| December
2008 November 2008 |
The Design Diva Dishes!
Design Trends and Lifestyle Tips |
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Greetings!
The holidays are my favorite time of year. It will come as no surprise that I love to decorate for them. Perhaps it will surprise you that I put up 3 full size trees and a couple of small ones, too! It brings me joy to make my home a festive place for sharing good times with friends and family. This year, in addition to my own home, I've been invited to decorate the old Cannon Family Mansion for the Historic Concord Holiday Tour of Homes scheduled for December 6th. The homes are open from 11am to 7pm. If you are looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit, perhaps a trip to Union Street in Concord is in order.
This month I will share an easy way to add drama to your holiday decorations. My trend of the month will focus on what's hot in holiday decorating. The color of the month is RED (no surprise there!). The Green Design section will give eco-friendly suggestions for the holiday season, and the Recipe of the Month is a yummy appetizer that is an easy dish to bring while visiting friends or family.
I don't know anyone who hasn't been affected by the tumultuous year that was 2008. Let us look forward with hope, love and great expectations for 2009.
With warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season,
Barbara Green | |
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Holiday Decorating |
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Holiday decorating has come a long way from when I was a kid! My Godfather worked for a company in Philadelphia that made tinsel and garland. He generously gave my family a large selection of decorations, in every color of the rainbow. One afternoon, while my Mom and I were out Christmas shopping, my Dad decided he would surprise us and put up the Christmas tree. When we arrived back home, what a sight! He had wrapped the tree in silver and gold garland, and draped the rainbow-hued garland vertically, alternating the colors like ribbons on a May-pole. I'm not sure if he was crazy and really thought it looked good, or if he was brilliant because it would get him out of EVER having to put up the Christmas tree again. He passed away in 1984, and not a year goes by that I don't think about that tree and how I would love for him to help decorate mine. I would definitely cut back on his color choices, of course!
Do you wish your decorations could wow your friends when they come into your home? An easy way to build drama is by using a monochromatic color scheme, making your statement with the volume of decorations you display. First, pick your favorite color. Next, gather an assortment of ornaments in all sizes of that color. Home improvement and discount stores sell big boxes of ornaments in a single color for a very small investment. You'll also need wrapping paper in the same color, and some ribbon. Now go through your house gathering crystal or clear glass bowls, also of varying sizes. While on the prowl for bowls, look for boxes that you can wrap. Finally, place the bowls on buffets, coffee tables, and mantles, fill with ornaments, allowing some ornaments to scatter alongside. Intermingle some glowing candles and the color wrapped boxes, and you've got a Christmas display sure to impress!
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Trend Report |
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Today's holiday decorating is moving away from the traditional "Santa Red" and "Elf Green." Green still plays a big part, but the newest trend is lime green. It gives freshness and light to the old standbys. You can pair it with hot pink for a modern replacement to red. Another popular color for holiday decorating is turquoise. It is often used in conjuction with silver and white decorations for a dramatic look. This is a perfect option for interfaith marriages because it blends the Jewish and Christian traditions beautifully.
Wreaths have been used in holiday decorating for ages. The hot trend for wreaths now is to make their shape square or rectangle. An easy way to make one yourself is to take an old picture frame (a great way to recycle one whose glass broke) and attach greenery to it with either hot glue or florist wire. For a dramatic display, attach three sizes of wreaths to each other in decending order with a loop of ribbon.
The final trend I will share for this holiday season is plaid. While plaid has been around for centuries, it is emerging as a standout trend for tablecloths, ribbons, tree skirts, and accessories. Stylists are mixing it with burlap for a unique juxtoposition of color, style, and texture. The trick to using a statement pattern such as plaid, is sprinkling it evenly throughout the room. Glance around the room, and include bits of plaid wherever the eye naturally comes to rest. It will give your decor a cohesive, balanced look.
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Color of the Month |
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Is there any color more associated with December than RED? Anywhere you go, there it is. You'll see red bows on wreaths, red ornaments on trees, a red suit on Santa, and a red nose on Rudolph. A traditional southern dessert this time of year is Red Velvet cake. You just can't get away from red!
Red is also a beautiful color for decorating your home year round. It is a traditional color for dining rooms, as it is said to stimulate the appetite. Red can be deepened with some black to make a rich cranberry shade as seen in the dining room below. To add richness to a home office or library, add a tinted glaze over red for the look of aged leather. If you aren't feeling bold enough to paint an entire room red, think about punching up a sofa with some red pillows or a warm, cozy throw in red. Red looks great paired with just about any color. Harness the power of red!
Make your newsletter a valuable source of information and advice and you will
Psychologically, red is the color of power and knowledge. Harness its power to direct your life. Use it to express who you are and what you want. | |
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Green Design |
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Green means so much more than a color you use to decorate. Green means making choices that will reduce the effect our consumption has on our Mother Earth. The three main tenets of the green movement are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We can certainly apply these ideals to our holiday traditions.
LIGHTING: Using LED lights instead of a standard string of lights will REDUCE energy use by 80 percent. They also last longer, so you REDUCE the energy required to manufacture and ship them, along with REDUCED stress on the landfills.
TREES: There are different philosophies when it comes to trees. I have always used artificial trees because I believe it does not make sense environmentally to cut living trees down for temporary enjoyment. I REUSE mine every year. For those who prefer a real tree, think about getting a live tree, with the root ball attached. After the holidays are over, plant it outside. I have friends who have a Christmas memory garden, where they have planted all of their trees from Christmases past. If you live in the northern climates, plan ahead and dig the hole in autumn, before the earth is too frozen to work. If you still want to cut down your Christmas tree, think about starting a family tradition of planting a new tree every year on Arbor day. This will offset the environmental impact of your cut Christmas tree. Remember to RECYCLE your cut tree by having it shredded for mulch.
CARDS AND GIFTS: The most environmentally friendly greeting card is the electronic greeting card. If you still want the personal touch of paper cards, look for ones that are made from RECYCLED paper. Save the paper cards you receive and RECYCLE them into gift tags for next year's gifts. Also look for gift wrap that is made from RECYCLED paper, or use gift bags that can be REUSED. Think about the size of your gifts, too. Gift cards use very little wrapping, and ensure the recipient gets just what they want. When giving gifts that require batteries, consider including rechargeable batteries as well as the charger. That REDUCES hazardous waste and saves money, too. |
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Quote of the Month |
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The greatest gift you will ever recieve is the gift of loving and believing in yourself. Guard the gift with your life. It is the only thing that will ever truly be yours.
- Tiffany Loren Rowe |
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Recipe of the Month |
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How many times have you been invited to someone's house and needed to bring an appetizer to share, but were too busy to cook and too embarassed to bring a bag of chips? Here is a quick and easy appetizer that is best made a day ahead. No more stressing about when you can cook, since there is no cooking involved! I don't know anyone who doesn't like the flavors of Tex-Mex, so this is sure to be a hit.
TORTILLA ROLL-UPS
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
12 flour tortillas (6 inch)
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add salsa, green onion, garlic salt, and chili powder, mixing well.
Spread a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on each tortilla, making sure you spread it to the edge. Roll up each tortilla tightly, jelly-roll fashion, and place on a baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.
Slice each roll into 4 pieces. You can either plate them on a serving tray, or put them in a storage container for travel. Serve with guacomole or additional salsa.
Makes 4 dozen roll-ups.
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Thank you for reading "The Design Diva Dishes." See you next month!
Sensibly Chic Interior Design
Phone: (704) 987-0277
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