Oh, My Christmas Trees

This tree, I created for the cover of Country Living Magazine 2007

The magazine's best selling Dec Issue ever.

Photo by Tria Giovan

In my business, the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for me. My associate Cynthia Bogart, Editor of The Daily Basics, thedailybasics.com asked me if I would feature some of the Christmas trees I have designed over the years for an article on their site. To read more, click here.

A few of my favorite designs.

Better Homes and Gardens 2005

Christmas Ideas Magazine 2008
Photo by Michael Partenio

 

Christmas Ideas Magazine 2010 

Photo by Michael Partenio 

 

Christmas Ideas Magazine 2007

Photo by Michael Partenio 

Good Housekeeping magazine 2006

 Good Housekeeping magazine 2010

  Photo by Michael Partenio

2011 Country Living Magazine Christmas Feature

This past summer, my sister told me about a fabulous house affectionately named Cabin Fever by its owners Leslie Bacon and her husband. I adored how they have filled their home with artistic collections, plaid vintage baskets, textiles, and rustic yet sophisticated furnishings with such balance.

Upon arriving, I knew immediately this would be an ideal setting for a magazine.

After showing Country Living magazine, Style Director, Natalie Warady my preliminary shots of this house, she too thought this would be an ideal 2011 Country Living magazine Christmas feature! 


Natalie and I set off to Vermont to produce the feature with photographer James Merrill.  Here it is! 

Gorgeous Sorcha Blankets of Hingham, MA drape the chairs

Dining table and wood bowl from Monique Shay Antiques, Woodbury, CT

 

 Now onto the Christmas tree pictured below. This tree - must tell you, I cut this tree down myself, and took to the Cabin Fever house!

Inspired by Leslie's fabulous collection of plaid vintage picnic baskets,  I made the DIY embroidery hoops filled with plaid fabrics to complement my choice of Cody Foster tree ornaments of birds, woodland animals and snowflakes! 

Tree ornaments From Cody Foster

Gorgeous blankets from Sorcha, Hingham, MA
  Dining table and wood bowl from Monique Shay Antiques, Woodbury, Ct

Check out the 2011 December Country Living magazine issue for the whole story.

The Regal Amaryllis

Holidays are soon approaching, and so are the regal Amaryllis! 


Last year, Ann Blevins editor of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas magazine asked me to design and style seven Amaryllis projects for the upcoming 2011 Christmas ideas magazine.


One traditional Victorian holiday decoration inspired me to replicate, only to find this DIY easy to do!

Sugared Amaryllis and fruit centerpiece

Lightly brush egg whites mix ever so gently upon fruit and flowers blooms. Sprinkle super-fine sugar partially on both fruit and flower. Place upon cake plate with some greens!  Flower is cut short and placed in silver votive. A centerpiece appreciated by many!

My holiday centerpiece favorite! 

Amaryllis Pineapple Centerpiece

I am often asked to design holiday tables. This centerpiece is a favorite. This will add a hit of elegance to your table with hardly any effort.  Slice off the top of the pineapple. Scoop out the delicious contents. Place amaryllis flowers in center.  Add eucalyptus, or any natural green around the amaryllis. Surround your centerpiece with cranberries, and you have a great holiday centerpiece! Don't forget to put water in this natural vase!


You can buy cut amaryllis at the florist or buy the flower bulb in the pot. 


PS. Cut stem of the amaryllis flower will last up to two weeks, maybe longer provided you keep cutting the cut stem back every few days. 
Look for more of my Amaryllis ideas in the current issue of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas magazine!



Photographs by Michael Partenio

Designing my Swedish Christmas

  Photos by Michael Partenio

Last winter was my 17^th year designing a Holiday Christmas story for Good Housekeeping magazine's December issue.

(In the world of magazines, Christmas is usually produced a year in advance).

The process started with my submitting multiple themes, sketches and ideas to the GH Staff. After working with wonderful creative editors Sarah Lyle and Laura Eckstein,we picked our favorite story and I set off to fine tune the designs.

Our pick for this year was A Swedish Christmas, an easy inspiration for me since my Dad was Swedish.

Next came the crafting, making, shopping, propping, styling, and in the end,....finding the perfect location to set it all up . We spent three days on location. ( we all know how long it takes to trim a tree).

Michael Partenio, our photographer did an amazing job shooting the projects,

 

Inspired by the traditional use of wheat platting in Scandinavian decorations.  I looked  for easy but pretty ways to work with wheat that does not take any  serious crafting ability or time!.

Splay wheat on each plate tied with ribbon

The table comes together nicely using one bunch of wheat  tied with ribbon, each in a glass hurricane . A untraditional but sophisticated centerpiece. Sit each in a white plate and surround with nuts .

 

I loved working with the palette of red and white and bringing in the natural tones with the wheat, wood and the brown paper. 

The stockings are made from recycled sweaters I picked up at a local consignment shop.

The tree is full of DIY ornaments I designed  that are all easy and quick.

You can find more ideas in the Dec Issue of Good Housekeeping.  A stylish DIY deer head that's easy to make using corugated cardboard, and some iron on sampler ornaments that will make you look like a serious needleworker!