November 28, 2012
With the loss of my father-in-law last week, I’m feeling a little behind heading out of Thanksgiving and into the Christmas season. As we process our grief I have busied myself with projects around the house. Oh, the therapy of good, hard, busy, creative work!
Moving into a new house has forced me to re-think holiday decorating and get creative in this different space, holding onto some old favorites while incorporating new ideas. Like most of us, I had fallen into default mode with our Christmas décor: tree in the same spot and garland on the mantle, I would deck the halls on autopilot. Our new house is older with lots of small rooms, and I’m excited for the challenge of bringing a touch of the season into each space.
This season, more than ever, my vision is to take a natural approach; lots of fresh greenery and plants, most of which I’ve pillaged from my own backyard. I’m not the crafty type of home decorator (no offense to the glue gun), but I rather take my clippers to the trees outside. In addition, I’ve been scoping out what’s available at nurseries and home stores to supplement what I have at home. Speaking of home, it’s been like an early Christmas for me to re-discover all my vases, baskets and candles after the move–ten years of stashing things in the attic adds up to quite the treasure hunt.
My plan is to use a mix of small evergreen trees, succulents, tillandsias (air plants) and candles in groupings throughout the house. I love combining different types of seasonal greens- they smell great and last a long time in a vase or pot. I’m not sure yet how it’s all going to turn out, but it’s been an energizing, therapeutic way to greet the season.
