I still remember as a child, pleading with my mom to drive through every adjacent neighborhood & down every little street in our town in the weeks leading up to Christmas….
In the darkness of the winter night, houses would GLOW and TWINKLE. That seemed like nothing short of magic to me. My face was pressed to the cold glass of the station wagon’s back seat window, as I begged her to drive slowly so my eyes could drink it all in.
Isn’t that the same sense of wonder and delight we all hope to feel each year when we decorate for Christmas? During these short, dark days with low grey skies hovering over a barren landscape, we long for light and a sense of hope.
Having done A LOT of decorating in my day, I have learned that it is the simplest of things that make for a lovely, heartwarming holiday house. Really it is just two things that I know will make a big difference in my house and yours….two simple things that without fail delight and make festive the most drab of surroundings:
- Twinkle Lights–LOTS of them. They aren’t just for your tree. Gather them on a shelf (yes, they have battery operated ones), put them on your dining room buffet top (that is mine pictured above with our nativity scene), lace them around a garland on your bannister. And just when you think you have enough lights on your tree, add another string. Really. Their happy twinkle and sparkle will warm your heart.
- Live Evergreens–small sprigs of green of all different kinds tucked among pictures and books on a bookshelf, plopped in vases, placed around your little holiday tchotchkes, instantly makes things come alive and feel “Christmasy”–(again see the small sprigs in the picture above). Pine roping draped over curtain rods, over doorways, on the staircase…beautiful. And another benefit of this live greenery is the lovely smell that it brings indoors.
Do you find yourself resisting the idea that it could be that easy? Give it a try, and I feel confident you will love the results…. 🙂
