Category: Winter & Holiday Entertaining

This category offers tips, inspiration and solutions for Winter Gatherings.

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Seasonal Decorating: Goodbye to Holiday 2011

The winter, and December in particular, is filled with seasonal decorating in almost every neighborhood. This season I was out and about taking note of how each neighborhood decorated and embraced the season.  I realized that although your religious beliefs or geographic location may influence your design style, traditions will have the most dramatic influence on your Christmas and seasonal decorating in general.

Did your parents decorate with all white lights or the large multi-colored bulbs. Do wreaths on the window bring back happy memories or do you need to have Santa on the roof for it to be Christmas? Nutcracker Soldiers or Poinsettia at the entranceway? All these warm-fuzzy traditions along with the current climate you live in will come together to develop your seasonal style.

Case in point, the above images of doorways decorated for the season that I snapped on  my walks this December.  From NYC to PA to FL traditions are strong and bring us the most joy during the holidays. Which one speaks to you?

Goodbye Holiday 2011. I look forward to bringing the best of you into 2012!

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Holiday Dream?: Roadside Fresh Cut Greens

kraylfunch NewHopeGreensWagon

While driving on a familiar road hunting for greens for a client I thought  I saw a mirage.  Quickly making a U-turn and almost getting my mother-in-laws car stuck in a fresh mud puddle, I pulled into the driveway of what looked to be a private home on the property of a large tree nursery. I parked and approached my dream wagon.

The floor of the wagon had been covered with burlap to add to the rustic feel of the whole experience. The greens had been freshly cut, possibly even that morning. The varieties – due to the nursery stock – were something you can not find in most markets.  The various trimmings were then placed in large black tubs which had been nailed down to the wagon and labeled with Sharpe written on duct tape (add that to the list of uses..). There was a large coffee container with “Happy Holiday’s ” written on it to be used as an honor system payment center, complete with change.

kraylfunch NewHopeGreensWagon

Over the course of the week I was in town working, I was able to stop by a few times and each visit I encountered other happy patrons who were also noticeably grateful for this decorators dream on the side of the road.

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Thank you to the family who had this vision and placed a simple but perfect wagon of greens at the end of the drive. It will remain in my memory of  Christmas 2011 as a wonderful natural green mirage.

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See you next year!

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