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Thursday, December 1, 2016

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

Yesterday, the Christmas spirit finally arrived!  I drove down to my friend Jill's new home to visit and go shopping in Greenville. Knowing her Christmas routine very well ( 35 years of friendship), I took my camera along to capture some "in-progress" Christmas décor.  I wasn't disappointed!



Nostalgia is a powerful thing.  As I watched Jill creating her first Christmas vignettes in her new home, memories came flooding back.  As each little element was added, we would remember where it had been purchased throughout the past 35 years.  It seems that so many of them were purchased together at Christmas open houses, antique stores and of course, Marshall Fields and Romancing the Home.   One of our favorite rituals was to attend the day after Thanksgiving Christmas open house at Kimball and Bean.  We would fill up the car with new goodies- oh so much fun. 


The new 10 foot tree - flocked with snow- beginning to be filled with ornaments in blues and natural tones.   Gonna need a big ladder for the top!

The massive stone fireplaces looking amazing with greenery, feathers and magnolias.


 The center of the mantle is a cornucopia of a past favorite- a rhinestone embellished tumble weed from Romancing the Home - and new finds from Biltmore Village in Asheville last week!
I love the blue feather boa in the mix.

Sitting on the hearth- a vignette of glittered reindeer with fur collar and a very special handmade
Santa from Romancing the Home!  The little bird with the crown on the antique wood box is a find from this year!  


Ready for a fire, a glass of wine  and a few presents to open!



Another handmade Santa from Romancing the Home in past years.
He is all settled in next to his reindeer.

On to the kitchen to find this sweet display.  A wonderful French Santa made by Dee Gann and purchased at an open house at Kimball and Bean. 
And those bronze ferns- another Romancing the Home find- used to soften the setting. 
Sugared pomegranates show up for another encore Christmas too!


The two Santas are placed on a tartan cloth and stand in front of a beautiful pine buffet
with the menu from Jill's daughter's wedding last year.


Velvet fruit- one of the first items sold at Romancing the Home in 1997. It was a gorgeous collection of velvet grapes, apples, plums, pears and we sold hundreds of pieces.  The iced cabbages, another winning item at Romancing the Home.  We sold out and couldn't get enough! And then another great item. the velvet pumpkins  from Hot Skwash. This year they have added feathers to the stems.
Jill found them in Denver, while visiting her sister.


Another Dee Gann Santa from Kimball and Bean. A rhinestone embellished pear from Romancing the Home is mixed in with old pewter to create a countertop display!

Whew!  And she is just beginning to decorate- This is only the beginning of 2 rooms!
I hope to share a completely decorated home with you in a few weeks!

We left the decorating behind and headed out to Greenville. 
After all, we have to make new memories too!
Off to find more Christmas décor-

After a successful shopping trip, I headed  back to Asheville to get dressed for the Biltmore Estate Candle Light Celebration.  Driving up to the front of the grand  house, Christmas magic over comes you.   A heavy rain had just ended and the sky turned pink. 
Under the magnificent sky,  Biltmore House and it's big tree glowed brightly! 



Yes, the Christmas spirit has certainly arrived!


6 comments:

Jill said...

Susan, always make it all look so good!--- it is for sure still a work in progress but oh so much fun in our new home--- it is like it all is new again!!
Thanks for taking the pictures and your love of it all-- keeps me inspired to finish up and enjoy it all even more!

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Absolutely glorious from beginning to end. It is such a pleasure to visit you.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Absolutely glorious from beginning to end. It is such a pleasure to visit you.

Katha said...

Jill and Susan it all looks so beautiful! Seeing some of those wonderful items brings back many memories of Romancing the Home and how
it all looked so glorious at Christmas time!!! Have fun decorating! Can't wait to see the finished project with Jill's new home as the amazing background!

cindy weis said...

so beautiful and elegant, and I am sure Jill will enjoy her first Christmas in her new home. Thank you for sharing.

Unknown said...

Your home is beautiful.
and the bride and groom were simply beautiful and elegant!!


Loved looking at the pictures of your new home in progress.

The exterior stone is quite lovely. Doggett Stone.
I am looking for some stonework to be done and would like to know where
the home in Walnut Cove is located so that I may get a better prospective of its look
before deciding on anything.
would you be able to help me with that?









Thanking you in advance. Esther