Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Christmas Yard Decoration

Have you ever seen that movie with that one guy and he does that thing that's really cool? Okay, I just had to say that because I've heard it so many times before. You've surely heard the spiel yourself. Anyway, you've probably also seen the Christmas flick with the Griswalds. Yeah, that's right; you know the one I'm referring to. It's "The National Lampoons Christmas Vacation." That's a classic! It's all about the joys, struggles, and annoyances of the holidays. Oh, and then there's that amazing Christmas Yard Decoration scene. I mean this fellow goes all out. He's determined to have the best and most amazing decoration scheme on the block. How about you; does this hit close to home?

When it comes to the ever-popular Christmas Yard Decoration schemes, I'm not so big on it. Sure I like reindeer, Santa Clause and all his little elves. I like colorful lights and nativity scenes. i plain and simply don't take the time to do all this stuff. Furthermore, I can't imagine how much time and money folks put into Christmas Yard Decoration. Well, it hit me this year. I really haven't been contributing to the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Or at least the ones that pertain to the Christmas Holidays anyway. When it comes to Halloween I raise the bar. Anyway, this year is going to be different for me. The Christmas Yard Decoration thing is in the bag. I am going to raise the bar for my neighborhood. Heck. I may even piss off the guy across the street who loves to have the biggest and best every holiday season. I'm going to Lowe's and Home Depot to pick up all those amazing lights and illuminating reindeer. My yard is going to resemble the fricken North Poe headquarters of Santa himself. How's that for Christmas spirit?

Do you like to cruise the neighborhoods around Christmas time and check out the many homes with Christmas Yard Decoration schemes and lights galore? Of course you do. Hey, we all love to do this. It's very enticing and peaceful in some sense. Staring in awe at all those lights and all that Christmas spirit makes us feel good inside. What can I say; we're suckers for the holidays and Christmas Yard Decoration schemes.

Christmas Table Decoration Idea

The right centerpiece can do wonders for your holiday dinner party. Finding the perfect Christmas table decoration idea for your special occasion is easier than you may think. You can find inspiration in many places. Some are obvious while others are really unique.

One of the obvious places to look for the perfect Christmas table decoration idea for your event is the professional florist. You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle just by purchasing a lovely arrangement completed by a professional florist. This Christmas table decoration idea may not be the most original but it is timeless and always appropriate.

Many of today’s florists really make unique centerpieces and you can request something a little out of the ordinary as well. A few interesting details here and there can transform a regular flower arrangement into a great conversation piece. A busy individual may want to look to the professionals for help.

Others like a do-it-yourself approach even when it comes to Christmas table decoration ideas. Using scented candles is never a good idea if the centerpiece is going to be around food and wine. The scents from the candles can change the taste of the food because eating has a great deal to do with the sense of smell.

Nevertheless, candles do make wonderful arrangements and you can make some really great presentations with these. I think that unscented candles are the cornerstone to a beautiful Christmas table decoration idea. These candles come in a lot of colors, shapes and sizes. You can make a glowing sculpture in the center of your table.

Many people love sparkle during the holiday season. Why not add some edible silver candies that are usually found on cakes and cupcakes. Adding these edible but decorative items will enhance any Christmas table decoration idea by giving it some glitter and spark.

Since I am on the subject of glitter and candies, why not make an arrangement out of chocolates wrapped in green, red and silver foil? Hershey Kisses can be stuck to a Styrofoam cone shaped like a tree. This is a delicious Christmas table decoration idea that is tops on my list.

There are so many ways to bring life to your dining area but make sure that you don’t overdo it. If you are going to go with the candle Christmas decoration idea then maybe add some silver candies here and there to catch the light. Some red napkins and poinsettia detailing in spots will be plenty to add clean sophisticated style to your party.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Ceremony Decorations

Ceremony Decorations

You may have a great idea for how you want your wedding reception to look, but you have to think about your ceremony decorations as well. Most people want something that is elegant, but they don’t know when to stop. The key to elegance is striking the right balance between what you choose to decorate and what you choose to leave open. Every church and ceremony spot is different though, and there is no one right answer for anyone. You have to trust your sense of judgment, but you should know if you keep it simple, it’ll look better, and it will save you money.

Flowers are common for ceremony decorations, and that is because they can be beautiful and elegant all at the same time. You want to stick to just a few types of flowers, and you have to use them sparingly. When you use flowers for ceremony decorations, you might also want to stick to one or two colors. That makes it easier to handle, easier on your budget, and will look better than a mess of different colors all over the place. If you have a favorite flower, you can use it if you think it fits with what you are trying to do. Don’t use it if the color clashes with your choice of wedding theme colors.

Placement is important when it comes to ceremony decorations. You want to move stuff around and experiment before you decide on the final placement. It might be a good idea to have a few others to help you decide. Your ceremony decorations can go near the front of the church, and there is always something elegant about pew bows if they are done correctly and used in the right way. You can have them on each row of pews, or you can have them on every other one if you wish.

One last touch to ceremony decorations might be candles. The best thing about candles is that it is hard to go wrong with them. You can have a few, or you can have a bunch, and as long as they are in the right colors they are going to look great. Just remember that when using this type of ceremony decorations, you have to think about fire hazard. Don’t have more candles than you can keep an eye on at any time. You don’t want to burn the church down while you say ‘I do’.

Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations

I do not know about you, and in your crew it might be different, but in my family appearance is important. The spirit of Christmas is all fine and good for school pageants and such, but for me the most important part of the holiday season is to have the best Christmas decorations that you can. A lot of people think that quaint wooden ornaments look good, but I think that that is just silly. I think that anything less than Animated Christmas Decorations is simply a waste of time and money. Even those blow up Santas and the inflatable snowmen just do not compare to the Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations. If you put Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations on your front lawn, you will be the envy of the whole entire neighborhood, and that is just no lie.

The coolest thing about Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations is how flashy they look. Christmas is all about one thing: Christmas lights, and the Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations take Christmas lights to a whole new level. If you are not familiar with the way an Animated Christmas Decoration works, allow me to enlighten you. The way that it works is pretty simple, really. Basically it uses sequences of colored lights to create the picture on the Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations. A lot of the better ones can show some pretty neat and elaborate pictures on them, such as Santa in his sleigh bringing presents to all of the little boys and girls, or the three wise men walking to the tent of baby Jesus. You see that? Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations are not only showy, they can also be pious. Who says that religion and crass commercialism can not mix right?

Of course, Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations do not make the whole holiday by themselves. It is still important to get a good Christmas tree, and we have the best tree on the whole block. The tree that we use is massive, and covered top to bottom with lights. And you better believe that we put that tree right in the window where everyone out there can see just how cool it looks. Remember, the spirit of the holidays is about lights, about sparkles, about stars on top of decorated trees. If you do not get into the decorating, then what is the point? Animated Outdoor Christmas Decorations can give you the flair that says Christmas.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Bay window curtains

For most areas of home decoration and design, you can buy anything that you need premade. You can find shutters that fit your windows, you can find grills that fit your vent ducts, and you can probably find a door that fits your door frame. For some things, however, the ability to make your own can be a real asset. If you have bay windows, you probably know what I mean. Although you can find bay window curtains, they will not necessarily fit your particular decorating needs. Every bay window curtain should be custom made, because every bay window is different.

Even finding the right size of bay window curtain rods can be a problem. You see, there are so many different ways to hang a bay window curtain. Some bay windows can be treated as three separate windows. Therefore, each can have its own curtain. This solution, however, is not elegant. Without bay window draperies, it will look piecemeal. No matter how nice the curtains are,the harmony will be lost. Why have three separate curtains placed so closely together, when you can design one bay window drapery that will cover all three?

Even figuring out how to hang a bay window curtain can be difficult. You see, finding the correct size of curved curtain rods can be a problem. Some people don't even bother with curtain rods. They will hang their bay window curtain like a drape. One end hangs above the exterior corner of each of the side windows, and the center anchors in the middle of the central window. This is how I hung my bay window curtain in my last house. It was a pretty good solution too. You see, that window was facing directly into the morning sunlight. The thick drapery did a great job of blocking out the sun.

Of course, the fun part is picking out the fabric for the bay window curtain. I have always thought that the bay window curtain fabric was the most important part of the decoration anyway. You see, having bay windows up gives a really spacious feel to the room. With the right bay window curtain fabric, it can truly be spectacular. You should use something that highlights the sunniness and the openness of bay windows. If you have the right fabric, the design of the bay window curtain almost doesn't matter. The right color is much more important than the correct design.

Antique christmas decoration

Antique christmas decoration

Walking through our local antique store several years ago, I came upon the most exquisite antique Christmas decoration that I had ever seen. I frequent antique stores fairly often, usually just for browsing. Every once in a while something catches my eye that I absolutely must have. This antique Christmas decoration was one of those items. The cost for this antique Christmas decoration was only $20 and I scooped the tiny angel up and proudly took her home. After I cleaned her up somewhat, very delicately, it revealed a tiny angel sitting on top of a gold ornament with elegant filigree surrounding it. I assumed that there had once been a small bell inside of the ornament but that had long since been lost. After doing a bit of research, I discovered that she most likely dated back to the early 1900's. I was enthralled. She was gently placed on top of our family Christmas tree when the time came.

Often times, treasures such as the antique Christmas decoration that I found can be found in antique stores or at auctions. I've even found some simple treasures at flea markets. You simply have to have patience and a keen eye for them. Of course, everyone sees something different in antiques. What I find to be breathtaking, someone else may find to be appalling. It is all in the eyes of the beholder. But, I knew that I had found something very special in my angel antique Christmas decoration. After doing more research, I found that it was valued at approximately $150. Not only had I been lucky enough to find such an antique Christmas decoration, but I had gotten a real bargain on it as well.

The reason that I am drawn to antique Christmas decorations is because of the elegance of the years gone by. More time and elegance was placed on holiday décor many years ago. People took the time to make decorations by hand and make each one differently. Today, decorations are produced in factories and many households across the world have the exact same decorations. Previous time periods didn't have the luxury of factories. Everything was different and made with care. When things were made in that manner, the elegance was always obvious. It still is. With the antique Christmas decoration that I'd managed to find, you could tell that someone had put quite a bit of time and energy into making it. The etchings were perfect and the sense was that someone had put quite a bit of time into creating it. When finding such a treasured antique Christmas decoration, it is almost as if you are keeping that time period and that creator alive in a sense. The memories and the story of that antique Christmas decoration
continue to live on when it is seen at the top of my family's Christmas tree. Take some time to walk through an antique store. See if anything catches your attention. Perhaps you will be fortunate enough to find an antique Christmas decoration like I did. Or something even better.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Christmas decorations

My husband hates when I ask him to drag out the Christmas decorations every year. It continually is a fiasco because we never store them correctly or in an organized way, and they are never in a convenient place. The Christmas decorations generally end up behind all of the summer items that were brought into the basement from outside, so I usually have to set aside an entire day for him to drag everything up to the main floor.

I love Christmas decorations, which doesn’t help the situation. We have boxes and boxes full, and we’ve only had our own place to decorate for about four years. I really don’t know where all of our decorations came from but I love all of them. I know we inherited some of my grandmother’s Christmas decorations, which of course are my most cherished. They may not be the most beautiful Christmas decorations, but they hold special meaning and many childhood memories so they are displayed most prominently. Then there are the decorations that my mother purchased for us, or that his mother purchased, or even that friends and extended family purchased. We have a huge amount of Christmas decorations, but they are always tastefully displayed.

Now, my mother in law’s house looks like Santa threw up in it every time Christmas rolls around. She is a total craft nut, so she has countless Christmas decorations that are just scattered everywhere around the house. And I mean everywhere. I don’t think there is one inch in that house that is not covered in red, green or gold during the holiday season. There are knitted tissue box covers, toilet seat covers, wall hangings, quilts; you name it and it is there. So many Christmas decorations that you can’t even distinguish where one ends and where another begins. But she loves them, so I suppose that is all that matters.

Then there is my family. Hardly any decorations because they clutter the house, and they even started using an artificial tree the past few years. There are a few poinsettias, a few spatterings of gold bows and green wreaths but nowhere near the explosion of my mother in laws home. I am now seeing that the home my husband and I have created is certainly a mixture of both of our backgrounds, melding into the perfect display of Christmas decorations. I don’t think we’d have it any other way.

Christmas decor

Christmas décor

As much as I love the holiday season and adore looking at all of the Christmas décor that decorates the neighborhoods, I dread the actual chore of decorating. There are many people out there that enjoy coming up with Christmas décor and taking the time to perfect it. My life is entirely too hectic with raising children and working full-time, to find the extra time to get all of my decorating done.

I have often watched my neighbors organizing their own Christmas décor and secretly wished that I could entice them into decorating my house as well. I see the mall stores and their lovely Christmas décor and I wish that I could just purchase all of it in all of its perfectly glory. A co-worker of mine was bragging about how gorgeous her house was last year for Christmas. I decided to drive past it one evening and my jaw dropped. The Christmas décor at her house amazed me. Her entire yard and house was beautifully lit but tiny little white lights and they all were perfectly hung and organized. There was not a single bulb that wasn't glowing and out of place. I was incredibly impressed and told her as much the next day. I jokingly asked her if she and her husband wanted to be in charge of my Christmas décor as well. She laughed and told me that her house had been professionally decorated. I had never even heard of such a thing. She wrote down a website for me to check out but asked me to keep it between us.
She obviously wanted people to believe that she and her husband had been responsible for the decorating.

I sat down in my office and immediately checked out the website - www.christmasdecor.net. To my amazement, it is a decorating company that will come to your home or place of business and let their Christmas décor ideas take over. Within hours, their little elves can have your house or business looking like something from a movie. I had honestly never known that such a company existed. I couldn't help but wonder how much it would cost, but their packages sounded wonderful. Not only would they put up the decorations, but they would take it all down for you as well. That meant that I would no longer have to struggle with untangling the lights and checking them all before hanging them. I wouldn't have my kids tripping over extension cords while I tried desperately to get all of my Christmas décor placed during their naptimes. So many problems and hassles would be eliminated and my house would look spectacular for the holidays. At that point, I knew that as long as the prices were reasonable, I was going to go for it. I would spent my holiday season enjoying my Christmas décor, not stressing over it.