FESTIVUS DECORATIONS

TASTEFUL vs. TASTELESS

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

Regardless of your religion, ethnicity or beliefs this time of year is definately a special time filled with parties and seasonal frolic! There's not so much difference anyhow as everyone enjoys this time of year...so lets share ideas and customs...

Hopefully, after our epic financial collapse, Americans have traded their mindless aquisition of useless gifts and heinous decorations for something sublte and less extravagant!

CLEARLY, since the advent of WalMart, et al, with their low-cost Chinese suppliers - holiday decorations have run wildly amok...homes now have their facades and yards so full of crap it makes you 'pine' for the old days when each house had maybe one tree with lights on it. Better neighborhoods had larger homes with wreaths on each window and a more elaborate, yet tasteful display. Now, its "lets show off and pack as much shit in our yard as we can"... feh....

I've compiled a few ideas from other designers that I think are beautiful, tasteful and easy to make.

So, go easy at the holiday office party, you have work to do!



If youre unsure how to decorate for your holiday, look to an expert (not me) like Martha Stewart or Carolyne Roehm . Magazines are wonderful inexpensive ways to see inspiring holiday decor using many different things in creative ways.

LET'S BEGIN WITH

HANUKKAH

I'm a little late with this missive as today is the 9th day. But, it's still the season of Festivus!

Obviously, as a Gentile I have an outside perspective of this Jewish holiday. Older Jews seem super resistant to have anything remotely Christmas'y or even that which can be interpreted as Christmas'y in their homes.

Remember in Driving Miss Daisey when Daisey (Jessica Tandy) on Christmas eve gave her driver "Hoke"(Morgan Freeman) a book and said its NOT a Christmas present! Then, she hated her daughter-in-law Florine's holiday decorations which were way too Goyum.

In the last decade or so, most people realize that holiday decorations arent really about faith or stepping outside the boundaries. My thought is... it just feels good to have some winter holiday season decor around! No?

The mantles above are beautiful and festive!

These table settings and room decorations are light and bright for the Festival of Lights. The dining room has 'holiday' slipcovers in blue.

For kids, the Stars of David in the window are easy to make and add a holiday touch. The glitter covered dredles add color and sparkle and the glass container keeps the glitter fly-away in check.


Everyone loves sugar cookies! They can be made ahead and used as holiday decorations too. Use them as table decor, hung in windows, or in bowls or glass containers.


WREATHS SAY "WELCOME"
WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY OR PARTIES

Love-love the sprayed white pincones with the gold satin ribbon above



Could the blue poinsettias be any shittier looking??

Again, the white pine cones are pretty and wintry looking too.

And, trust me, the baby Jesus never saw a reindeer...

I love the glass balls, theyre more modern, easy to make and sparkle a lot. That nasty plastic one on the bottom with the spray frosting and tuck-ribbons of blue tuile... bitch, please...

The wreath of greens and dried blue Hydrangea is so chic! The pre-lit plastic wreath is just wrong...never have an electricaly-lit wreath on a door, its stupid.

ACCESSORIZING

On the left is a simple garland of stars strung around the china cupboard in subtle colors. The dried tree with blue and silver glass ornaments makes a stunning centerpiece for the dinner table.

Do something with fruit or natural greens, it  provides a quality, natural tone and implies a bountiful feeling. The tablescape on the right is so tacky, basic glass balls in a glass vase...hellooo...show some creative effort at least!

Instead of the standard fillers inside the vase bottoms, put plastic gelts with some white roses in them; or, get a white and blue arrangement.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

I think the simple magnolia branch in the urn in the foyer above is about as simple and chic as possible...it's a zen-like acknowledgement to winter. On the bottom: The garland swailing from the natural bollards made of tree slices and branches is soo simple and soo rustic, I am crazy for it!

As you can see, the soft glow of candles is an amazingly attractive way to make any space special as shown on these two entirely different style stairways. What can be any more simplistic and elegant??

Go to Home Goods, or Bed-Bugs and Beyond and get several different sized glass containers; fill them with colored Jordan almonds, Hersheys kisses or small hard candies, popcorn, or anything sweet. This can then be a decoration as well as keep all your holiday treats fresh.

A few small touches, or "moments" are great at holiday time. Below are some simple things that can be casually placed around the house to offer a little bit of holiday fun.


NEXT WE HAVE

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

The live evergreen "Polish style" tree on the left with ornaments made of straw accented with gold, is traditional and feels cozy.

The modern silver tree on the right is fun and very retro, you have to smile when you see that!

Instead of Poinsettias use fresh flowers!

The red carnations on the left with the vase lined with green leaves is a bright happy Christmas'y spot in any room. The white roses in the vase filled with fresh cranberries is a lovely bright way to have subtle color injected into your room

MANTLES

You can decorate them like eveyrone else

or you can be a little more elegant...

One thing to remember: Clutter is BAD

When clustering things use similar feeling things

The mantle below is kept very simple; adding two urns of moss bringing green in which is Christmas'y w/o the schmaltz


This rustic fireplace with the simple pinecones implies winter warmth, cozyness and simplicity.

This modern mantle above is decorated with a simple evergreen garland and accented with turkey feathers in greens and reds, it's cheap and chic!

This country style mantle is decorated very simply with some of the owners collections and a few sprigs of holley and it's perfect!

WREATHS

ACCESSORIZING
By clustering similar things together you'll have a sweet vignette.

Dont put crap on everything, it'll be more impactful and more interesting when one area is clustered and others are undecorated.

Decorate Your Cupboards

You dont have to go hog wild, but a little bit here and there is fun!

This country style home below uses careful restraint which works in their favor as it shows off the beautiful room as well.

Using garland and other decorations on a bannister railing can be beautiful, but often gets overdone. Use common sense as a bannister is for safety, when someones falling they dont want to fall to their death with the fistfull of plastic evergreen needles in their clutches...so, dont make the rail inaccessible.

Hang your garlands on the outside of the railing for safety

eBay-Collectors Dream Stairs
Lets git us some ribbon at Walmarts and tie everything we can to the railin', then git all nutcrackers we can buy and line that shit up and down the steps... it'll be purrrtee...

Even if you dont want to do anything...
Enjoy the Winter Holidays!

PLEASE Dont Drink & Drive This Holiday! You wont love the ride home in Bubba's truck!

 

You can do it, I'm here to help!

202.669.8669

jpdsodpb@aol.com