Hard Candy Christmas in the Kitchen

Hi sweet friends!  Yes, this is really happening!  I actually decorated the kitchen for Christmas today.  If you follow my FB page you know that I have been struggling with getting in the mood.  Today I was touch by the spirit, and decided it was time.

So without a lot of chit chat because honestly, I'm a bit tired now.  Let's just jump right in and let me share my "Hard Candy" kitchen with you.

I'm calling it a Hard Candy Christmas because my kitchen is always decorated with a candy theme.  I love the candy and gingerbread look for kitchens.  It's just so warm and inviting as all kitchens usually are.

I started with my very thin pencil style Christmas tree and moved right on to the chandelier.  Did I mention I also have a thing for elves in the kitchen?

Next, I worked on my shelves.  They are so fun and I am enjoying changing them out regularly.  I've got it set up pretty good but I've got a bit of tweaking to do.  I need to paint the wood block for the background of my embroidered sign (it's going to be black) and I want to find a cute little mini candy type Christmas tree to replace the plain little tree beside Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  I think they need their own miniature Candy tree as well!

Next I worked on spreading out a few of festive servicing pieces and positioning my baking Santa's around as well.

I had to set up an area to display more dishtowels.  Oh mercy, do I ever have so many embroidered decorative dishtowels!  I don't have my newest ones down from the sewing room yet, but don't worry they will make their  way in the kitchen soon.

My newest addition to the kitchen is the adorable shabby framed chalkboard.  I actually just picked this up recently on clearance at Kirklands and new exactly where I wanted to use it.  I did'nt want to do the chalky scene for Christmas though I really wanted to just use it to hang a wreath on.  I already had this wreath and was quite pleased to see it actually is sized just right.  I was trying to figure out what to do with my adorable measuring spoons to display them when it hit me they would look so cute here on the wreath.  Love it!  I may add a few gingerbreads or other baking items to the wreath, or maybe not, still debating that one.

After it was all done, I vacumed and mopped the floors.  What an enjoyable day to listening to Christmas music on Pandora, smelling my melted candles and now wrapping up the evening with homecooked Chili from the hubby.  Whew!  I'm tired, but my kitchen is all decorated now and it's all clean too.  Now that's not really the true meaning of a hard candy Christmas is it?  I know, so maybe I'll rename it my Sweets for my Sweets Christmas kitchen.  LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and wishing you the spirit of Christmas soon!

Hugs and Waves!

Mary

Silver and Gold Christmas Dining Room

Were in full celebration mode here at The Decorative Dreamers house, how about you?  We've already started the celebrations at our house last Saturday after hosting Christmas for my husbands side of the family.  It was so nice to be able to see everyone and to have been able to do so without being stressed from work this year.   I love working retail and I do miss working, but I have to say that it has really been a blessing time of year.   I have been able to slow it down and focus on the little things and that has meant quite a lot to me and to my husband as well.  He always takes the week before Christmas off and is thrilled to have me home with him this year.  He also has always been one of my most treasured blessings!

Mermaids in the Christmas tree

Good Monday morning!  All my Christmas decorating is finished.  Woohoo!  So, now it's time to share.  I've got so much to show and will try to keep sharing more as much as time permits.  Already we have celebrations coming up to prepare for...so...you know how that goes, and know what I mean right?

One thing you may not know about me is that I absolutely LOVE mermaids!  I am not sure when this actually started but I just adore them!  There is something so fun about the thought of them for me.  I like them so much I started a playful Mermaid theme on my screen porch that all started with a sign I found call The Mermaid Lounge.  That's where the idea began and it's grown ever since.

Let's start off with the topper!  Because my Christmas tree is on the screened porch (aka The Mermaid Lounge) I went with a nautical theme.  Since we are a nautical family this tree makes us really happy!  I found these blue balls on stems at Michaels a few years ago and knew they would make a perfect topper.  They look like bubbles to me.  I also found the silver and teal leafy stems that reminded me of seaweed and it all came together very easily after that.  

I have had so much fun creating this tree and continue to do so every year.  I started collecting more pieces on my summer vacations to add to this tree.  It's amazing how easy it is to come across nautical tree decor while on vacation.  Not to mention it's starting to be very enjoyable to look back at a few of the ornaments now and remember the vacation as well. 

I especially love that friends also enjoy my tree.   The sailboat in the bottle was given to me from a sweet friend last year.  Isn't it adorable, I just love it!!!

This ornament is new, added from our beach trip to Edisto this summer.  Edisto is one of those beaches we used to frequent quite a bit but haven't been back to in some time.  We had such a fun time there this year and I was tickled to death when I found this ornament with Mermaids no less.



This year I also added a few new items.  I came across these adorable fish from Carolina Pottery and added new jute ribbon that I got from Michaels at the after Christmas sales last year. It's a white jute with flecks of gold in it.  I felt like the ribbon had a ropey kind of look that fit the theme well.

As you can see I have lots of nautical ornaments I could highlight.  They are not always so easy to come by so when I do see them I tend to pick them right up.  For this post though, I decided to zoom in on the Mermaids for your enjoyment.  These are just a few more of my favorites also from previous beach trips to Pawleys Island and Litchfield.  

Last but not least, is my newest Mermaid purchased at the Atlanta Market this year while there with work.  She is a handmade ornament for Peru, complete with a precious pearl.  Isn't she beautiful!

I think she's delightful!

Thank you so much for popping in today!

 I still haven't shared the dining room with you yet.  

I'll try to get that one out real soon, okay?  Ok!

Have a great day friends!

Mary

It's a Very Berry Christmas!

Hi Friends! Are you ready for Christmas yet? Hard to believe it's only in a few more weeks, isn't it?  We are nearly ready as far as the decorating goes this year, with the exception of a few final touches.  

This year I created a very berry look with using much of what I already had on hand, only using it in different ways.  Speaking of using things differently, once again I've created a whole new look on the mantle simply by swapping out a few things from the fall vignette and adding in a few new elements for Christmas.  To see the fall mantle, you may jump back by click HERE.    

And...Wallah!  Here's my Christmas mantle!  

What?  You want to see color?  Sorry!  I just couldn't resist playing around with Picasa's photo editing.  I just absolutely love seeing black and white photos this time of year.

For those of you who want to see a little color I've included a those as well.

Don't ask me how I did this, that's the first time I've seen this happen, but I love, love, love it!

Much of what I used here is a combination of what I already had on the mantle, like the wreath and the willow votive candle holders. I simply added berries to the wreath, changed out the garland and added the reindeer and additional candlesticks.

Also rather then having a large bow here in the center, I decided to bring back this clock to balance it all out.  I love that it is the perfect color too!

Before I show you the tree, I wanted to show you how I carried the berry theme a little more throughout the house.  In the guest half bath, I hung a berry candle ring on the small iron gate.  

The coffee table has a simple votive candle surrounded by berries on a tray.  I love all the layers here that keep it from looking puny on the table.

Okay, now on to the tree.  This year I am all about layers!

Although this is old school to many of you, I finally added a burlap ribbon to my tree this year.  I actually purchased the burlap last year but never got around to using it.  I brought back the willow garland that I used last year.  It looks great with the burlap and was the perfect addition with all the other garlands I used.

You heard me right friends, I said ALL the other garlands.  This year I added several strands of garland that I have never used on my tree before.  I had three long strands of berry garland shown here above that I have used on my stairway and mantle in years past.  I don't know why I have never thought of putting on the tree before, but I am so glad I thought of it this year.  I cannot tell you how much depth it gave the tree.  I guess this is just one of those tricks you learn over time, huh?  LOL!

The top of my tree got a new addition too.  I found this willow star at a thrift store this year and new it would be perfect on my tree.

I still wasn't ready to part with my copper star trio though, so I simply added them to the top as well.  Love the combination here!

More twigs and berries add to the overall effect for a very dramatic topper.

And that is how it all came together for a very berry Christmas!

I'll be back again to share my other trees with you soon.  I've made a few slight changes to the tree in the kitchen this year so you may want to pop back by again later, okay?

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

From our house to yours, 

Wishing all of you,

 a VERY BERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!