Arizona A nature inspired Christmas

Wooh!  I am overwhelmed with all those over the top Christmas home tours popping up on Pinterest and blogs.  Is it me or have people gone totally overboard  with Christmas decorating? The practical in me rebels.  Where do they store all those new decorations each year?  How much money is invested yearly when one does a complete decor  change at Christmas?  Where is tradition in all of this? 

It's was so refreshing to visit  my sister's home this week and see that nature and thrift inspired much of what she has done to invite Christmas cheer. We both love a good bargain and forage our gardens for materials to decorate.  Some of the objects get used year after year in different ways and a small portion are purchased new.   So come along and see what she has done.....

Christmas Welcome

She  has the perfect roofed entry for welcoming  Christmas decor. A centre layout doesn't hurt either.  She couldn't pass up these  lovely birch pots even thought she went looking for something larger. I love the colour and texture of them. They  are so versatile and  could easily be used inside too on a table or buffet.

 Birch Pots

 A closer view.  The local dollar store had lots of inexpensive ornaments to add to the cedar and pine.

 Berries and Birds

The red tub and a sprinkling of snow adds to this delightful combination of birds, berries, twigs and greenery.  Happy holidays to all who decide to enter by the back door.  That would be almost everybody in the town where she lives! While I was visiting there were high winds and we were afraid the contents  of this arrangement would  end up in the neighbour's yard.  Decorating outside in Newfoundland is a risky business.

Dove with greenery

 And inside a stained glass dove, a gift from us several years ago, is incorporated into  this very simple arrangement of greenery in a basket that gets used every year.  This arrangement also serves a practical purpose - it creates privacy and allows the outside in.   Taken at night this shot shows the inside wreath on the opposite wall,  the bare tree outside and  the neighbour's lights.  I wished I had my camera and not my I Phone for better shots.

 This  versatile candle holder might appear anywhere during the year in her house, but this Christmas it is on the buffet in the dining area. 

 Add a red candle.... 

 

And a $2.00  mini wreath, you guessed it from the local dollar store,

 

 and viola .... ready for Christmas. 

We were wishing there was a third one to balance out the wreath.  Spreading them out a little helped.  That shot never got taken.

 And a lovely 3 D snowflake on a spent orchid stalk.   So simple and so riveting .  Your eye will  follow  red anywhere.   We had great discussion about where  the snowflake should be placed.  We decided to put it on the edge of the vignette to move your eye on to the next thing. Two sisters who are both decorators can spend hours talking about very little (according to family)!

An inviting home and a great sister.  Merry Christmas Vera, and thank you for allowing me to show some of your Christmas cheer.