The Enjoyment of Christmas

After all the decorating is done, I love to sit back and enjoy time with family and friends.  As I wrap presents, bake and make crafts with my daughter, I enjoy the ambiance that Christmas brings. 

In my foyer, I created a Winter Wonderland scene with trees and snow on the ledge. 
 
I love sitting in different parts of my home and looking up at the lights from the foyer ledge.  I can't help but be in the Christmas spirit with this scene. 

My Christmas tree is full of memories.  I have ornaments that my aunts made me as a child; ones that were my fathers; ones my uncle painted with us one year; and now ornaments that my daughter makes.  It is tied together with burlap ribbon, rust woven ribbon, copper bells, and white lights.  As I look at it, floods of memories come to mind and bring a smile. 

Hanging in the windows are small wreaths with fresh green mesh ribbons. 
 
In the dining room, I keep my centerpiece fresh with different types of greenery from my yard.  It reminds me of Mrs. Self, a friend of our family from my childhood, who taught me you could always pull things together from your home and yard to create a centerpiece.  It brings a smile to my face to think of her. 
 
 
When we come home at night, we are greeted with the twinkling lights in the palladium window and the ring of the jingle bells in the wind. 

I love this time of year.  It's a great time to be creative with decorating, crafts and cooking.  I wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to blogging with you more in 2014.

Remember, Great Design Takes Time!

Lisa Wills

Christmas Door

The first Christmas we were in our home, I was on a limited budget.  We bought a home that needed windows, a roof, a new kitchen and lots and lots of work.  Being on a limited budget, is not a bad deal for me.  Seriously,  that's when I am my most creative!  I wanted to do something different to my front doorstoop.  Like every decorating job I do, I look at what I have to work with first. 

I found that I had a jingle bell wreath that my husband's father gave us.  It was bright red, green and blue.  For those of you who know me, not my colors, but nothing that a little spray paint couldn't fix!  I sprayed it copper and then added a fresh green silk ribbon to it. 

 
I then struggled to figure out what else to do so I went to the Dollar Store.  Didn't you know they are a designer store?  Well, they can be if you are creative.  Afterall, it's the creativity that makes things have design.  I found some shiny brass jingle bells!  My theme started coming together! 



The following year, I found a large jingle bell and added it to the mix.  It became the centerpiece of all the hanging bells. 


In the end I spent less than $20 and was pleased with the outcome. 


It's amazing what you can come up with in your own home and with a little creativity. 


Hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

Remember, Great Design Takes Time!

Lisa Wills

Christmas Mantle

The fireplace mantle is the focal point of the home.  At Christmas time, I love playing this area up.  Afterall, this is where Santa Clause comes down the chimney with toys to share!

 
The most special part of my Christmas mantle is the "Merry Christmas" wood heart garland on twine.  I made this for my mother my senior year of high school.  I remember my father drilling the holes in the hearts and me painting them.  Then I remember carefully using my best print that my mom taught me to do the lettering.  It brings a smile to my face and warm childhood memories of my family.
 


My mom gave me these cute wood reindeers to add to the center.  I actually bring them out in the fall and leave them out through Christmas.  



For years, I wanted to make my own stockings.  I grew up with a mother who was verymuch a homemaker.  She made my brother and me our very own stockings.  I wanted to do the same!  When we moved into our Marwood home, I asked my mom to help me.  We took upholstery fabric and lined them with fleece. 
 

Then trimmed them with various types of trim for each family member.  This is the trim my daughter chose for hers.  This will be a memory I will always cherish and I love how they turned out. 





 
The candles are up all year around but I enjoy lighting them more at this time of the year when we have friends and family come over and light them.  The candleholders are a mix of rustic wrought iron and then a pair of carved olive branch wood.  I chose to to mix the colors of candles and love how they turned out.  I would have never done it that way except I was trying to use what I had already.  I think they look perfect.


Christmas is my favorite time of year to decorate and I enjoy sharing and hopefully inspiring you. 


Remember, Great Design Takes Time!


Lisa Wills


Dining Room Christmas Table


I love coming up with a centerpieces for my dining room table for different times of the year!  This Christmas, I decided that I wanted to use some of my silver that rarely gets used.  I remember being a child admiring my Maw Maw Dodd’s silver and wishing she’d actually use it!  When I got married, she gave me some of her silver and since then I have added a number of pieces on my own.  
I pulled out a silver hollowware epergne that has 3 hanging baskets.  I have never used it and decided that I wanted to put it to use!

 I also had a holloware cake stand that I had never used.  It gave the epergne the right height. 

I added various champagne, cream, and white glass ornaments to the bowls.
 
I added variegated Pittosporum from my yard.  I was thrilled to actually have something I could use from my yard.  I planted this shrub at my old house and when we redid our landscaping I made sure I planted it again.  It is used by florist and stays beautiful all year, giving you something to always decorate with in your home for special occassions!

 
 I then found these adorable Santa Clauses in my attic and added them to the base of the arrangement along with more ornaments.

 

I found these great fresh green ornamental stars and balls at an end of Christmas sale last year and decided to hang them on the chandelier. 

In the end, I was pleased with the outcome and glad I was able to use some of the dressier decor I have in my home. 

 
 
Take a look around your own home.  You might be surprised at what you can come up with right under your nose!
 
Remember, Great Design Takes Time! 
 
 
Lisa