Living in such a wee space I cannot decorate on a grand scale so I choose a few token touches to add a little of the festive spirit. We purchase a live tree about a week before the 24th and then we really get serious and lay on the shine and sparkle.
In the mean time...
The front door must be dressed and a wreath is a "must have."
I prefer natural and organic accents.
This will last throughout the season because the climate here is cool to cold.
If you were in a hot spot you'd need to mist this daily.
A small tree which I will wrap in some sparkly garland closer to Christmas
for now it will just be green.
Paper whites
bulbs of distinction
they grow tall and bear the prettiest white flowers
which have a rich and heady perfume.
I use this glass building block for paper whites every year.
The glass beads can be purchased at most home decor stores.
It's busy times here in The Humble Bungalow.
Mr. HB is stringing up the exterior white lights
while I am inside tidying up and doing laundry
(and yes, I'm blogging!)
How are you dressing your home for the season?
17 comments:
Little by little. One wreath today and big change around the mantle - not a Christmas change, but a just-because change. The manger has been put out and four small Hutschenreuter porcelain bells hang from the chandelier in the dining room - little by little. I love your small tree in the white pot - great idea for the kitchen.
Your wreath is beautiful. I don't really go to town with decorations until the week before Christmas. Then I pour a stiff drink and get to work like a demented elf.
I love your wreath. If I put it on my door here in Australia though it would be a dried arrangement in about 5 minutes flat - it is 35 degrees celsius plus here at present. We put up our tree yesterday. I always get such a kick out of watching my kids help. It is one of the bright spots of the year.
That is a seriously good looking wreath, I envy you being able to use natural greenry, as you said, here in more temperate climes it wouldn't last very long. But I guess I am lucky in some ways because I have lots of Paperwhites blooming in the garden. They are so wonderfully fragrant.
I just started my decorating yesterday, I hope to finish by the end of next week. It is so much fun!
My pretty flashy optic fibre trees have been up since they arrived at the beginning of November. I bought one for work too and gathered all the Christmas books and displayed them under it. The kids looove it and want me to turn the lights off regularly to look at it. And these are high schoolers. Ps most of these children are very impoverished and would not have any decorations at home., nor probably get any presents.
haha and I'm doing the ironing. Or supposed to be!
My mother wouldn't put up a single decoration until Dec 1st and I've inherited this train of thought. I will be flinging the deco's and tinsel around soon.
xx
Good morning Hostess, I also prefer nature wreaths for the outside doors yours is lovely.Most years have made my own from the Pines,and whatever I could forage from the countryside.
What a great idea for growing & displaying Paper whites....might pinch your idea!!
I am moving house tomorrow eeek! Will catch up with you sometime in December. Ida
Your small preparations are really nice!
Over here, similar door wreaths are hung on doors too. The paper whites are a new thing to me. I like the look of them right now, right in that glass pot. We´re I you, I´d leave the small tree without decorations..
Actually I did some very small changes downstairs and took a few pictures for tomorrow´s post. I like this time before Christmas, as I have written. By Christmas, I´m done ( ;
I just love the bulbs, I put them in the window and watch their daily progress. We have finally switched to live trees, and it's so much nicer. I used to hate dragging the old dried skeleton of a tree out the door in January. So sad!
I do miss decorating for the holidays a bit. Your decorations look festive but perfect for a small bungalow space.
Your decorations are lovely and festive. The only thing we have done for Christmas decorations is put lights on the outside of the house. It looks so pretty at night. Next, I need to find the Christmas wreath and put it on the front door.
I go the natural and organic route too, I loathe tinsel baubles etc but it's a few more weeks away for decorating for me.
I love the natural route too! I wish my kids would let me get away with a small tree in a pot...I need to get some paper whites and yes, of course a wreath.
I love the natural route, too. I've just done the Advent candle tray for now - next will be the wreath on the door, then the mantel with lots of greens and candles.
I love the small tree in the white pot. It could go anywhere.
My husband is very traditional, so we must have the fresh cut tree every year. We also get a fresh wreath for the front door.
Paper whites remind me of my mother-in-law. I thought about getting some this year, but I think it would be too upsetting for us, especially my father-in-law. I will enjoy yours from afar. Perhaps you can take some photos to show how they progress??
xoxo, Adrienne
metscan- Your comment has convinced me to leave the wee tree alone!
Adrienne- I will most certainly post some images of the paper whites as they grow tall.
Leslie, right :)!
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