Ten Christmas Delights!

Sometimes it's the little things...

Delight #1: Poinsettia in Coal Bucket

It is so easy for me to get mesmerized by all the twinkling lights, glittery ornaments, and festive store displays.  Christmas is the one time of year when more ornaments and lights can transform any Charlie Brown tree into a thing of beauty and awe.  The magic formula seems to be just pile on more and more "stuff".  That formula does work, but sometimes, I like to step back and decorate with little touches that can add that special Christmas delight!  I'd like to share a few of my favorite delights!

I placed this beautiful poinsettia in a rustic coal bucket.  I like the simplicity of this pairing and also the contrast.  It's got a little of a "Beauty and the Beast" vibe about it.  A poinsettia this beautiful doesn't need much more adornment.

Delight #2: Birdhouse Adorned with a Christmas Wreath

The littlest things do please me.  I looked at my little green birdhouse sitting on the fireplace hearth and had expected to put it away for the season. Then, I unearthed my treasure trove of miniature wreaths.  The miniature wreaths  make their way into my Christmas decor in all kinds of ways.  This year, the little, green, birdhouse stays and a wreath is added to the humble abode.  That one, little change tickles me to no end.

Delight #3: Little Green Birdhouse with Tall Lantern on the Fireplace Hearth

Check out the simple fireplace hearth vignette.  The lantern has a few greens, red jingle bells, and red apples around the base.

Delight #4: A Red Beauty in a Westerwald Pottery Pot on Red Buffalo Check Plaid Runner

Once again, this red poinsettia is stunning.  I simply placed it in one of my favorite Westerwald Pottery Pots.  I added a Fitz and Floyd music box Santa, that was a Christmas gift from my husband, to the vignette.  The arrangement is simple and sweet and makes me smile.

(I read on some Facebook post that decorating with poinsettias for Christmas is "so yesterday".  The post claimed that poinsettias were out of fashion, and if one must decorate with real flowering plants for Christmas, consider using a violet.  Now, I love violets and I have one in full bloom now, but picking out a poinsettia or two at the local greenhouse is part of my holiday making.  I will decorate with poinsettias for the holiday.)

Delight #5: Philodendron in Buffalo Check Plaid Casserole Dish

The beautiful variegated greens and yellows in the philodendron contrast nicely with the buffalo check plaid casserole dish.  The arrangement gives a nice pop of color sitting atop of our refrigerator.

Delight #6: Making the Kitchen Sink Fun and Functional

You may have noticed that I am using "what I've got" in these simple delights.  The coal bucket, birdhouse, lantern, Westerwald Pottery pot, and philodendron have all been featured in my decor throughout the year.  I'm just pairing them up with Christmas items for a holiday flare. 

With that in mind, I put some dish washing essentials in a red bowl with white polka dots next to the kitchen sink.  I purchased a set of 3 small bowls from TJ Maxx in February.  I brought this one out as a functional decorative piece next to a decorative hand soap dispenser.  (I bought this dispenser at TJ Maxx last year and just refilled it for this year.  Oh, and another bowl from this set, holds a small poinsettia in our living room.)

Delight #7: Simple Wreath Hung in My Kitchen Window

I like to hang a simple wreath in my kitchen window.  I believe this wreath's first life  was for adorning a pillar candle. The size is just perfect for my kitchen window.   I added a favorite Willie Rae snowman ornament for some extra fun.  Then, all the wreath needed was a red ribbon with white polka dots for hanging.

Close-up of Willie Rae Snowman Ornament in Wreath

I enjoy having something fun and cheery to look at from my kitchen window.  Let's face it--doing dishes and clean-up from holiday baking is not a favorite activity.  This little guy adds the perfect dash of whimsy.  Think about displaying favorite ornaments in other places around your home besides the tree.  I have cookie dough ornaments hung from a garland in the kitchen above our sliding glass door.  Some special blue salt Santa ornaments that were a gift from my husband are currently on my kitchen window sill, too.  They are "auditioning" on the window sill.  I'm not sure that is the best place to show them off.  When I'm not sure of where to place a piece, I "audition it" in a few places, before I make up my mind.

Delight #8: White, Lush Orchid With Ornaments

How easy is this elegant arrangement?  This very lush orchid was on sale for $5.00 at Home Depot.  It is almost in full bloom, so it may not bloom for months like some of my orchids I have had in the past, but I couldn't pass it up.  I placed it in a white, fluted, rectangular, dish and piled small, lime green ornaments around it.  The ornaments add a touch of elegance and "shine" to this beautiful orchid.

Delight #9: Rustic Dining Table Centerpiece

I am quite pleased with my dining room table centerpiece.  It was so easy to put together.  The base is a galvanized metal trough, with 2 large floral picks, and filled in with miscellaneous faux fruit.  I plan to show this arrangement deconstructed in another post.  It was so simple to do, yet looks so good!

Delight #10: My Red Tonka Truck with a Christmas Tree

Delight #10 is my red Tonka Truck with a Christmas tree.  I saw an old truck displayed in a shop.  The shop owner had added a tree to the display and I knew I had to have such a tree for my truck!  There is a story to this truck.  It is my Tonka Truck from childhood.  I asked for one for my birthday one year when I was about five years old.  I wanted my own truck to play in the dirt with the boys.  My parents gave me this one, in a metallic tan color.  When the red trucks began trending and I was pining for one, I remembered my truck.  It was rusted and worn and an unattractive shade of tan.  Of course, that was easily fixed with a can of glossy colonial red spray paint. 

I do have lots of Christmas decorations that I have collected over the years.  In recent years, I've tried to become more selective and choose a few quality pieces to add to our decor, while thinning out well-worn pieces or pieces that aren't my taste any more.  But, as you can see from this post, some of the vignettes that delight me the most, are simple pairings and groupings of things that I already have.  Place a miniature wreath on a birdhouse and it becomes part of your Christmas decor.  Display treasured ornaments in unexpected places to highlight them and remind you of Christmas's past.  In this season when going "over the top" in decorating is permissible, it is also nice to step back and decorate simply.