~simple enamelware centrepiece~

Well I'm back online after 3 days of computer woes, I was able to visit my bloggy friends from my ipad, but have all my photos stored on our main computer.

So with just five sleeps to go I wanted to show you the really simple centrepiece I put together for our kitchen table.

I picked up this awesome enamelware sometime this past year, and when it came to market time I pulled it out of my stash, knowing it would be awesome to use on the table. It's a shallow rectangular shape and just perfect as a centrepiece.

Filled it with a bunch of cut greens, just regular fir clippings. I'll probably have to refresh them before Christmas, they dry out really fast inside the house. Oh, and a few sprigs of fresh holly of course!

Tucked in some shiny red ornaments I've had for years, as well as some cute white pinecone ornaments. I'm noticing a few touches of red popping up in my Christmas decor this year. We have the kid's uber-colorful tree next to this table, so the red fits in just fine here!

We started that tradition some years ago, the kids just have SO many decorations so we put up a fake tree in early December and they get to decorate it however they want. Then later in December we cut a family tree for the living room, which Mamma has a bit more say in decorating:-)

{This year I have been really big on family involvement however, so decorating it was a combined effort....}

Anyway, back to the centrepiece!

Tucked in some candles!

I like these plain white candles from Target, they are truly white, fragrance-free and reasonably priced. They come in a set of 3.

And there you have it, simple but christmasy.

linking up to Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Tracey

~christmas decorating with a red toolbox and rusty funnels??~

Like many of my blogging friends I am aspiring to a simple Christmas this year, and shopping my home first.

I especially like to keep things natural outside on the porch, and always cut tons of greenery and holly.

Rule #1

Always cut way more than you think you will need, especially holly!

So this year I pulled out this old bright red Husky toolbox, I picked it up for $2 at a garage sale in the summer, but as it had not yet been put into use I nabbed it for the porch.

Tucked in a great vintage funnel with red trim...

and filled it up with all different kinds of greenery

I like the pop of red on my front porch!

And here's another old funnel I filled up

Funnels are such an awesome shape for filling up and decorating with!

Here are a couple more shots on the front porch.

vintage sled and mailbox

and a few more pops of red

berries in white enamelware, those are snowshoes in the background

candle lantern and pinecones

hope you enjoyed my natural porch decorating, don't worry I saved some sparkly for inside!!

linking up to Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Funky Junk SNS

Tracey

~santa's vintage boots~

how charming are these little guys?

i bought them at an antique store a couple years ago, because somewhere deep down inside they stirred a memory from my childhood.

they are candles, and the berries are missing from the one, but i kinda like them this way.

linking up with Debra at Common Ground for her Vintage Friday Inspiration

it's a really fun party to visit ~ see ya there!

and Feathered Nest Holiday at French Country Cottage

Tracey

~christmas decorating on the porch 101 - christmas wreath~

next exciting installment on my porch christmas decor!!

~keeping it super simple and natural this year~

here's my wreath ~ okay i admit i cheated

i bought the fresh wreath at costco

 and cut off the awful fake berries (sorry if you liked them!)

then I added my own fresh fir clippings to fill it out

tucked in some holly here and there

and voila!

~a christmasy welcome~

Tracey

PS. see my previous posts for the full series of ~christmas decorating on the porch 101~

~christmas decorating on the porch 101 - using what you have~

here are a few more random photos of decorating my front porch, i like to keep it simple and fresh

this is the chair outside my front door - i'm a little bit lazy pressed for time, so it's the same chair (garage sale)

 and coffee sack (gift) 

and basket (thrift store) 

and gorgeous white pitcher (gift) i had out in the summer

but dressed up with white bells and pine clippings it looks quite festive

 you can't see too well here but these clippings have wonderful pine cones on them and i like the variation in color

 here i tucked a vintage red plaid thermos on the bench next to a sap bucket of cuttings (i see it got a little faded by the summer sun)

you might remember my vintage summer picnic here

and further down the bench these skates (thrift store) and snow shoes (gift from my dad)

see the theme ~ snow shoes ~ skates ~ thermos of hot chocolate~

yes, i know you got it right away!!

should i fill the skates with holly do you think, they're a little plain?

Tracey

PS. see my previous posts for the full series of ~christmas decorating on the porch 101~

~christmas decorating on the porch 101 - decorating with greenery~

i have this old mailbox that lives on my porch year round, i simply adore it

you might think i'm strange but we don't have these mailboxes where i live

so this year i opened it up and have greenery and holly spilling out

see the cute red flag

and my vintage tin picnic hamper peeking in the background

it has black numbers on the other side

now this wasn't my own idea, saw it somewhere else (can't remember where...)

anyway, decorating with greenery 101:

~ i always carry garden clippers in my car, i carry them year round, you never know when or where inspiration will strike

~bring garden gloves - for the cold and it can be prickly

~ cut more than you think you will need, i always think i have tons and use it all!

~ ask permisson if you plan to cut from someone else's property - i'm usually too chicken to do this so i just find random trees on open land, which is getting harder each year as the area i live in is being rapidly developed

~ take a moment to smell the crisp air, notice the birds and squirrels and yes, even the sticky sap on your hands! this year a little robin sat watching me the whole time i cut holly, so cute

~ a small stepladder is handy, sometimes I see a great tree but by the time i've navigated ditches etc. i just can't reach the good stuff. i usually drag someone along for the ladder part, like i said, i'm chicken!

~don't cut from the lower branches, you know, like at dog's level....

~ my outside greenery lasts the whole season, inside i have to refresh a couple of times

~finally, smile sweetly when your family roll their eyes at you!!

Tracey

PS. see my previous posts for the full series of ~christmas decorating on the porch 101~

~christmas decorating on the porch 101 - the simple touch~

what do you love about christmas decorating?

trimming the tree and mantle...

the lights and sparkle...

i love all that, but my favorite of all is dressing my home with natural greenery

i love heading out with my boots and clippers, the air crisp with the promise of snow

and cutting all kinds of delicious smelling greenery

then i get to play around, filling planters

and old sap-style buckets (see my old thermos peeking there)

here's one of my porch projects this christmas

i have an old sleigh which i filled with a huge bouquet of greenery and holly

tied it up with a big burlap bow

love it's simplicity

i'll show you more in the next day or two...

Tracey

a little "joyeux"

just a little "joyeux"

in time for "noel"

why do I love french vintage handstamped ribbon so much?

'cos there are so many different ways to use it!!!

how would you use this "joyeux noel" ribbon?

linking up here

Tracey