MY HOLIDAY TREES

I've been thinking about my holiday decor.  I decided to reminisce a bit by viewing all my holiday trees on my blog posts from 2012 to the present.  Each year I seem to do something different.   

 I just had to share.  If you'd like to see the full post for any of the images, click on the image or the caption to be directed there.

2020  MY CHINOISERIE TREE

In 2019 I decorated a stair garland instead of a tree.

2019  ALL YOU NEED IS A GARLAND

 This 2018 tree is my favorite.

2018  MY KATE SPADE INSPIRED TREE

This image became our 2017 holiday card.

2017  MY FLORENTINE HOLIDAY TREE

2016 FUR, FEATHERS AND PEARLS

In 2015 I used my disco balls and silver spheres as a tree skirt.  I never put them away after the holiday.  They've been rolling around the house since then.

2015 DISCO BALL TREE SKIRT AND SILVER

You know that I don't like red.  This is the only time I had a red tree.  I think it was because I loved these plaid suitcases and just had to do it.

2014 PAISLEY AND PLAID HOLIDAY

In 2013 some peacock feathers were my inspiration.

2013 PEACOCK FEATHER INSPIRATION

It was all about leopard prints and coppery ornaments in 2012.

2012 LEOPARD PRINTS AND COPPER

Do you have a favorite?

I'm not sure what I'll do this year.  I just wanted to mention again that if you're interested in seeing the full post , click on the image or caption and you'll be directed there.

Fur, Feathers, and Pearls For Our 2016 Christmas Tree

You may not know this about me, but I'm quite Scroogey about the holidays.  It's not that I don't enjoy the decorating, it's just that I dread taking it all down, packing it away, and finding a place to store it all until next year.  I felt especially lazy this season.  I decided not to decorate the mantels or any other space in the house.  The tree and a fresh wreath on the front door were my holiday concession.

We found a beautiful tree.  I convinced myself that it was so shapely that all it needed was some lights and a draped pearl garland.  My ulterior motive of course was that the less I put on the tree the less I had to remove.  Well, I thought it looked lovely in a minimalistic way.  Unfortunately, anyone who stopped by asked me when I was going to finish decorating the tree.  My sister even offered to help me decorate it! 

 I caved and added some feather wreaths, a section of fur fabric as a tree skirt, and a few ornaments.  The other difference is that I normally photograph our tree in daylight.   I decided to give it a try at night.  I like the shadows and contrasts that the darkness creates.

Our tree with fur, feathers, and pearls.

  

Tree reflected in my mirror on the stairway.

View of the other side of the tree.

Faux fur tree skirt from my fabric stash.

The jester moves when you pull the cord.  Love bubble lights.

Mini Feather Wreath

Pearl Garland

This was our first try with bubble lights.

Gold Tear Drop Ornament

I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season.

To see last year's tree, go here.

Last Year's Tree

Fall in the Family Room

I know I've said this before, but the only time I like my family room mantel is in the Fall when its color complements the earth tones of the season.  One day when I have a long stretch of time on my hands, I'm going to dry brush the wood in that room.  Besides the mantel, there are door frames, doors, window frames, wainscoting, and beams, all stained a murky brown.

I added pops of orange and gold to the mantel for my Fall decor.   

Looking into the Family Room From the Foyer

Mantel Top

Inverted Stag Urn with Antlers

Golden Ibex

Metal Sea Urchin on Stack of Hermes Scarf Boxes

Fabric-Covered Cork Board

Upright Stag Urn

Have you made some seasonal changes?

I'm really welcoming the cooler weather.

My Fall Mantel

If you've been following you know that I'm part of a blog hop and that the last four participants are sharing their Thanksgiving Vignettes today.  I'm in this last group and I'd say mine is more Fall decor than Thanksgiving.
 But hey, Thanksgiving is in the Fall.
 Sherry from No Minimalist Here is hosting the hop.
Kudos and a big thank you to Sherry for organizing it all and making it work.

If you missed Blog Hop Part 1 go here.
To see links to Blog Hop Part 2 go here.

I decided to share my Fall mantel for the "Hop".
This Fall my mantel is very sparse.  The layers upon layers are missing; but I don't miss them.

Family Fall Mantel

The golden ibex directed the mantel design.

On the left side of the mantel is a resin turtle shell on a pedestal.  I lightly rubbed it with some gold gilding wax to add some interest and depth to the textured shell mold and to repeat the gold tones.
The matted and framed print is of French decorative painting from the 16-18th centuries.

There are more gold tone repeats in the sunburst mirror.  Below the mirror is an Hermes box.

On the edge of the mantel is a glass jar, belted equestrian style. 

 The framed Versace poster touches the mantel edge and drops above a Draper dresser.

I filled the belted jar with feathers, seed pods, and zebra grass.

I love the curling seed pods and the way the zebra grass sprinkles some color into the arrangement

 and stretches across and reflects into the mirror.

I've already shared the poster, the Hermes scarf boxes, and the bejeweled demijohn.

They really complete that side of the room so they made it into the blog for a repeat performance

If you haven't noticed, I'm really into spikey spheres.

What have you done for Fall decor?

Kathy

Make sure to visit my fellow Friday participants.
Follow these links to see their Thanksgiving vignettes.

 Miss Kopy Kat, 

Miss Kopy Kat

21 Rosemary Lane, 

A Thankful Tradition at 21 Rosemary Lane

and 
A Stroll Thru Life 

Dining and Living Room at A Stroll Thru Life

My Fall Mantel

I can't believe it's Fall already.  I thought I'd do a quick mantel change up to get with the season. 

 All summer my mantel looked like this.

I decided that I liked the grates as a back drop but would remove the topiaries.  I had a grouping of four architectural prints on a bedroom wall in the upstairs hallway.  The brown undertones were perfect for the season.
So in my typical change up fashion I ripped them off the wall and plopped them onto the mantel.  Plopping and propping are good--no nail holes involved.

I added my velvet pumpkins from last year--a lovely gift from a reader--some antlers here and there--- and some seed pods and feathers in a vase with books as risers.

Here are some  close-ups of the Fall mantel.

Alongside the mantel I have an arrangement in a jar that I created previously and wanted to use again.

What have you done to get ready for Fall?

Kathy


To see last year's Fall mantel go here.

To learn how I created the mix in the jar go here.

To learn more about the seed pods go here.

To see why I've never met an iron grate I couldn't use somewhere go here.