Christmas 2024

 It's hard to believe the holidays are over and everyone has gone back to work and school. We *might* get a little snow here in the deep south so I have left my outside decorations up past Epiphany "just in case!" A Christmas decor + snow photo op is rare. I don't want to miss it. 

I decided to post a few images of the 2024 holiday season just to have it documented on the blog. There are lots of pictures and reels over on my Instagram if you wish to see more. 

Christmas and Pink

 

I was going to title this blog post "a pair of perfect pines in pink" because I love alliteration but, sadly, they are actually fir trees! I was so fortunate to receive these trees (plus 2 other items that I'll be sharing soon!) from King of Christmas. 

The minute I saw them I knew that I wanted to put them in my thrifted vintage urns and flank the fireplace. I wanted them to look like there were piles of pink ornaments surrounding them but I knew I had to find a way to secure the ornaments so that the whole set up was Cooper proof!

The solution was an "ornament collar" to go around the base of the tree. It would hold the ornaments in place and still look like they were piled in the urns. 

First I placed my trees, they have a  weighted burlap wrapped base, in the urns and filled in around them with discarded packing materials. Once the trees were secure I cut a piece of coat hanger wire and formed it into a loose circle 

I gathered up all the different pink ornaments and a few gold ones too and randomly threaded them on my wire circle. I used a variety of sizes and finishes. 

Then I simply slid the ornament filled wire around the base of the tree like a 'collar' and nestled it in the urn. I twisted the end of my wire together to make sure it was secure and wouldn't slide off. 

I added white cotton batting to look like fluffy snow and to fill in and hide the wire. You could also do this with greenery. I did add some fresh magnolia because I can't decorate anything without using a bit of magnolia! It looked so festive that all I added was a pink bow on the top. 

The King of Christmas trees come with an option to plug them in or convert to battery operated. I opted to use the clever battery pack which is tucked in the back of the urn under the cotton batting "snow." They have a timer so I don't have to worry about accessing the battery pack or unplugging. They'll just come on every night for everyone to enjoy - including Cooper. You can see all the details in this Instagram video.

I'll be sharing the rest of my KOC products soon but be sure to check out last year's posts about the KOC tree in my Library for more Christmas inspiration.

DIY Faux Fruit Pomanders.

Clove studded citrus, or pomanders, has become very popular the last couple of years but it is really a very traditional, classic and old tradition. My mother always made them at Christmas and we would help push the cloves into the oranges after she made the holes with a toothpick. Citrus like oranges, lemons and loquats were always a part of our lowcountry holidays and the tradition continued after we moved to Washington DC and often visited Williamsburg. 

From Wikipedia:  A pomander, from French pomme d'ambre, i.e., apple of amber, is a ball made for perfumes, such as ambergris (hence the name), musk, or civet.^[1] The pomander was worn or carried in a vase, also known by the same name, as a protection against infection in times of pestilence or merely as a useful article to modify bad smells.^[1] The globular cases which contained the pomanders were hung from a neck-chain or belt, or attached to the girdle, and were usually perforated in a variety of openwork techniques, and made of gold or silver.^[1] Sometimes they contained several partitions, in each of which was placed a different perfume.^[1]

The term "pomander" can refer to the scented material itself or to the container that contains such material.^[2][3][4] The container could be made of gold or silver and eventually evolved to be shaped like nuts, skulls, hearts, books and ships. Smaller versions were made to be attached by a chain to a finger ring and held in the hand. Even smaller versions served as cape buttons or rosary beads.^[5]

A pomander can be a bag containing fragrant herbs and might be viewed as an early form of aromatherapy. Pomanders can be considered related to censers, in which aromatics are burned or roasted rather than naturally evaporated.

Pomander Balls in America

It’s in the 18th century we do see pomander balls as we know them today. However, it should be noted these were a luxury. Most founding families would not have wasted perfectly good oranges on simple decoration. Not when there was scurvy to keep at bay during those long winter months. Having said that, one could find a pomander ball in colonial homes in baskets or cupboards and in a handkerchief for a traveler to smell on the road (again, to cover any nasty smells in the street…and oh, were there nasty smells).In the Victorian era, pomander balls were a staple in many American homes and a lovely tradition families looked forward to creating.

I have to agree with the founding families - I am funny about using food that cannot be eaten as decoration (I'm not as concerned about candy like on gingerbread houses.) I have just worked with too many populations who are food insecure so I choose to go faux with my citrus plus using plastic fruit that someone else tossed out and I thrifted is recycling at its best!! You do you - no judgement here.

If you want to make faux fruit pomanders that will last for years this is what you need: 

Faux oranges and lemons. I happened to thrift two huge bags of faux/plastic citrus - one bag of oranges and one bag of lemons. Each less than $4.00. 

Whole cloves - easily found in the spice section at any grocery store.

A drill with a small bit. Just match the drill bit size to the size of your cloves. You want a snug fit but not so tight that you break your cloves when inserting them. 

Glue that dries clear (optional) 

Thin ribbon of your choice. I used velvet. (optional)

I have a video on Instagram showing the steps but you simply drill holes into your fake fruit  using a small bit and then gently push the cloves in. I put a dab of glue on my cloves but it is not necessary if you want to skip that step. 

You can add as many cloves as you wish and even create designs if you wish. If you plan to tie them with ribbon be sure to take that into consideration when placing your cloves. 

The cloves smell nice and these will last for years without trying to figure out how to store real, cloved fruit. 

I have another "faux fruit' Christmas decoration DIY here that is quick and easy too!!

Coffee Table Books and a Christmas Tradition.

We started a new to us Christmas Eve tradition a few years ago (and it was a nice one to have the last couple of Christmases!) I've written about this before. I wanted to share again for two reasons. One is that once children are grown and some of the "Santa" traditions don't happen anymore there is a bit of a void to fill after Christmas Eve service and a special dinner. The second is that I have a lot of great books to share in case you want to start this year. 

And, really, there's a third reason - it's never too early to start this tradition even if you are still leaving cookies out for Santa!

The tradition is called Jolabokaflod and it originated in Iceland. 

"This tradition began during World War II once Iceland had gained its independence for Denmark in 1944. Paper was one of the few commodities not rationed during the war, so Icelanders shared their love of books even more as other types of gifts were short supply. This increase in giving books as presents reinforced Iceland’s culture as a nation of bookaholics.

Every year since 1944, the Icelandic book trade has published a catalogue – called Bókatíðindi (‘Book Bulletin’, in English) – that is sent to every household in the country in mid-November during the Reykjavik Book Fair. People use the catalogue to order books to give friends and family for Christmas.

During the festive season, gifts are opened on 24 December and, by tradition, everyone reads the books they have been given straight away, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale called jólabland."                                                               From Jolabokaflod.com

We are a family of readers (we love to eat, too, but we turned our dining room into a library - we are definitely readers!!) but this is still a great tradition if you have a few less enthusiastic readers in your family. There are books on every hobby and interest and for every age. And just like the Icelanders you may foster a love of reading. I would include comic books and make and do books like paper dolls if that's what it takes to get someone to read! And it doesn't hurt that hot chocolate or chocolate candy is involved! Books that favorite movies were based on would be a way to interest a reluctant reader as well. 

I purchase the books each year for everyone in the family. The first year or two they were surprises but now they start telling me about books they want months in advance! And, of course, I choose my own books carefully. 

I have gotten some beautiful books as my Jolabokaflod books and it's so much fun to look forward to opening them. 

Here are a few favorites:

Safari Style is one of the most elegant design books ever. I have wanted to go on safari since I was young but even if that's not on your bucket list this book will intrigue you. And there are design ideas that are relevant to any suburban, non safari style, home. If you love following Serena Crawford's adventures on IG then you'll love this book. 

Rattan is an all time favorite. It is full of amazing, inspirational photos and a great history of  fabulous rattan furniture produced all over the world.

I treated myself to Dragons and Pagodas: A Celebration of Chinoiserie last year. 

I loved Chrsitopher Spitzmiller's book, A Year at Clovebrook Farm. I love books that are structured that way. Do you?

I own all of India Hicks books. They are all so beautiful and so much fun to read. She is very entertaining. I have this one , this one  (probably my favorite) and this one. I gave my mother this India Hicks book and she loved it. 

This Mark D. Sikes book is one I can look through over and over again. Sometimes I reread and sometimes I just soak up the beautiful images.

I gave my mother this book several years ago as she was quite the blue and white collector. Now the book is in my collection and I've enjoyed reading it and ooh-ing and aah-ing over the fabulous blue and white pieces in the book. 

And I must include this favorite. I don't know how many times I've read this book by the late, great Furlow Gatewood. This book is a must-own.

This is another book that I gave my mom and now have in our library. I love this book and I am excited to hear that Nora Murphy has another book coming out - 2023 I believe. 

I could go on and on but I can't end the list without gushing about how much I love Island Hopping by Amanda Lindroth. 

Oh, and any and all of the books by that boy from Perry, Georgia - James Farmer. I gave my mother one for Christmas and he wrote the sweetest note inside - not just an autograph! She loved his books. 

I hope you give (and get) books this Christmas. We love to give books for all occasions but I'm especially taken with the history behind Jolabokaflod.

Can You "Spot" the Newest Ornament?

You didn't really think I'd decorate my new King of Christmas Tree and not include leopard print in some way, did you??

I decided to go big and incorporate leopard print by including the leopard itself! I found these leopard shapes back in the summer. I could immediately imagine them on my tree. I liked that they were a little larger. It adds a nice variation in scale and it only takes a few to make an impact on the tree. 

I painted the first one or two in "traditional" leopard tones - golden tans and black spots. 

And then, I wondered about a fun colored leopard and tried a couple of blue ones! 

Now I can't decide! Tan only? Blue only? Or both on the tree? 

What do you think? 

Be sure to keep following along because I still have a couple more DIY ornaments to create for the tree. I'm not finished yet!