Christmas Cheer in July

Be merry all, be merry all,

With holly dress the festive hall;

Prepare the song, the feast, the ball,

To welcome merry Christmas.

~William Robert Spencer

rooms & walls were built inside a large showroom for our product showcase
-- the created 'rooms' didn't have ceilings, unless they were built for lighting purposes.
The Door Mat is from Target.

There is something about looking at Christmas pictures, ornaments in the store and football on the TV that causes the temperature to drop 15 degrees . . . or is that just me?   I ran to Hobby Lobby today to pick up some materials for our next Flower Power Happy Hour and made a point to avoid the Christmas section.  I can't bring myself to do it . . . it will be here soon enough.  

Willow Sprig Centerpiece hung as a lantern with our Simone Double Old-Fashioned as candle holders.

I can't resist sharing these (So Darn Creative) Pictures taken at the Willow House Annual Meeting (we affectionately call WHAM!) -- our creative team is the best!  They always surprise us with clever decorating ideas, and it is one of my favorite get-togethers of the year!

Turquoise door (Benjamin Moore - Baltimore Sky 760)

Our French Wire 3-Tier Stand created a Snowman Wreath - by separating the tiers.  

Boxwood garland was wired onto the tiers to form wreaths, 

and metal Bows, from our Berry & Bow Door Buckets (see mantel) adorn each one. 

These Holiday Door Buckets are adorable metal stockings -- so cute adorning a picket fence!

I'll limit this post to just a few Christmas highlights -- to bring all our temperatures down a few degrees (yes, even as we watch the Olympic Athletes sweat up a storm! 

Is the fake snow making you feel cooler?  I think it is time for a frozen margarita, or at least a snow-cone :) How about it I start reciting The Night Before Christmas . . . 'The stockings were hung . . . '

Shingle Paint Color - Benjamin Moore - Louisburg Green HC-113.

If I could have . . . I would of packed Mr.Snow in my suitcase!  Isn't he adorable?  

Mr. Snow (my affectionate name for him) is made from 3 sizes of glittery plastic ornaments glued
to 3 different sizes of Styrofoam balls.  His scarf if a satin ribbon with felt eyes and a paper cone nose.
He is resting nicely in our Odessa Planter.

Our Odessa Angel gracefully joins our Jackson Square Mirror (with boxwood star wreath),
Lady Jane Bottleneck Vase (large) and Wireweave Baskets with an assortment of turquoise ornaments.

Coronado Stone Planters are shown on the lower level with hydrangea blooms & berry picks.
Two Montcrest Adjustable Hurricanes adorned with ribbon stand at attention like nutcrackers.

Come into my Favorite Christmas Room!

Do you also LOVE all the color?

Red Rug:  Crate & Barrel.  Large Red Ornaments are from Hobby Lobby.
Slip covered Chair from IKEA and the trees are handmade - covered in fabric!

Very striking, yet easy to duplicate - right?  

Wall Color:  Benjamin Moore - Dune Grass 482
Mantel Painted: Benjamin Moore - Northern Cliffs 1536

Even with a 'fake fire' you'll want to show off your Cordova Firescreen :)

I adore the fabric covered trees -- I am already looking at our tree's many branches 

and thinking which one will make the best colorful tree for the game room . . . 

I suppose they could be wire & paper mache and not real branches underneath.

Mental Note:  Solid Bright Colored Wrapping Paper for Christmas this year!

The wall above the mantel is an instant attention grabber!

Three Portico Accent Plates with our Holiday Hanging Trio - each accented with red satin ribbon.

These bold pieces look striking together as a grouping!

11x14" frames filled with solid paper, looks like they added a little Rub'n Buff to the frame.

The Door Buckets are hanging from our Fireside Stocking Hangers, and our

Athena Crackle Vase is dressed up with Kermit Mums (thriller), 

Oversized Lollipops & Candy Canes (filler) and Green Berry Picks (spiller)

Remember the Berry & Bow Door Buckets that donated their metal bows to the front door's snowman?  Here they are . . . filled with tulips, carnations and kermit / button mums (so pretty!)  

I'm rethinking when I will actually 'hang' our Christmas Stockings now.  

I think I will hold them until Christmas Eve, and hang door buckets as a placeholder for them this year.

If Santa does make it down the faux chimney, he'll have some delicious sweet treats waiting for him.

The Wirework Treasure Box Ornament comes in an assortment of 3, with $2 from each set sold going towards CUT IT OUT, an organization dedicated to helping battered women escape abuse and rebuild a better life for themselves and their families.  We are PROUD to support CUT IT OUT!

Cordova Nesting Table topped with two of our Riverstone Platters and Harmony Tea Cups.

Off to the next 'room' -- a little Christmas breakfast nook!

Doesn't our Athena Crackle Vase make a perfect lamp base?  

See my facebook album for How To.

Teal Table from Nadeau Furniture.
Walls are painted:  Benjamin Moore - Smoke Embers 1466

Our Odessa Angel appears again - this time dressed up with a Pink Paper Cone for an 

added PoP of color, she is resting on our Jackson Square Pedestal next to our 

Belle Meade Entertaining Stand, Tuscan Accent Plates & Maribel Clock.  

The Zella Notice Boards are the perfect spot to display cards & holiday wishes.

I am in love with the Tinsel Tree (hobby lobby) tucked in our Lady Jane Vase, Small.

The tinsel tree is adorned with some of our large and small Prism Glass Ornaments.

Chevron Table Lines (Love these!) are from Smith Variety Store in Birmingham, AL
(wonder if they ship?)

Also shown on this colorful table ::: Adair Ruffled Glass Cake Stand, Simone Highballs, Amelia Thimble Domes, Piedmont Votive Caddy, Riverstone Tapas Platters, and Adelaide Flatware.

Lastly the dining chairs were adorned with our Avalon Accent Trees 

holding fresh flowers and silver tinsel for extra sparkle!

Silver Chairs are Custom Made -- cute, especially with the pink linen seat!!

I hope you enjoyed this Cheerful Christmas in July tour.

Is it making you rethink what color palette you use to decorate for Christmas?

It is, most definitely, for me!

I am Joining Cowgirl Up's Christmas In July

and Linking Up too!

Welcome to our HumbleNest

Greetings!  Welcome to my NEW Blog.  I am excited you came by and I hope to inspire you, and challenge myself, to create a feeling of welcome, comfort and beauty in our homes.    Springtime is the season of year when I feel the endless possibilities of life -- when the earth seems to burst at the seams with hope and renewal.  Yellow daffodils dance their welcome . . . dormant trees dress up in fragrant blossoms of whites, pinks and purples . . . and Mother Nature seems to say "rise and shine!"
Is it any wonder that we want to refresh our homes, gardens and yes, even our wardrobes? 

Your entrances, especially your most frequented front entrance, should speak to your family, friends and all guests who happen upon it.  It should say, "Welcome, come right in.  Make yourself at home."

Your entryway is your opportunity to make a first and lasting impression.  Here are a few ways to create a warm welcome, and a few ideas I am challenging myself to take on.

☼ Redecorate your doors to reflect the season. It is easy to ignore your front door if you don't see it everyday.  Entering and exiting our homes through our mudrooms & garage doors leaves little exposure to what our guests might see upon visiting.   It is easy for me to leave my boxwood wreath up year-round with little additional decoration.  In fact that wreath has called our front door home for 5 years (Yikes!) -- I do take it down and hose it off several times a year -- it is a pollen and dust magnet and birds have been know to try to build a nest within it.   I bought it from Frontgate.com and though I don't remember exactly what I paid for it, I remember debating it for sometime -- well worth it, considering how well it has held up given the abuse it takes! 

The quickest way to add a touch of SPRING to our door with a bit of personalization was to add to the existing wreath. 

Here I added a wired candle ring, topped with a wooden initial, to a metal wall medallion suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Super Simple for Spring!

This medallion is also perfect as a narrow profile (between front & storm doors) door decoration, sans wreath (it needs a break, am I right?) and my wheels are spinning with different ways to decorate it for a quick seasonal change.













☼ Anchor your entryway with urns, planters or topiaries.
We are fortunate to have azaleas filling our front flower beds in the spring. With such a bright display of color in our yard, our front steps can look downright dowdy.   A few planters filled with color are just the prescription to bring life to our entrance.

Source

☼Brighten your door with a 'door bucket' to for styling seasonal flowers with ease.

Willow House's small Avalon Accent Tree becomes a welcoming door bucket for Spring. Wrapped in a large cabbage leaf, a burlap bow and accented with a simple bouquet using an assortment of bright faux flowers of various sizes.

For more FUN uses for the Avalon Accent Trees, see my previous blog post here.

For Easter, offer Peter Cottontail the biggest carrot!
 

Here the large Avalon Accent Tree is decked out for a 'Hoppy Easter'. Stuffed with orange crepe paper, a touch of floral foam holds a faux asparagus fern in place as the 'carrot' top and a moss bunny on a stick hops on top. Add some ric-rack streamers (as carrot roots) & a Must Have Mini Marker to greet guests and bunnies at the door.

Bright and colorful -- even without renewing my front door with a fresh coat of paint.  I like it!

~

I'm Linking UP with Rhoda's Southern Hospitality Spring Fling Door Decor Party -- hope you come join us!

Psst . . . I haven't blogged for 'a bit' but will admit to being a regular follower, crafter and lover of things imperfectly beautiful! You can find my previous blogs & posts here and here.    Thank YOU so much for stopping by -- and I would love to hear from you!