we should all respect. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.  This year Memorial Day is Monday, May 31st.

Here are some ideas on how you can recognize this holiday at your table, while enjoying the freedoms we share.

Layering

Indian Block tablecloth from Days with Darviny

This blue and white Indian block print tablecloth is perfect for the base of your table setting. I just love this shade of blue and the detailed pattern at the edges. Purchased through Days with Daviny – Instagram @dayswithdarviny.

If you are not familiar with Hester & Cook, they have so many lovely tabletop, party, stationery, and gift wrap items. See their website here. The paper die cut red Swiss dot paper placemat is a wonderful choice for not only a patriotic tablescape, but also for Christmas, Valentines Day and summer in general.

What is nice about a paper placemat is that is also protects the table cloth from getting stained. I am branching out and trying to do more pattern combinations with my place settings. It’s not without a bit of trepidation, but is fun when it all comes together.

Vintage linen napkins

The blue ceramic chargers are a long-ago purchase from Pier 1 but Amazon has an amazing and affordable collection here. The sweet flowered plates are a gift from my friend, Sandy. Made in Cauldon, England by Brown Westhead Moore & Co. between 1904-1920, I love the hand painted rose floral pattern.

Table for 4

A simple centerpiece of apples in an 1815 Meissen Blue Onion pattern serving bowl (for sale in my store) completes the patriotic look. Wine glasses are Waterford and the silver-plate flatware is from Oneida, Ballard Country Lane.

Additional Ideas

Hester & Cook table runner

More ideas for your Memorial Day table. Here is another Hester & Cook item~a 20″ x 25′ red and white striped paper table runner. Instantly you have a big pop of color and by adding vintage blue plates from Etsy, you have a patriotic table. To see more details on this table setting, click here.

Walmart finds for Memorial Day

Often we are at our cabin in the mountains for Memorial Day. At that location I do not have access to as many dishes or linens. But, after quick trip to Walmart, you can make a lovely patriotic table utilizing what you find. To read more about this disposable table setting, click here.

Flowers from Safeway

Happy Wednesday! I hope you now have some inspiration to create a patriotic table for Memorial Day (or Flag Day, July 4th and Labor Day). In spite of all of the division and problems our country faces, it is still the best place to live.