Monday, December 21, 2009

Thrifty Decor

You know me well enough to know that some of my "new" Christmas decorations were purchased at the thrift store. Let's play a little show and tell.
See these gigantic faux poinsettia plants?
Gorgeous, aren't they? Yep, I found them at the thrift store. They originally came from a very nice boutique. The $99.99 price tag was still on them. I was so excited when I found them and I didn't even have to race to grab them! Why? Because I purchased them in the summer, when few people have Christmas decorations on their mind. I always keep an eye out for holiday decorations, no matter the time of year. A perfect time to stock up on decorations from the thrift store is right after any holiday because people give things away that they don't want to store.
I found this big, beautiful glass vessel a few months ago.
It's very similar to ones you would find in the PB catalog. I love it and I didn't want to hide it away when I brought out my decorations. I figured since it was a Christmas color I could make it work. So I added a little tree charm, paired it with a mercury glass finial, and the combination makes me smile. It really doesn't take much to turn something ordinary into a decoration; usually just the addition of a little ribbon trim or a shiny bauble can brighten the ordinary into Christmas extraordinary.
One of my favorite thrift store discoveries this year is this deer.
I think that he may be made with real leather, at least he looks like it. I added the wreath to his neck so that he would look like one of Santa's reindeer. I found him in the toy aisle of the thrift store, which is a reminder to look in the unexpected places when you shop. Often times great things can be found in the oddest of places in the thrift store, so it's wise to keep your eyes open.
I added a little thrift store garland to the mix and I have a fancy boutique display for an unbelievably low price.
That's the beauty of thrift store shopping!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

It's a Wrap!

By now, hopefully your Christmas shopping is done and all you have to do is wrap. (Unfortunately, I will be doing some last minute shopping tomorrow.) Here are some fun and beautiful ways to present your gifts.


Love these colourful and graphic papers.


Lots of inspiration here. Wallpaper, road maps
and crafting your own using plain white paper
and rubber stamps. Or you could use carved
potatoes dipped in paint like we did as kids!

Isn't this lime green and fuchsia combination yummy?



Very eco friendly - using fabric scraps.


Have your kids create their own or use old calendar paper.

(1,3 - Style at Home; 2 - Chatelaine; 4, 5 - Martha Stewart)