Not Quite Bah-Humbug, But Not Will Ferrell in "Elf" Either...

Photo :: Brett C. Valenstein, 2009 - Please Do Not Use Without Permission

Here we are on December 15th and I am SO not in the Christmas spirit.  I’m not anti-holiday, I’m just meh.  I think it’s because I’m in Southern California.  You can put as many Christmas lights on a palm tree as you want, it still isn’t a Christmas tree in my book.

Christmas to me is the tree at Rockefeller Center, the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorfs, vendors selling roasted chestnuts and the Nutcracker.  Or, if I’m in Jackson Hole, walking into a holiday party from the freezing (or all to often, below freezing) outside and being encircled by the warmth of the heat and the other guests inside.  The air smells of pine tree and cinammon and everyone is in their holiday best, or worst holiday sweaters (if that is what the party calls for — I would NEVER voluntarily wear a Christmas sweater).

But, I am not in either of those places for the Holiday Season this year and rather than complain I should start my own SoCal tradition and get to decorating.  I wonder how they decorate in the Southern Hemisphere… How do you decorate for the Holidays if you aren’t in a traditionally “Christmas” climate?

why not...

Put Wallpaper on the Ceiling!

I mean really, why don’t you?  Not only can it be an unexpected whimsical touch, it’s another way to ground a room.  

The traditional way to ground a room would be to go for a large floor rug, but let’s face it… rugs, good quality ones at least, can be cost prohibitive.  

Wall paper is a less-expensive option that delivers as much of a “wow!” moment as an area rug, if not more.  An added bonus?  Wallpaper will cover any cracks, water stains or other, er, imperfections on your ceiling that probably drive you a little bit crazy when you see them.

If you have high, loft-like spaces, wall-papered ceilings will help make the room feel like a more intimate space, less-echoey, if that’s what you are trying to achieve.

Wallpaper can be scary — glueing something to the walls seems like an awfully big commitment to most and the ceiling can seem an incredibly bizarre place to make that kind of commitment, but trust me — it’s worth it!

Some notable wall paper manufacturers include :: 

Clarence House

Elli Popp 

Graham & Brown

Kravet

luludk 

Ulf Moritz

Zimmer Rohde

Hello! Hello!

photo :: Audrey Tatou as Coco Chanel in Coco Avant Chanel

I’m b-a-a-a-ck!   Yes, I’ve finally woken up from my tech & social media nap.

Why such a long nap?  Life was chaotic and my overwhelm was growing exponentially.

I needed to bring some order to the chaos and decided to hit the pause button.  After a bit I realized what I really needed was a full reset.  Unfortunately it wasn’t anything as fabulous as Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, but it was something I really needed to do for myself.

Please hang in there with me as I return to the blogosphere (seriously… I forgot how to add a picture to a post. I was that far off the grid!)

I’m so excited to be back!

 

I Can't Believe it is Already Time to Decorate for Christmas!

Not that I’m a grinch or Scrooge.  No, No, No…. far from it!  I love Christmas/Holiday décoration, it just snuck up on me this year.

Not on my friend Michelle… in fact she was so excited about the Holidays that she put up her Christmas tree at our ski condo while most of us were in the kitchen cooking our various dishes for thanksgiving.

I couldn’t help but snap some shots of our little condo tree…. so here they are! (Oh, and that sweet-faced pooch is my love Xena)

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

 Fa la la la la la la

All photos br Brett Valenstein

Thanksgiving at Our Ski Condo

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone!  I apologize for the delay, but I’ve had some technical issues (*ahem* internet access)

Above is a photo of our table. As many of you know, rental ski condos don’t necessarily have the, er, most stylishly decorated décor so I had to make the most of the table setting.  (Yes, I realize that the photo is a little out of focus but I may have had a bit of wine before taking the photos.)

I brought your basic painter’s canvas dropcloth to use as a tablecloth, which I think turned out pretty well.  I also  brought out a set of plain white porcelain plates, orange cloth napkins and gold chargers; all available at your local Pier One Imports, World Market and Home Depot.

I wasn’t totally thrilled with the napkin ring slections at World Market, so I bought some inexpensive bangles near the check out line and made them work.

 Above is a close up of the table.  I added votives, glass containers filled with nuts and unscented white pillar candles , the spray painted squash and a selection of votices.  Bonus of the nut display?  They are there when you are feeling a bit “peckish” — just clean up the shells when you are done.

I do have a simple warning regarding the spray-painted acorn squash, butternut squash, and pumpkins.  Unlike gourds, you can’t dry them out.  My center piece literally started to disintegrate within days (ick) so the squash AND the table cloth had to go.  The nut and candle elements can stay and be repurposed for Christmas, so stay tuned to see how I “make it work” (Thank you Tim Gunn).

My friends in the condo share my same quirky sense of humor and we decided to wear costumes to our feast.  We had a couple pilgrims, a turkey and an indian, and some party poopers.  I decided NOT to post the costumed photos of our merry bunch just in case any of them decide to run for public office (you’re welcome.)

I hope your Thanksgiving was as jovial and full of wine as mine was!