Monday, December 17, 2018

Christmas 2018 Style

Ah Christmas...an excuse to deck the halls mantle and bring even more plants into the house...

Our festive decor is a little toned down this year, for no reason other than that's what I felt like putting together.

The potted blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') was pulled in to do Christmas tree duty. I briefly thought about buying a traditional cut tree, but instead went with the Charlie Brown shape of this guy.

As a bonus, it came in with several of its own ornaments in place.

I added just a few of my vintage shiny brite ornaments and tin icicles.

Other, more traditionally shaped, trees were added here and there.

And stems left over from the wreaths joined bits from the garden to fill small vases.

I made my own cheater version of kokedama by pulling the Adiantum venustum out of its 4" pot and shaping the root ball into an orb. Then I used pieces of moss I'd been collecting to cover it, holding them in place with clear plastic filament. The trick is remembering to water and mist them regularly. As long as I'm vigilant I think they'll look good until I decide to plant the ferns out in the spring.

Of course there are plenty of Tillandsia mixed in, and the rest of the decapitated succulents that didn't make it into the table centerpiece.

The lights are small battery operated ones on wire.

I do love the glow.

I store all my Christmasy things in an old steamer trunk in the basement. I couldn't find my Christmas tree cookie cutters (gingerbread trees are a tradition) so was digging into the depths when I found this old poinsettia pillowcase. I couldn't remember if my mom or my grandma was the talented stitcher so I shot off an email to mom. Her response "I've never seen it before"... ha! Not a family heirloom afterall but something I must have picked up at a thrift shop.

Over on the stereo cabinet there are more of the bottle-brush trees, joined by a few of Andrew's collection of Old World ornaments.

The odd silver breast-like things are actually glass bells.

That's a wrap on how Christmas 2018 is shaping up around here...

Weather Diary, Dec 16: Hi 52, Low 45/ Precip .30"

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

17 comments:

  1. I like the blue cedar as a Christmas tree this year, good choice. The pillowcase was a great find!

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    1. I just wish I could remember where I found it!

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  2. Can we recommend this to 'Better Homes and Gardens" Christmas issue?
    I always enjoy seeing your mental decoration post, impeccable style and great restraint in colors scheme. I hope your remember to water the maidenhair fern; it's looks wonderful atop that dish.

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  3. Well done! I love how well your holiday decorations embellish the colors in your house. The pillowcase is wonderful too. Seeing your fireplace mantle makes me miss having a living room mantle in this house. Christmas decorations are banned from our bedroom so I can't decorate the mantle there (a concession to my resident Scrooge), although I could do more with the dining room stone barbecue than I have. Next year maybe! I've really been just going through the motions this year.

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    1. Christmas decorations banned from the bedroom!?! That's odd. I'm sorry. Our house is so small there aren't many surfaces to decorate, I'm thrilled to have the mantle. Oh and what's "the dining room stone barbecue" all about? You have a bbq inside the house?

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    2. Yep, we have a bbq in the house, part of a massive stone structure which also houses the living room fireplace. Apparently, this was a "thing" when houses were built here in the early 50s. I had my husband construct a shelf there to make it look like a decorative storage space.

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  4. I always admire your stylish, beautiful, and plant rich holiday decor. Well done and magazine-worthy again this year!

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    1. Thanks Peter. Wait until after the holiday when it gets even more planty!

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  5. Trés chic in every detail. Joyeux Noel, my friend.
    rickii

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  6. This makes less more and quite beautiful.

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  7. Love how you have used what you have to fill your house with holiday cheer. It is quite lovely! Best of the season.

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  8. Marlene RobbinsDecember 18, 2018

    Love your aesthetic!

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  9. You have outdone yourself this year, Loree (is that possible?). I particularly love the decorations on the blue atlas cedar - it came out beautifully!

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