Decorating with Poinsettias

I've always had a lot of plants in my home.

I love plants and I think they make a home more "homey".

However....

 Poinsettias were never my favorite.

As a matter of fact , I didn't like them at all !

I was a florist in a previous life.

A florist in IOWA!

Poinsettias are VERY sensitive to cold.

Poinsettia Tip # 1- if the temperature is below 50 degrees when you buy your poinsettia,

whether you get it from the florist or the store, make sure it is COMPLETELY covered.

They are native to Central America , Mexico to be exact.

You know how easy it is to deliver poinsettias at Christmas time ?

NOT!

Then of course you always had the customers that would worry about poisoning their pets !

GEEZ.....

Simply not true.

I think they would have to eat like 3 dozen  just to get a tummy ache.

But I heard it every year.

Anyway....

I'm not a florist anymore.

Thank God.

So now I can enjoy Poinsettias with the rest of the world !

They come in so many different colors and varieties now.

Red, white , pink and all mixtures in between.

I'm kind of a red fan , so that's what I used.

And guess where I put that one ?

In my BATHROOM !

Only me right?

I have a old wishbone dresser in my bathroom.

It's been painted white and was perfect for this spot, plus fixed the problem of lack of storage.

A few chairs from my mini chair collection.

an enamel pan of red Shiney Brites and a "kitschy" Santa

accompany my red poinsettia which I placed in an old Christmas tin.

Poinsettia tip #2 -  always remove your poinsettias from the plastic/ foil sleeve they come in.

They need to be able to drain.

Poinsettia tip #3 - NEVER let you poinsettia sit in water for longer that 30 minutes.

They don't like to dry out , but they don't like to sit in water either.

Kitchy santa from the thrift store.

Love him !

My tweaked dresser vignette.

I added a table runner and a couple of my bottle brush trees.

Well... I decorated the bathroom with a poinsettia so why not the kitchen ?

Poinsettia Tip #4 - Keep away from heat sources ( fireplaces, heat runs,stoves)

but also keep them away from drafts ( doors , windows ).

This time I used a white one in an old aluminum colander.

I added a little lime green bling to it.

I also love cardboard houses.

A silver tray, faux snow and green glass Christmas balls complete this vignette.

Poinsettia Tip #5 - when picking out a plant , choose one with tight , tiny yellow flowers in the center.

That's right, the flowers.

The colorful leaves that most people think of as the flowers are not actually the flowers.

If the flowers are open and you see the powdery pollen, the plant is past it's prime.

Poinsettia Tip #6 -  don't pick a plant with wilty or yellow leaves, that's a pretty good sign the plant hasn't been watered properly and may not last as long.

So there you go.

If you like poinsettias , use them.

They won't harm human or beast.

 AND they say " Christmas " like no other house plant.

Here is a great link to more Poinsettia knowledge,

http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/

I am also linking this post to ~

http://thegreenhousediaries.blogspot.com/2011/11/great-poinsettia-decorating-challenge.html

http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/2011/12/walking-in-wonderland-newbie-party.html

http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com/2011/12/meet-me-monday-15.html

http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/2011/12/amaze-me-monday-53.html

http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2011/12/blogger-block-partychristmas-in-kitchen.html

http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/

One tree down....

My Christmas decorating has been slow going... sigh

I don't know what wrong with me , I'm usually done by now.

But there is nothing like a deadline ( party) to get me in gear.

I got the "antler tree" up and decorated.

This is the husbands favorite tree.

Actually if it was up to him, it would be our only tree.

He has said so many times !

It's just a 31/2-4 foot prelit tree I picked up at the thrift store for $10.

But it is perfect in the corner of the living room.

First, I added more lights, frosted pinecone lights.

Love them !

Then I filled in some of the "blank" spots with flocked evergreen picks.

I may get rid of the red berries yet.

There is something about them I just don't like.

More pinecone ornaments , a small selection of my vintage-look birds , deer ornaments and

ANTLERS !

Only small ones , cause they are kinda heavy !

See, I may just have to get rid of the red berries !

Then I added the tree topper.

Vintage-look pheasant with real pheasant feathers.

Which you might recognize from a previous post.

I wrapped the base in burlap.

There you have it.

Rustic nature meets glam nature.

What do you think?

Those red berries really need to go right?

Oh and that party I mentioned.

If any of my followers would like to check out the Trailerhood in all her Christmas finery and taste some fabulous wine,

You're Invited !

Just leave a comment and I will email you the details.

Linking this post to :

http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.vwbblog.com/

http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/2011/11/one-project-at-time-tuesday-link-party_29.html

http://designergarden.blogspot.com/

http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/2011/12/blogger-block-christmas-tree-party-and.html

http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/



Vintage Christmas - Part II

I haven't started much Christmas decorating yet .

I never start till after Thanksgiving, although that usually means Thanksgiving night.

Not this year , just can't get motivated.

I've got all the fall decorations put away and one tree half decorated,

but that's about it.

Oh, except for a few outdoor displays.

I don't like to do that when it's cold and it's about to get real cold real soon around here.

That brings me to a word I really like ~

KITCH

We are big into vocabulary around here ! LOL

Kitch -noun

something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste.

Or in other words , tacky.

Now some will and do think plastic lawn ornaments are tacky,

and I agree some are.

However I think it's all in how you display them.

I kinda have a thing for vintage , which you well know if you read my blog at all.

Ok, these are borderline , vintage... but I love them.

Pinterest inspiration ( of course )

I prefer snowmen.

However I do have one Santa.

I missed out on an awesome santa complete with sleigh and reindeer at the thrift store.

I had already paid and was on my way out when I saw it.

Of course I was running late and thought I would get it next time.

Cause who besides me would want a faded plastic Santa with sleigh and reindeer?

I guess someone did , when I went back it was gone !...sigh

anyway....

Now my version,

I promise, someday I WILL learn to take good pictures.

I meant to get a picture of it lit up at night.

Didn't happen....

I got these little guys at the thrift store for $2 each!

Score!

Lit up.

I really love it.

So what do you think ?

Kitsch or tacky?

Love or hate ?

Leave me a comment...

I WILL get started on those trees tomorrow ...

REALLY ....

Linking up to these fabulous blogs :

http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/

http://www.vwbblog.com/

Vintage Christmas

I haven't done much ( almost none ) Christmas decorating yet.

My plan was to stay home today - NO Black Friday shopping.

Yea, that didn't happen.

Em wanted to go , so of course Mom had to go with.

Meaning : NO decorating got done today.

We are meeting friends tonight .

Tomorrow my crazy family comes to my house for our Thanksgiving.

So , I might get much done tomorrow either.

I have gotten some inspiration from Pinterest though.

I collect vintage Christmas ,

I have for quite a few years now.

Mostly Shiney Brites .

 Never heard of them ? Really?

Well then, you have never been to my house.

They are kind of an obsession for me.

I am a nostalgic person.

They remind me of my Grandma's Christmas tree when I was a kid.

As a matter of fact, my first ones came from my Grandma and my Mother-in-law.

I love finding them .

 You just never know where.

I found some at a garage sale this summer.

My friend Deanna even sent me some she found in a thrift store while she lived in Idaho !

A little history of Shiney Brites~

Until World War II most of the glass Christmas ornaments were imported from Germany and Japan.

With the coming war inevitable ,  America's biggest importers of glass Christmas ornaments, Woolworth's and Max Eckhart & Sons ( owners of the Shiney Bright Company) asked the Corning Company to produce  glass Christmas ornaments with their patented machine previously used to make light bulbs.

In 1939 they began producing the first American made glass Christmas ornaments.

Of all their buyers, Corning sold the most to Max Eckhardt’s Shiny Brite.

He made Shiny Brite Christmas balls and decorations throughout the war. Shiny Brite had innovative solutions to problems brought on by rationing. When metal paints and varnish were unavailable, he began banding balls with slim lines in light shades.
Shiny Brite was the leading maker of glass Christmas decorations by the end of the war. They began making ornaments decorated with vibrant hues, which reflected the vivacity of the post-war era. The traditional metal tops were once again used, this time bearing a proud stamp declaring that Shiny Brite ornaments were U.S.-made. The boxes they were packed in, too, were marked “American Made.”

In 1962, Shiny Brite stopped producing Christmas ornaments.

In 2001 Christopher Radko purchased the rights to reproduce glass ornaments under the Shiney Bright name. Even the boxes bear a strong resemblance to the originals.

My big tree is decorated with all Shiney Brites.

I have glass bowls filled with them.

 I have never been brave enough to do this with them though ~

 I just can't bring myself to put glue on them !

Last year Emily told me my tree looked like a " Grandma tree" ,

Good.

That's exactly what I was going for !

I promise to post  pictures as soon as I get the tree up and decorated !

Here is a new idea I pinned ~

Yea, well , time will tell if I get this done !

Stay tuned for Vintage Christmas Part II coming soon !

Linking this post to :

http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/