Holiday Window Boxes III and Giveaway Winner!!!

Every year one of Willow Décor’s most popular holiday posts is Decorating Holiday Window Boxes. Even if your house does not have outdoor window boxes you can use store bought containers to bring the look inside. Here are some new favorites I have collected over the year.

This first window box is beautiful, simple and inexpensive to create. Different pines and boxwood are easily in found out in your yard. Here the owner added blueberry branches and some glass icicle ornaments to add sparkle – Lovely!

From decorator extraordinaire, Martha Stewart, what caught my eye most were the branch trellises she added to hold up the pine branches. What a creative touch which adds so much interest and texture, as well as a wonderful place to thread the bow!

Another simple, beautiful collection of pines and pinecones. This would look as pretty on sideboard in your dining room or mantel as it does outside. Again very low cost to recreate.

Something a bit easier to find for my southern readers; here moss, magnolia leaves and ornaments make a pretty holiday window box.

On of my favorite ideas comes from the Bachman Holiday house in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here an old shutter creates an indoor window box filled with potted poinsettias and highlighted by a row of birch branches. Simply gorgeous! This is a spectacular mantle piece and would look fabulous in any home!

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Another example of a more southern style here filled with pines, pineapples and citrus fruits. I adore these window boxes! To see more examples of great holiday window boxes read Willow Décor’s previous posts HERE and HERE

Finally, congratulations to 3 Peanuts for winning the German Grainsack Tree Skirt!!! Please send your mailing address to willowdecormail@gmail.com and we will send out the tree skirt in time for Christmas!! A special thanks again to Kym of A Beautiful Mess! If you are not a winner you can still order wonderful items from Kym by contacting her at (805) 630-3727. Enjoy!!!

(Photo Credit: P. Wexford, Bellewood Gardens, 65 Avenue, Container Gardening, Martha Stewart, Bachman's, Home Ideas, Lu Tapp -A Beautiful Mess)

The 3 Fine Grains Giveaway!!!

Several years ago when I met Kimberley Fraser, owner of 3 Fine Grains, she was just starting out. An accomplished Interior Designer turned Antique Textile Artist, Kym had the wonderful idea of creating, furniture, pillows and other accessories from Antique French and German Grainsacks.

Her textiles are authentic, original, antique grain sacks. As I have mentioned in the past, these textiles are very expensive and as such Kym's beautiful items are really heirlooms to treasure

Today we are seeing the grainsack trend everywhere but Kym was a pioneer and one of the first. You might have recently seen Kym's pillows in Country Living Magazine. You see a magazine editor was visiting me and admiring my pillows from Kym. I was so happy to tell her all about 3 Fine Grains. She contacted Kym and several months later there were Kym's beautiful pillows on the pages of the October issue of Country Living! I was so thrilled for her!!

Kym has become so popular via the blog world and through her website that she has just opened up her own shop in Agoura Hills, CA called A Beautiful Mess.

The shop is gorgeous and chock full of antiques, textiles and other fabulous goodies.

I am always excited to hear about her new designs. In my experience 3 Fine Grains will always be on the cutting edge of the home accessory trends. In fact, watch for the January Issue of Romantic Homes Magazine for an article about Kym's store A Beautiful Mess! Kym's designs are getting very sought after and she is on the rise.

Unfortunately we don't all live near A Beautiful Mess, but you can call Kym and she will send out what ever you see here on Willow Decor ! Here are some of my favorites:

I love these grainsack rosettes ($25), created with found objects and bling! They can be Christmas ornaments or tie them to a wine bottle to create a really spectacular gift.

Or look at these amazing grainsack Christmas stockings ($69). They also come embellished with the grainsack rosettes ($95).

Or these spectacular doves made with antique French Linen and antique button eyes. They really stole my heart. As with all of Kym's designs, because they are antiques and one of a kinds, there is a limited supply.

Because Willow Decor was the first to introduce the blogsphere to 3 Fine Grains, Kym has always had a special place in her creative little heart for us.

So in the spirit of the Holiday season Kym is giving us this wonderful Grainsack Christmas Tree. It measures 15 x 15 and retails for $325.00. Handcrafted out of antique German Grain sacks, the tree would look gorgeous in any room in your house.

The trees come in three sizes - Small which is our Giveaway Tree, Medium which is 19 X 19 and retails for $400, and Large which is 23 X 25 and retails for $495. I almost don't want to give it away. Nevertheless, it will be sent next Monday to a lucky reader. Here is what you need to do:

Visit the 3 Fine Grains website HERE or if you are lucky enough to live close by go to A Beautiful Mess in Agoura Hills, California.

Come back to Willow Decor and leave a comment on what other beautiful items Kym creates that inspire you.

For an extra chance to win become a subscriber or follower.

I will announce the winner on Sunday, December 19th -and mail the Grainsack Christmas Tree out on Monday so you can enjoy it for the Holidays.

A big Hug and huge Thank You to Kym of 3 Fine Grains for her generosity.

This is so much fun -I feel a bit like Santa - Ho Ho Ho!!!

To Contact Kym at A Beautiful Mess call 818-874-9092

To visit 3 Fine Grains click HERE

To visit A Beautiful Mess on Facebook click HERE

To read my previous posts on 3 Fine Grains click HERE.

(all photos property of 3 Fine Grains)

Holiday Decorating - Wreaths in Every Window

(lindsey's via apt therapy)

One of the simplest and easiest ways to decorate for the Holidays is to hang a wreath in your window.During this time of the year it's rare to drive down the street and not see a house adorned in wreaths. Like this home from Southern Living, hanging wreaths on the outside is so easy - just a small nail and a wire or in this case a ribbon.

(design style guide)

But hanging a wreath INSIDE is my favorite way to bring fresh greenery indoors and not disturb my curtains.

(Skona Hem)

Here is another room with beautiful curtains. Notice how simple the wreaths in the living room are, but they really bring the feeling of the Holidays to the room.

You can change the ribbon and bow to match what ever decor you have, as seen above in this photo from Houzz.

(country living)

Of course when you have no curtains, (like I had at my house for FOUR years) wreaths can bring warmth and finishing to the room. During my no curtain years, I would put boxwood wreaths on all the windows in my Living Room and leave them up until May. By then they were quite brown, but I still loved how they warmed up my room.

(coastal living)

Look at this bedroom, which I adore by the way. Two simple wreaths and a tiny tree is all this room needs to feel like the Holidays. I prefer the simple decorations the best. The room is not hidden by the decorations it is enhanced by them.

They work equally well in the kitchen as shown in this picture above from Skona Hem. You could even use a Rosemary wreath and break off small pieces for cooking.

(Country Living)

You see any type of greenery can work - this wreath looks like cypress, but pine, fir, magnolia, boxwood and rosemary are all beautiful.

(tea room)

Of course in lieu of curtains you can also add roping. Sometimes sap and dirt are on fresh roping so having no curtains can actually be a benefit.

I included this photo from Atlanta Homes Magazine even though the wreath is not on a window to remind you that a mirror works equally well. Mirrors are really like adding small windows to a room, so the same principles apply.

(eva linh)
Finally, you can add a wreath anywhere to bring the Holidays inside, including this wonderful covered porch. All you need is small nail and ribbon.

Also, do not forget to add your comment in the post below to enter our Miracle Chase Giveaway or click HERE. I will announce the winner on Sunday.

Off to keep decorating - Fa la la la la!!

Holiday Decorating in White Part III

(west elm)

I love decorating for the Holidays, especially decorating in tones of white. Over the years at Willow Decor my "Holiday Decorating in White Series" remain my most popular Holiday posts.

I spend all year collecting images near and far to bring you beautiful examples to inspire you to recreate in your own home. I was quite taken with this little blue spruce tree sprayed with "snow", wrapped with burlap and adorned with small mercury glass ornaments. Wouldn't this look so sweet on a table or a sideboard?

Of course tablescapes are always an easy way to introduce a beautiful theme to your decorating. If you are planning any holiday dinners this table is lovely and simple to recreate. Small bunches of white carnations in tiny vases sit amid votive candles and bunches of Paperwhites. The glass just sparkles!

Here is a similar theme by Preston Bailey but much more dramatic. Each vase of white flowers is a bit larger and the huge fabricated flowers are stunning.

This table is so pretty and it could work for almost any holiday in any season. The flowers hanging above the table are gorgeous. It is likely a chandelier covered with the greenery.

I love this room from Ikea UK -so many great and inexpensive ideas! The mantel is very chic and not costly to recreate. The plates, glass hurricanes and candles can all be found at Ikea very reasonably priced. Add some garland, a few homespun ornaments and presto- chic mantel! I also like the addition of wrapped presents as decorations. The stack of presents looks fabulous under the glass table. Finally the branches adorned with ornaments add a festive flair.

This room from Country Living is a perfect exercise in Holiday decorating with restraint. The lovely chair, rug and gauzy drapes would be completely overwhelmed with heavy holiday decorations. A small white feather tree modestly adorned is a perfect compliment. I also like the small gift on the chair. Very sweet.

Another exercise in restraint, here mercury glass and wreaths are the only addition to this room from Coastal Living, but it still says "Holiday" to me. Sometimes less is more.

The final photo is very modern and chic table from Valorie at Visual Vamp. Fresh and classy!

To read my previous Posts on Holiday Decorating in White click here. And if you want even more inspiration head over to Faded Charm (here) - to find dozens of links to other blogs that have used White as their Holiday inspiration!

(photos Skona Hem unless otherwise noted)

My Living Room Evolution

I wanted to share with you the evolution of my living room.

(click on any photo to enlarge)

My living room is a warm and inviting room with windows on two sides and sun coming from a third side through the Conservatory. I have always been hesitant to cover the windows with any window treatments - as I hate to block any light. But, clearly my living room needed some softening. Above is the before.

After a long search for perfect Belgian linen and a tutorial from Joni at Cote De Texas on curtains (do click this link - it is a fabulous resource) the day came to have the drapes installed. I hired a professional drapery installer. I am a good at many things, but this area is best left to a professional.

Here is the after (please disregard the wreaths in the windows as they are part of my holiday decor.) The curtains are Parisian pleat tops, double window width with a trouser break bottom. The rods are hand forged iron and sent up from New Orleans by my dear designer friend, Millie. You can see the richness and softness the new window treatments bring to the room.

Here is the living room from another angle. You can see my cherished Mora clock to the right. For the story on how I acquired that clock click here. Notice the sweet Gustavian chair in the bottom right of the photo.

Here are the Gustavian chairs from another angle. The painting is a lovely work by Cape Cod artist, Anne Packard. We usually put our Christmas Tree here.

This angle is taken by standing at the Mora clock. Also notice my new "soft" seagrass rug- which really is very soft with white cowhide rug overlay - to learn more about cowhide rugs click here.

I added a few more holiday decorations in this shot. Notice the garden urns by the fireplace filled with berries, branches and evergreens.

I added more oversized mercury glass ornaments to compliment the ones on the mantel and also to pick up the sparkle from the mirrored trees in the Conservatory. I also love the texture and smell of the Rosemary Topiary trees.

Finally here is a close up of a reliquary and pedestal, as well as a close up of the garden urn. I love the warm colors and the way that the evergreens and mercury glass add a holiday sparkle to my room. Let me know your thoughts, should I add more holiday decorations or leave it as is?

(all photos property of Willow Decor)