My Maison: 2012-02-26

Friday, March 2, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Sorry it has been a while, but unfortunately I haven't been feeling well ...aaand I've been traveling for the holidays! It is so nice to finally be home for Christmas and I cannot wait to spend the next few days surrounded with friends and family. I'm posting a few of my own personal photos from throughout this joyous season that I hope you will all enjoy...

My Christmas tree!

I LOOOOVE wrapping presents! Gives you a chance to be fun, unique and creative...whether its the paper, the ribbon, or the name tags! I try to do a different color scheme every year and this year I did a lot of black, red, and white...with a touch of green! ;)

My DIY table setting I created ...looks beautiful and works great on any budget! Take a large translucent snow flake (I found mine at the Dollar Store actually!), place a smaller translucent plate on it and decorate it as you wish. I put snowflake ornaments on my plates to reflect the larger one underneath the plate, and then adorned the center of my table with a wreath and a large vase filled with different colored ornaments and a candle! Try it for yourself...I would love to see what you come up with!!!

Another fun tradition is the annual Christmas card...would have loved to do something a bit more creative this year but just did not have the time! Maybe next year! ;)

MMMmmmMMMmmmmmmMmmm....nothing better than joining friends and loved ones around the kitchen and filling your home with the smell of fresh baked Christmas cookies! This is our family's very own recipe of delicious home made sugar cookies and home made frosting too (the favorite part for a few of my friends). Us girls got together one night and had such a great time making these delicious cut outs and decorating them...that is unless we ate them first! ;)

My family and I took a day to enjoy all of the beautiful lights, decorations, and holiday festivities happening in the city. I LOVE Chicago...especially during this time of year! I miss it sooo much...haven't been there since I moved away to sunny Florida. We enjoyed the day by taking in the lights and sounds along Michigan avenue, Christkindlmarket, Millenium Park, and the beautiful store front windows of Macy's. Oh, and we couldn't leave out that nice warm cup of hot chocolate and a delicious dinner!!! :)

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays...

During this hectic holiday season, this well known Christmas carol becomes especially apparent in my life. I live across the country from my family and know that without a doubt there is nowhere else I would rather be for Christmas than home. As I search back at distant memories of Christmas pasts it is not the gifts that stand out but the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that filled my family's home. Love and laughter fill the air, a delicious meal is spread over the table, and the Christmas tree's lights sparkle as carols quietly play in the background. These familiar senses are what sparked my idea to search high and low for these amazing photos of homes during the holidays. An interior designer (or yourself, if you prefer DIY projects) can help you put a special twist, unique to your own family’s style, on decorating your home for this upcoming holiday season. As you can see below, whether you are spending it at a lodge high in the mountains, in a skyscraper in the city, or at a bungalow on the beach...there is always room for a beloved Christmas tree.