Burlap, Bling and Blue - Our Naturally Modern Christmas

Hi Everyone!

It's been forever and a day since I last posted.  This Christmas season has been one heck of a ride, but I've had an absolutely wonderful time!  Unfortunately, in all that activity, I've never been later getting my tree up!  I'm usually such an early bird...never later than a few days after Thanksgiving!  This year, I was mid December before it was all done, and even then I was tweaking, rearranging, and moving boxes from one room to another!  But, the end result was what I had envisioned, and we've been enjoying the fruits of my labour to the fullest this past week!  Needless to say I've eaten too much, went waaaay overboard with the gift giving, and mostly enjoyed spending quality time with my family.  Don't you just love Christmas!!

I'll stop yammering about my Christmas now, and just show you how Christmas in Done in the Avery household!  No holds barred!

Here is the centerpiece, our 12 foot monster of a tree!  And boy, do I have a hard time filling that sucker out!  It's beautiful, but expensive to fill up!  And, don't get me started about my "pre-lit" tree, that when set up this year, produced a measly 150 or so lights.  Sheer frustration was the result as I found myself meticulously re-stringing lights over pre-lit ones, while teetering on a ladder with a complete tangled and jumbled mess.  I really do feel for the guy "rigging up the lights" in that well know xmas song.  Sheesh.

But, I think is was worth it!

Also, by sheer accident, I ended up with my version of what I am calling my ice storm tree.  I painted a few branches robin's egg blue, not knowing exactly what I was going to do with them.  I had some leftover clear blingy garland, and voila...and accidental fortune.  It's one of my favorite centerpieces this year.

The fireplace also got an unconventional makeover.  I mixed a modern centerpiece of branches and bulbs, with natural elements like evergreen trees wrapped in burlap.  Throw in some lights, blingy garland, and homemade white burlap, and you have an updated traditional mantel.

Every Christmas, I pull out all the china, and love it so much I vow to use it year round.  Then, I never do!  Maybe this year will be the year.  I'm thinking of getting rid of the china display cabinet, leaving just the sideboard.  This should force the china into the cupboard where it will be used more frequently.  That's my story...ask me again next Christmas!  Here's the dining room:

Finally, a few snaps of the full living room and entryway.  I made a wreath for each family member this year, and hung them going up the stairs.  I was going to forgo the garland in lieu of just the wreaths.  However, the wreaths are not lit, and they didn't look substantial enough at night.  So in the end, I did a simple garland lit with lights and adorned with more burlap ribbon.

More of the ice storm tree:

A close up of the monogrammed wreath:

Live Rosemary trees give off the most beautiful holiday scent.  I tied a simply modern turquoise ribbon around the burlap base, and it made for a great piece in the entryway.  

So, I guess that's my Christmas tour.  Sorry about all the pics!  I got a new camera for my birthday, and it's kinda hard to take a really bad shot with it, so I had too many pics to choose from, and was too darn lazy to choose!  Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Christmas!  

Lynette

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