Happy Holidays and A Blog Break

I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and 

a big thank you to each and every one of you for following my blog.

Happy Holidays


I'll be taking a blog break, so Happy New Year too.

See ya next year.

Christmas Decor 2015

  This year's front door wreath is a simple boxwood wreath with some plaid ribbon.  

 It really stands out on our newly painted door.

Simple Boxwood Wreath

Our tree seems to have found its forever location in the foyer.  We've moved it around the house to several other locations, but we like it here best.

Welcome

I know I said I prefer gold tones, but I wanted to use what I had on hand 

so we're all about silver and mercury glass on this tree.

Silver and Mercury Glass Tree

In lieu of a tree skirt, I mixed my disco balls with my mercury glass orbs and 

tucked them under the tree branches.

My Tree Skirt Alternative--Disco Balls and Mercury Glass Orbs

I even have some mini disco ball ornaments.

What's a post without a dog photo bomb.

Sweet Bella

You know that I've had a vintage shop for more years than I care to share.  Each holiday I always have a selection of ornaments for sale.  Of course I always put some aside for myself.   This year's tree is filled with years of ornament collecting.  

Happy Holidays

To see last year's tree all decked out in plaid go here

2014 Tree

My Houndstooth Tree

Well, it's really not a tree, just a hint of one.  You see we had no tree in our family room so I cut one out of paper and added garland.  I hammered straight pins into the wall  to support the garland, then I suspended mini ornaments from the garland.  The mini sunburst mirror was a tree topper.  I just unscrewed the spring that went on the top of the tree and voila---I had a mirror/tree topper.

Family Room Mantel with Houndstooth Tree

The ibex has been there and had to stay since there's a large hole in the wall to support him.  The french print also had to stay since it's covering another huge hole where I used to hang my ram's head.   I tied it all together with some garland that starts on the print, continues around the ibex's ribbon scarf and onto the tree.

Ibex Wrapped in Garland and Ribbon

Profile of Ibex

  I put a lantern, a sphere, and some books into the orange tray I usually have on my patio.  The lanterns were for sale at the store, but no one purchased them, so they became mine.  The color is perfect for this room.  Sometimes the best things are purchases that don't sell.  

The sunburst mirror moved over to make room for the tree.   

Lantern and Sunburst Mirror

I used books as risers and put fresh magnolia and ornaments from a previous year's tree inside the lantern.

These have to be my favorite ornaments.  The fringed ones were purchased at Old Navy many years ago and that same year I found the wooden ones at West Elm.

Love my sparkly sphere.

I filled my Chinoiserie planter with gifts and magnolia.

Chinoiserie Planter in Front of My Fireplace

The felt ribbon and the felt poppies and snowflakes were also purchased several years ago from Anthropologie.

Gift Boxes with Felt Ribbon and Ornaments

Are you ready to try a faux tree?  All you need to do is cut some wrapping paper into a triangle.

I liked this idea so much that I did the same for the store holiday display.   I used plain white paper and made polka dots with the end of a foam roller dipped into gold paint.

Polka Dot Paper Tree

Velvet

I have this bolt of green velvet fabric that's been propped up in the corner of my guest room/sewing room/office forever.  At first I was going to use it to cover a chair, then it sounded even better to use it on a pair of benches, and now I'm saving it for the seat of a day bed.   

Let's face it, I'm emotionally attached to a bolt of green velvet.  

Here's my bolt.  Isn't it the perfect green?

This is my Pinterest inspiration for the day bed.  I actually have a pair of Chinoiserie twin bed footboards that I'm going to join to create the day bed.

Source

There's not nearly enough fabric to do a full-sized sofa but here are some of my favorite velvets.

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Atlanta Homes

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So, are you obsessed with velvet?
To see more, go to my Pinterest Board Velvet.

Reds and Yellows in My Fall Garden

This summer we had to remove a large Bradford Pear that shaded our front yard for many years.  I've been working on my new full sun garden and I still need to do some tweaking, but it's coming along.   All summer I have yellows and blues accenting the green in the landscaping.  In the fall though the garden is transformed when many of my green shrubs decide to change to their new red wardrobe.  Here's a peek into my evolving landscaping.

I re-used  as many of my original plants as I could.   My big purchase was a large Dragon's Eye Pine that is the focal point in the garden.  Its needles are yellow all year long.  I added a low curved wall and tucked a dry bed with bluestone into its curve for my lady statuary.   

New Landscaping

This is a better look at my Dragon's Eye Pine

My New View From the Front Porch

My Fire Power Nandia changed from green to red once the weather cooled.  I use the Nandia in the summer for bouquets and in the winter I tuck it into my holiday wreaths for a pop of color.

Fire Power Nandina and Festuca on My Garden Wall

I love the contrast of the yellow and red.

Red and Yellow Color Combo

Another View of the Low Wall

Bluestone Dry Bed

My Japanese Maple has always been part of the landscaping.  I was worried that it wouldn't adjust to the change from shade to full sun, but it survived and became a deeper red.  It will eventually lose all it's leaves and be a gnarled mound of branches in the winter.  I added a slate walkway between the wall and the Japanese Maple.  It's my new shortcut from the back yard.

Japanese Maple and New Slate Path

The Pieris have grown along my driveway for many years.
 They have lovely white flowers in the spring and cascading red tendrils in the fall.

Pieris Along My Driveway

This is the bed where the pear tree used to be located.  It's on the opposite side of the sidewalk. 

 I added a small low wall.  My buddha is resting under another Nandina.  I've had the large pagoda for many years.  It just changed its location.  I'm not sure if I like it there or not.  

The landscaping is still a work in progress that will have to wait until spring.

If you'd like to see my front garden before the Bradford Pear was removed, go here.

Santos and Sparkle. Plaid, Paper Trees, and Peacocks. It's Our Holiday Open House!

It's time to get an early start on your holiday decor.   I just finished decorating my space for Christmas before I even put my Halloween candy in the bowl for the trick-or-treaters.  I'm hoping that my pics will put you in the holiday mood and you'll come shop with us.

SWEET CLOVER HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Nov. 5-8

10-5 each day

For some reason, after years of a love affair with silver and mercury glass, I've developed a fondness for gold.  You'll see my new favorite metal in my holiday decor.  

Santos, Gold, and  Peacock Feathers

Peacock Wrapping Paper as a Back Drop for My Holiday Display 

I wanted a way to display a selection of my ornaments, so I cut a triangle from the peacock wrapping paper I used as a back drop.  On the blank reverse side I randomly painted gold polka dots with the end of a foam paint roller dipped into gold craft paint.   I added some screws down the sides of the "tree" and  zigzagged from one side to the other with gold garland.

Gold Polka Dot "Tree"

Besides the glass jars, I used a large rectangular metal basket to hold the ornament overflow.
I lined it with gold-trimmed napkins and leopard ribbon.

Metal Tray Filled With Ornaments

I used a chippendale planter from my garden as a tree stand for my feather tree.

Feather Tree in a Planter from My Garden

Feather Tree Close Up

Santos With Crown and Wreath Necklace

Vintage Bottle Brush Wreath

 If you recall, last year I did my whole space in plaid. 

 It still seems to be very popular so I included some tartan again.

I hope to see you this weekend.
I'll be working Friday.

Please visit our Sweet Clover FB page for more pics of what we'll have.