I had every intention of getting this post out on Monday morning, but you know what? Life happened and the post didn't. Instead of decorating outside, Saturday we stayed inside due to rain and the whole family got in on the Christmas decorating. Who knew kids could be so opinionated? It was really fun and funny actually. And on Sunday we headed to the mountains for our annual choose and cut Christmas tree adventure. This year John was in charge of selecting our tree, he was bound and determined to steer clear of last year's slender Christmas bush.
While we were in the mountains on Sunday, we grabbed a whole bunch of fresh cut greens so today I was finally able to start in on our front porch decor. It's not a huge departure from last year, but we tried a couple of new things that I gathered from the inspiration post last week and I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out.
First thing you might notice - the potted arborvitae. I actually found a great deal (read: close out!! at $6 a piece) at HomeDepot and scored a ton of these arborvitae, which we will hopefully use to create a natural hedge in the backyard after they finish their Christmas duties, of course.
Next up, the containers with lit grapevine orbs. Can I just tell you how much I love, love, love how these guys turned out?? The containers are stuffed full of fresh cut greens - lots of varieties and textures to keep it interesting - and on top are grapevine orbs, wrapped in Christmas lights. I found the orbs at Michaels and wrapped the lights around them - so easy! Plus, the grapevine helps keep the containers looking good during the day!
This year we also opted to forgo the traditional wreath and hang a swag of fresh greenery. It's nothing mind-blowing, but I think it's nice to mix it up a bit sometimes.
In case you couldn't tell from the inspiration post, I am really digging garland this year. I always wanted to add it to our house in Chicago, but the side entry just didn't really warrant it. To be honest, the big black monstrosity of an awning almost kept me from using garland this year, but I figured - what the heck! Let's give it a go and I am so glad I did because I love it. Just a little extra somethin'-somethin', you know?!?
Is there anything better than Christmas lights? Honestly. I just don't know.
Happy Holidays!
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until next time,
