Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Entertaining

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There’s nothing like entertaining during the holidays. From sit down dinners to causal cocktail parties, creating a festive setting for a holiday soirée takes only takes a few special pieces.  Here are my gift picks for entertaining-ware that will make you the star of the party!

SERVEWARE

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No. 1  A fun twist of traditional Christmas plates– Dapper Animal Plates
No. 2 A beautiful tray with a festive message–Plated Brass Tray
No. 3 A fun accent on the dinner table–Reindeer Salt-n-Pepper Shaker
No. 4 Tilt Bowls are perfect for serving up any type of holiday finger food {available in red and clear}
No. 5 A sweet little tiered stand to sever up sweets–Gilded Petit Four Stand
No. 6 Dots & stripes to glam up the buffet–Metallic 3-piece Cheese Knife Set

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DRINKWARE

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No. 1 Because cooper mugs are cool–Copper Mugs
No. 2 No matter how you say it, say Cheers to the season! Cheers Champagne Flutes
No. 3 A chic way to serve wine, water or just about anything–Bird’s Beak Glass Carafe
No. 4 Personalize a party with these Acrylic Stemware Glasses {set of 4}
No. 5 Hot toddies call for classic Santa Mugs
No. 6 Why not serve custom martinis in festive martini glasses–Set of 2 Stag Martini Glasses

FUNWARE

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No. 1 Indulge their sweet tooth with a fun Deer Candy Jar
No. 2 Gift your favorite cookies in this classic Winter Cottage Cookie Jar
No. 3 Whoever gets theses Santa Hat Lidded Bowls will be Ho, Ho, Happy!
No. 4 A personalized platter makes a great gift–Melamine Holiday Tray

 

Shelly

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The Art of Holiday Gift Wrapping

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Since I love to wrap gifts, I thought it would be fun to share my easy formula for creating stylishly wrapped gifts.  Even though it’s a pretty simple formula involving paper, ribbon, tags and a fun accent, it’s what I do with these items that turns my wrapping into an art.

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Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour

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I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving.  We spent the day at my brothers where we ate too much, lounged a lot, watched our share of movies and even hit up a few stores for some Christmas shopping–the makings for a perfect Thanksgiving.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to get in full-blown Christmas mode!

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve slowly been decorating for Christmas and it’s not because I’m trying to rush the season but for another great reason.  This year I’m participating in the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour with 8 other amazing bloggers.  Over the course of three weeks, starting Dec. 2nd,  we’ll be sharing our Christmas decor and how we’ve made our homes Merry & Bright for the holidays.  Each of us will also be sharing a DIY project we’ve made featuring a holiday decal from Candi’s Etsy shop Welcoming Walls. I can’t wait to show you what I’m crafting.

I’m so excited about the holiday home tour and hope you’ll follow me and the other fantastic bloggers on the tour:

Kellie from Design Asylum Blog
Elaine from OMG Lifestyle Blog
Debbie from Refresh ReStyle
Tamyra from Positively Southern
Kate from Chic On A Shoestring Decorating
Amy from Amy Howard Social
Yuni from Love Your Abode
Marsha from M Jones Style

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 Here’s a little more detail about what’s to come from each blogger on the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour…

On Dec. 2nd we’ll be sharing the highlights of our holiday decor from our front door to our Christmas tree designs.

Dec. 9th is all about celebrating & entertaining where we’ll share how we’ve decked out our dining rooms and entertaining areas for holiday festivities.

And on Dec. 16th there will be even more holiday cheer featuring diy projects, special details of our decor and the other ways we’ve decorated for the season.

All blog post will be live at 7:00 am eastern so you’ll be able to blog hop for the ultimate holiday decorating inspiration.

And you can also check out the tour on Instagram by following the hashtag #merryandbrightholidayhome!

Now I’m off to do some more decorating.

‘Tis the season!

Shelly

30 Days of Holidays: Gifts For The Home

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It’s the first day of my 30 Days of Holidays series.  Over the next 30 days,  thru Dec. 23rd, I’ll be sharing all things holiday with you.  From holiday decor and entertaining inspiration to gift giving and gift wrap ideas, I hope to inspire you in new and creative ways to celebrate the season.

What I’m sharing today is the first of several holiday gift guides and it’s all about great Gifts For The Home!  I think this round-up of items is so great you just might want to buy one of each of yourself.  Happy gifting!

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Pamper your friends and family with a box of  Monogrammed Soap. They will feel like their visiting a luxury hotel overtime they use it.  $49.00
Candles don’t get much more stylish than this Pineapple Jar Candle and the scent will make a cold winter night more comfy.  $26.00-$38.00 available in two scents
This Cutting Board Set is the perfect gift for someone who loves to cook or entertain and the cooper details will enhance the style of their kitchen. $59.99 for three boards and the stand
Mix and match or buy all one color when gifting these beautiful Helianthus Goblets.  Their morning glass of OJ will taste so much better. $10.00
Add a little flair to family game night with these Dice Motif Appetizer Plates. $24.95 set of 6
A beautiful Gold and Glass Lantern like this will be a year round gift for anyone you give it to. $29.99

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This Gold  Mirrored Tray is the perfect piece to accent any room in a home.  $34.99
I love the look of this Wall Mount Vase and so will the person you gift this to. $69.00
Keep your family and friends warm this winter with a luxurious Faux Fur Throw. This is one of my favorites on the market. $90-$139
Pair this Wing Bowl with their favorite holiday candy and you’ve got the perfect gift.  $24.99 (extra 10% off with code TurkeyDay)
This Mother of Pearl Clock is the perfect accent for a bookshelf, tabletop or bedside table. $79.00

Have you started your gift list and if so, is there a really great item on it that I need to know about?  Do tell!

Shelly

Decorate Your Mantel For Christmas: Tips & Techniques

Hello friends.  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  After spending the end of last week decorating for a client, I was happy to see the weekend come.  I did some Christmas decor shopping for a another client, hung out with my brother and got all of my holiday linens pressed.  Anyone else out there hate ironing as much as I do?  All in all, it was a good weekend and I was able to squeeze in some of my own Christmas decorating.

Speaking of decorating, today’s post is all about decorating your mantel for Christmas.  It’s part tips & techniques and part inspiration.  Enjoy!

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One of the exciting parts of my design business is decorating homes for Christmas. Just about every home I decorate has a mantel or two and even though every one of them has a different style and design, I use the same techniques when decorating them for Christmas.

Here are my tips for decorating your mantel like a pro:

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6 Tips for Decorating Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro (Throwback Thursday)

It’s Throwback Thursday so I’m republishing one of my most popular holiday how-to post…

How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like A Pro!

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When my store was open, one of the most attended workshops I did was called Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro.  While everyone has their own style when it comes to decorating their tree, everyone also wants to know the tips and techniques that designers used to create those over the top trees.  Well, today I’m going to let you in on our secrets….

1.  DEVELOP A THEME–Every great design project starts with a theme, even decorating a Christmas tree.  Having a theme will ensure all the elements work together and that the tree has major impact.  Your theme can be as simple as decorating with only red ornaments or as elaborate as creating a rustic yet elegant lodge themed tree. And, even if your tree is decorated with different ornaments collected over the years, that too can serve as your theme!  Whatever your theme is, it will serve as the foundation for  your overall  decorating plan.

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2.  LIGHTS FIRST–Lighting a tree is time-consuming, but doing it right makes all the difference in how your tree will look in the end.

*  Start at the top of your tree and wrap the lights from the inside trunk towards the outer tips of a branch.  Once one branch is covered, create two or three big loops of lights on that same branch back towards the trunk.  Move to the next branch and repeat the process.  Continue working your way around the tree, covering all the branches.  Don’t forget to plug your lights in periodically to make sure they all work and the all the branches are covered well.

*  You can adjust the density of the lights by wrapping the lights closer together or further apart.

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3.  ADD RIBBON OR FABRIC–While most people add ribbon to their trees, fabric is a great alternative.  Ribbon, bows or fabric pieces will provide a backdrop for our ornaments and can be added to your tree in several different ways.  One method is to drape the ribbon from top to bottom, tucking it into the tree at intervals.  This will create peaks and valleys and create added dimension to your tree decor.   Another great trick is to layer several different ribbons together and creating big loops with cascading tails (see top photo).

If you are using bows on your tree, make sure the size and scale of the bow is in keeping with the overall size of the tree….8 to 10 medium size bows on a 9 ft. tree is enough!

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4.  ADD DIMENSIONAL PICS OR SPARYS–This one element will do more for your tree than anything else will.  Take glitter pics, feather stems or floral stems and place them around your tree randomly. Not only are your creating layers with your tree, but you are adding texture and dimension.  On large trees, several styles of pic and be used together while on smaller trees it is best to use a single pic style in mass.

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5.  LAYER, LAYER, LAYER–Now it’s time to start adding ornaments.  Don’t just place your ornaments on the surface of the tree, layer your ornaments within the tree branches.  Place solid colored ornaments deep into the tree and hang the more colorful and ornate ornaments on the tips of the branches.

And remember,
Vary the shapes of sizes of your ornaments
Vary the color tones, using shiny ornaments along with matt and textured finishes
Adding solid color ornaments will help ground the tree and create an element of consistency within your theme
Cluster small ball ornaments together with a wire and hang them in groupings for added impact
 
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6.  THE TOPPER–The top of your tree should really make a statement.  Create a unique topper using pics and flower stems, several large bows put together or go add a whimsical element that supports your theme.  If you have a traditional topper, use pics at the base of the topper to frame it.

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A few other tricks of the trade…

*  Use ornament spinners to add visual impact to the tree.  These little gems plug into one of the light sockets and spin lightweight ornaments.

*  Curl the tips of your artificial tree  to give it a whimsical touch.

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So there you have it, the ins and outs of decorating a Christmas tree like a pro!

Shelly

Inspiration: Christmas Entertaining With A Color Twist!

Gold Reindeer with Faux Fur

If you can’t tell from recent post here on the blog, I’m really getting in the Christmas spirit.  Today I’m bringing you an inspiration board I created for a colorful holiday party.

The concept for this party was a casual, chic party table with a twist on traditional Christmas colors.

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Here’s a look at each item and tips for creating your own festive holiday table!

Whenever I can’t find cloth table linens to fit a theme, I turn to wrapping paper. With just about any design and color option available, wrapping paper is a cost-effective and simple way to dress your table.  TABLE RUNNER:  Snowy Tree Wrapping Paper  
Most table settings I create incorporate a charger plate.  Chargers help to add impact to a table and are also part of the layering that every table setting needs.  I recommend you buy a set of gold, silver and red chargers so you have colors that will work with every table setting your can imagine.  CHARGER PLATES:  Gold Charger with Fluted Edge     *  (my favorite gold charger design)
One of the basic tabletop items I think everyone should own is a set of classic white dinnerware. White plates will give you tons of flexibility to mix and match patterned salad/dessert plates and bowls.    DINNER PLATES:  Round White Dinnerware  *(you can’t beat the price of these plates)
Novelty salad plates are an easy way to bring pattern to the table for the holidays or for any season.  I love to pair square salad plates with round dinner plates for visual interest.   SALAD/DESSERT PLATES:  Green and White Chalkboard Christmas Plates 
Entertaining is so much easier when you have the right serving pieces.  A tiered stand can be used in lots of different ways and works just as well on a table as it does on a buffet.  SERVING STAND:  Gold Two Tier Stand
Holiday entertaining by candlelight is a must in my book and these Christmas tree shaped candles are the perfect accent to compliment the paper runner design. CENTERPIECE DECORPearlized Christmas Tree Candle *(these would make a fun hostess gift too)
Gold flatware is just one of the elements that helps to add a touch of glam to this tablescape and it ties in with the other gold accent pieces which helps to create the theme.  FLATWARE:  Gold Flatware *(I also love the design of this silver flatware set)
I like the idea of placing wine in an ice bucket versus placing the bottle on the table.  When not used to hold wine, the bucket could hold flowers or even be used as a serving bowl of a salad or bread.  ICE BUCKET:  Hexagon Ice Bucket
Colorful glasses are a great investment and will add that bold pop of color that every table needs.  These glasses accent the green in the runner and salad plates so that the table has three different pops of the key accent color. STEMWARE:  Green Wine Glasses  *(HomeGoods always has a great selection of colorful glassware)
Pattern mixing is key to bringing your holiday table to life. The gingham plaid dinner napkins provide a great contrast to the oversized pattern of the paper design and further highlight the navy color.  LINENS:  Blue Check Dinner Napkins *(these would be easy to DIY if you can’t find your color)
When it comes to a centerpiece, I use items that will add height, style and a unique touch to the table.  These gold reindeer do all of that along with adding that glamorous touch the decor called for.  DECOR:  Gold Reindeer Decor *(the fur collar is removable so you could change the look from year to year)

Chalkboard Christmas Plates

So when it comes to setting your holiday table, do you have any tricks or tips you use?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

I’ll be sharing my own holiday table soon.  Stay tuned.

Shelly

The Look For Less–Monogram Christmas Ornament

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It’s beginning to look a bit like Christmas around my house.  I’ve pulled the Christmas pillows out, started decorating here and there and will get my tree set up and decorated this weekend.  If you’ve read my blog for a while you know that I change my tree theme each year.  A majority of the decorations are pieces that I already own but a few new pieces get added each year.

Two of the key components on my tree will be monogrammed ornaments and lots of red which was partly inspired by the tree decor above.

Last year I purchased a few of these beautiful blown glass alphabet ornaments from Pottery Barn at $7.50 each and had plans to add a few more to my collection.

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But yesterday I stumbled across the almost identical monogram ornament at JoAnn’s on sale for $3.99.  While the details aren’t exactly the same, these ornaments will still give me the look and feel I want the tree to have.

JoAnn Monogram Ornament

I’ll be sharing my completed Christmas tree decor with you on Dec. 2nd as part of a blogger holiday home tour I’m participating in so stayed turned.

p.s.  In case you like the idea of monogram ornaments on your tree, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites to share with you.

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KirklandsChalkboard Monogram Ornament $6.99 / Zazzle–Personalized Monogram Keepsake Ornament  $24.50 / ZazzleCeramic Holly Monogram Ornament $18.95
AnthropologieWoodshop Monogram Ornament $ 9.00 / PB KidsGlitter Alphabet Ornament $3.00 / West ElmBeaded Letter Ornament $3.00

 

Shelly

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