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

Faith in the Foyer

Hi Sweet Friends!  I can't think of a better way to welcome and greet family and friends for the holidays then with a little Faith, Hope and Love!   This sign has only been in my foyer above the mirror almost a year now.  It has so few words but says so much, and I absolutely love it!  

I have always displayed our manger scene in the dining room because I like to be able to look upon it while dining during Christmas.    However, this year I decided to display our manger in the foyer.  I felt like it would be so pretty in here with the new color.  The color is very ethereal to me so I felt like the manger scene totally fit this space this year.

The dictionary defines "ethereal" as; extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

Now doesn't that seem fitting for a manger scene when you think about the whole of it?  I think so!

I have enjoyed this starry globe for years now.  It was purchased from a Christmas Around the World home party many, many, years ago.  If you ever want me to go to a home party just host a Christmas themed one and I'm there!  I placed the globe on a Tyler Candle stand this year because I liked the color of the stand with the globe and of course those bling blingy crystals.  Gotta have my bling!  

Other then a few bits of bling though, I decided not to load this vignette down with too many objects so the focus would stay on the manger.   I used a teal runner that  I usually keep on the dining room table to give the manger some contrast from the wood.

The only additional items I added were the globe for the starry night effect and these small Christmas trees in various sizes which I kept unadorned.  I've used them before with this set and thought it was so simple and yet so sophisticated looking.  

I was given this set by a very dear friend of mine after I gushed over it one day while we were out shopping together.  It's from Kirklands and was an excellent price for the beauty of it yet I still didn't buy it because I have several old hand me down sets (both from my family and my husbands) and children's play sets.   I've never had a nicer set until she surprised me later with this one.  I just treasure it so much because it was such a thoughtful gift.  I am always so very thankful to have received this set and was especially thrilled when I came upon the stable at a thrift store one day too.  

I perched my angel up near the roof of the stable because she is definitely among those ethereal beings keeping watch over baby Jesus.    I do wish you could see the coloring's of the porcelain in person.  The color variations of the kings clothing are just so wonderful.  

Even the precious shepherd boys cloak and the animals colors are so pretty! 

I love this season so much and what a great time to show our love to the Lord to all and to also share his message that all are welcomed!

Thanks so much for stopping by again today.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Have a blessed day!!!

Mary

Christmas decorating in the den

Good Morning Friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I sure did and accomplished so much.  I still need to do my porch Christmas tree but everything else is done.  Today I'd like to share my Christmas decorating in the den because....

Christmas coffee table

Good Morning Friends!  How is your Christmas decorating going?  I have been going full swing since the week prior to Thanksgiving and I'm not done yet.  Yes, I know it's quite a lot but I have to say I am enjoying every moment of it.  Yesterday, I was able to do some of my most favorite type of decorating.  I love adding greenery, santas and ribbons all around the house and tweaking vignettes.  I probably enjoy doing this more then putting up the trees.  

Yesterday, I finalized a few tweaks on the coffee table vignette.

A few months back I went a little crazy over two sets of hurricane vases.  I found a set of solid glass Hurricane vases at Home Goods just after I had already ordered these two hurricane vases with grey wicker bases from Pier One online.  I was thinking one set might be returned but then after having them all home and seeing how I would use each set and thinking about the deal I got on both sets, I decided to keep them all.

I'm so glad I kept this set too, I absolutely love them!  I decided to add a combination of the new ribbons I used in the den on the tree with some of the twine I had already added to these vases for my fall decorating.  For this look I simply cut a few small strips of the cheetah and the plaid ribbons then cut points on each end and layered them and tied in onto the vase with the twine.  I then added the twine bow on top of the ribbons.  Love this look!

The next thing I decided to do was to add some filler.  I chose to use these fake snow flakes for a little winter time fluff and sparkle.  I still need to remove the wrapper on my red candles.  I usually wait to do this on scented candles until just before burning them so I don't loose too much of the scent prior to burning them.  Do any of you do the same?

The final tweak on this vignette came with adding greenery nestled in this ornament candy dish.  I knew I wanted to add some greenery to my vignette and decided I liked the look of this frosted ivy.  I didn't like the way it looked just wrapped around the bases and laying on the coffee table so I looked for something to put it in.  I had several baskets and vases I was going to use before I remembered this little candy dish.  This dish is one of my oldest and most favorite decor pieces and had a sweet little lid that looked like the top of an ornament.  Unfortunately I broke the lid the other day getting it down out of the cabinet.  I didn't have the heart to throw the base away so I set it aside.  I am so glad I did since I now have a new purpose for the dish.  No more peanut M&M's for it.  It still is just a pretty as ever though, don't you think?



Again, I have to apologize for the quality of these photos as I am still using my phone.  I spent a great deal of time last night trying to upload and download and edit photos on my chromebook which sends them into google pictures which I still can't figure out how to add text.  I tried sending them over to Picasa and was limited on what I could do there as well.  I am sure all of this is due to being on a Chromebook as opposed to a true laptop.  It really was very time consuming with downloading and uploading and finally I just decided this morning to stick with my phone for now to get me through holiday postings.  Soooo, I hope you don't mind!





The den tree and mantle are done as well and I will follow up with a post on them soon.  I love sharing seasonal decor and seeing all of yours as well.  I always see something someone shares and it inspires me not to duplicate exactly but to do something similar or sends me in a whole new direction of something to try in my own home.  That's what its all about and that's why I'm still here sharing with you too.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop in and take a peek today.  Maizey says Hello as well!

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Mary