HOLIDAY KITCHENS

Here are a few pictures of my kitchen this year.   Now it is a little overdone because it is merchandised for my Holiday Boutique which is tomorrow.  So the kitchen is done in reds/greens/whites and it's full of eye candy.

My favorite black beauty hutch is stacked with holiday goodies...some handmade some vintage.

Sorry for the glare on the picture frame, that is my Nonna's photo and she likes the spotlight. lol

Here is a new table I made for the show and will serve as a beverage stand for guests. (come back on Monday for the post on how this table was transformed)

A vintage style tree with....yep vintage Shiny Brite ornaments...which will be for sale tomorrow.

Another tree with more Shiny Brite ornaments....the black trays are in my shop too.  They are vintage tin trays that I turned into chalkboard trays and will hold some yummy yuletide treats (that's another post too...lol)

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY HOLIDAYS ... FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS 

-MJ

Kitchens......AT THE PICKET FENCE

THANKFUL

This has been a very hard week for my family, so I will leave the words to a minimum and just show you how I have kept myself busy .


Thanksgiving Tablescape..........the only thing purchased for this tablescape are the 2 brown trees....75% off sale at JoAnn's (c'mon who could resist that kind of sale, when you feeling bad)

Burlap, Gold Chargers, Vintage Wheat Dishes, Trees, Pumpkins, Twig balls, Terra Cotta Pots, Votives, Pinecones, Moss, Candles, Vintage Tags.

Handmade "BLESSINGS" banner

Place setting for Pops

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

You can look for the youtube video on how this table was put together.

HERE

This year I am counting my blessings even more than ever....my step-dad is still in the hospital from this past weekend.  He has been battling cancer in his lungs and kidney, he now has cancer tumors on his brain.  This may be his last Thanksgiving so this year I will be thankful the time I have left with him.

LIFE IS SHORT....Treasure you loved ones, and count each Blessing!

-MJ

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY @ Between Naps on the Porch
VINTAGE INSPIRATION FRIDAY @ Common Ground
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY @ French Country Cottage

HOLIDAY DECOR...THE REAL TREE

So for 6 years now my husband has been taunting me about my "Macy's trees".   His version of a Christmas is to pull everything out of boxes and throw it on the tree!   I know this because I let him and the kids decorate the tree one year....yes ONE YEAR!   It was killing me not to rip everything off, but I promised not to touch it.

So since the kids and the husband are getting the artificial tree downstairs......that leaves me with the fabulous 9ft Douglas Fir that hubby picked up last night.   I wished for a slim tall tree to fit in the corner by the fireplace...kinda like an Italian Cypress tree.   Well I think its obvious that I didnt go with my husband nor did he hear me voice my wishes for the tree this year.

This is the monster he walked in with at 9p.m.

This is the beast it became after we cut the netting off, still enormous.

I cant see my santas of anything on that wall and its imposing on the fireplace too. OMG

Out came the clippers and I started at the bottom....leaving room for my decorative present boxes (ha this year I get to do whatever I want up here)

As you can see not much of a difference...but I did get some great clippings for the mantel and the kitchen hutch. lol

Ive gotten alot of inspiration from Ballard Designs

 This year Im going to try a more muted color scheme. This is my inspiration tree from Ballard Designs. White, Cream, Silver, Gold and natural textures like birds, pine cones, rice and nuts are my ingredients for the living room holiday design.

Lights are on...type to spruce them both up.

Here it starts off with lights and a special tree skirt.

This is my Nonna (grandmother) Anna's bedspread...its light and beautiful and I love having it under my tree.

It has beautiful detail work and in the center the phrase " Amor Mio"...I love it.

HOLIDAY DECOR....THE ENTRYWAY ***UPDATED..AGAIN**

Well it gets extremely cold in New Jersey in the winter, and we live near the water so its also very windy as well.    I try not to keep too much on my porch, I keep the wicker furniture and some pots usually.   Last year fence panels and solar lights were destroyed so Im being more cautious this year.

This year I decided I want a simple exterior and was again inspired by:

Ballard Design Catalogs

This entry is so classic & clean to me...I love it!

HOLIDAY DECOR......KITCHEN

The kitchen is the heart of the home.....and I stand by that notion as well.   I love my new kitchen although I still think I need more space. lol.

This year since I have my black beauty hutch in there now, it will be  hosting my Christmas teapot collection along with a few other items.

I didnt really decorate other areas of the kitchen because theyre in use constantly throughout the day with a family of 7 and friends visiting in and out.

Hope you enjoy......

This is how the hutch was finished off yesterday (Wed)

One of my teapots, my santa pitcher and a mini treat jar.

My eucalyptus tree holding my newest love....ornaments w/stockings on them.

This was a gift from my friend Chacha...she has a 2 ft one and I loved it so much.  

Burlap stocking adorn the drawer knobs, and a door hanger from my Etsy shoppe.

A folkstyle santa birdfeeder and a snowman tray from an estate sale.

My nutcracker mini tea set from Bombay Company (1994)

Kitchen side of my pass through area...thats the back of the manger.  I have my baker nutcracker in the kitchen this year.

So after doing some linky party visits today I was inspired by http://backporchmusings.typepad.com/blog/2010/12/a-christmas-cupboard.html and decided to spruce up my hutch.   Hers is done so much better but Im happy with my changes.

I edited out the birdfeeder and moved it on top and added a vintage lantern

I also moved the candlesticks up by the fireplace and added some greens snipped from the huge tree in the living room. 

This is the final Christmas Kitchen hutch.....for now! lol

HOLIDAY DECOR......LIVING ROOM

This year is the 1st year in the new house with a fireplace...Ive been waiting 11 months to decorate this thing.  And then.......decorators block!   I wanted something different than what Ive done before but didn't want to go out and spend more money (I have 5 children to buy Christmas presents for in this house....lol)

I also wanted to edit my holiday decor (or at least challenge myself to try).  I love the style of Lynda from Focal Point....http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com (she was a merchandiser as well and I love her use of objects to tell a story in a room) I also have a soft spot for her because she's a Jersey Girl who relocated to South Florida (cant blame her for that decision).

I do still have small children in the house so I still want it to be whimsical and magical for them as well.  So here is what I came up with for the living room.  Keep in mind this is just our sitting room, our family room/Dallas Cowboys cave is downstairs with a playroom area.  So I kept this a little more grown up and a lighter more natural palette than I usually do.

Leopard sofa w/ muslin pillows and I switched out my spindle lamps for these more elaborate ones.  My book page wreath and the rest was exsisting.

I use my Macy's dining room chairs as side chairs, again another wreath. I also switched out the brown curtains to muslin tab-tops.

The archway from LR to DR hold our 7 stockings with 1 extra for my daughters best friend Nikki.  Do you think we have room for any more children??? (just kidding)

Lamp I pulled from garage storage, my heavy metal cross and a glass bowl or ornaments.

Other sidetable...box was gift from husband while he was in Iraq (how sweet) and I cut fresh greens from front yard bush and ta-da a cute simple vignette.

My old standby leather ottoman with a burlap throw.  On top as always my black toile tray with some books and very old bible and rosary (let's remember what the holiday is all about).

Closer look....small metal cross, decanter w/ oatmeal, brass candlesticks (they remind me of Ebinezer Scrooge)

This was how the mantle was coming together...was trying to use this great crystal lit garland my friend gave me...the white wiring was giving me such stress.

Dollar store gold star, along with trio of glass votive holders and some textural decorative balls

This is the left side, same star but I filled a vase with white rice (snow) and walnuts mixed with chestnuts (needs a refill...i was snacking)

J is for Joseph....

Love this artwork...got it off season at BBB for 75% off. Cha-ching!

Companion piece

Also companion piece...I love it.

This is the intended spot for the tree.  Do you see that magazine page taped on the wall. (thats my inspiration tree from Ballard Designs) I want a tall somewhat thin tree this year.

My ceramic santas from around the world..they each have country and year on them.

Another 5 Santas

And ladies/gents  this is why you should go with your partner for the family tree. This is a Douglas Fir that is 8-9ft the tag says...it reaches the ceiling of my LR (ahhhhhhh) 

Out came the clippers, it was literally covering half the fireplace. lol

But hey waste not want not or however that saying goes....I used those little branches to beef up my mantel area.  Dont you love my use of a gold charger to camoflauge the 36" flat screen. lol

As of right now 2 a.m this is what the mantel looks like (cant say that will be the case by tomorrow or Christmas morning for that matter).

Now decorating this mammoth of a Christmas tree is my next project.  God I love my husband...(if you could only hear the sarcasm...lol)

Well its time for bed....goodnight to all!