More Holiday Decorating

A few years ago, I watched a Martha Stewart episode where she was making a holiday wreath out of dozens of multi-colored glass balls. Well, let's just say that I am a huge fan of Martha's, but she can still crack me up. (Hey, maybe that's intentional...hmmmm.)

Anyway, she is just hot-gluing more and more of these glass balls on this wreath form, and very casually she looks up. The camera zooms in, and she says, "...and just when you think you've done enough, do a whole lot more!" Geez, it still makes me laugh! (By the way, her wreaths were predictably beautiful!)

Well, we take her advice to heart every year when we decorate our own mantle for the holidays.

This idea at our house sort of grew out of a bunch of extra things we had left after decorating the rest of the house. And of course, as only we know how to do, we began adding to the collection. The great thing is, really none of the items used were expensive. What I think makes it work is that there is a unifying factor...in this case, color and well, glitter! The trick is, when you mass things in this fashion, it really makes an impact.

So this year, why not try something different, pull out some of your neglected holiday trinkets and see what you come up with. We'd love for you to share your pictures and let us show our readers. Email them to info@intspacesinc.com

And just remember, you just can't do enough. Gosh, it just doesn't work the same way when I say it!

Holiday Spirit

In the true spirit of the holidays, I thought it would be fun to share with you a couple of decorating ideas from our own home. Several years ago we started a "themed" tree in our living room for Christmas. We found a perfect sized tree-no small feat considering the size of our living room!-and decorate the tree in golds, silvers and crystal. We love it, and think it's perfect in the room. But...

Now, what do you do with all the fun, traditional ornaments you've been collecting? We found a great solution! We took a couple of inexpensive artificial wreaths, and started attaching the ornament collection to them. Now, each year we slip the glass shades off of our pendant lights in the kitchen, and gently settle each ornament filled wreath down onto the shade, then carefully reattach the shades to the light hardware.

It's great fun to be able to enjoy these at every meal through the holiday season, and remember where we might have gotten them, or who gave them to us. We add to it each year with an ornament or two from places we travel to.

Here are a few just added this year.

From our favorite vacation spot, Ogunquit, Maine.

We bought this one at Grand Central Station in New York City last New Years.

This hummingbird came from the wonderful gift shop at the New York Botanical Gardens.

When it's time to put these away for the year, we lay each wreath flat on a piece of cardboard, wrap many of the fragile ornaments in tissue paper and wrap the entire wreath and cardboard in stretch wrap. Ready to unwrap and put up again next year!

Hey, send us pictures of your own neat holiday ideas! info@intspacesinc.com