image - vicki archer
I like to mix our Christmas up a little... change colours... add new decorations... take away some of the old (not the favourites though)... hang them in different places or arrange them in alternative groupings. Last year I chose 'silver', 'white' and 'clear' as my theme... The silver mercury ornaments shimmered and the clear glass twinkled... the decor felt peaceful... and for me, that is the meaning of Christmas...
This year I am changing tack... I am bringing back the colour. I think it was last weekend in Paris that I found a hankering for the brights... These colourful garlands strung in the 6th arrondissement charmed me... They were not sophisticated, perfect in design or uniform in any way... yet they had such a festive quality and feeling of merriment about them. To me, they feel celebratory, happy and full of exuberance and that is how I want our home to feel this year...
I will be adding red, lots and lots of red... and violet.... as much violet as I can rustle up.... to the sparkling silver and twinkly glass ornaments... I have found the Christmas crackers... An English tradition and one that I carry by hand (at great inconvenience) to France every year... but we can't live without them... our table would not be dressed without the bon bons... and Christmas would not be Christmas without them... I am going to light red candles in our hallway... and all throughout the house and I want to wrap the staircase in a garland of oak leaves and red berries... Ambitious plans... And when will all this happen? All I can say is that I better hurry up... Wreaths... Other than the front door, I am planning on hanging individual wreaths on our gilt mirrors on the staircase and in the library... Simple pine with silk satin ribbons should do the trick...
Speaking of decorations, Patti Nixon and Nathalie from Dolce Dreams are the winners today... Please email me your postal addresses.... a Christmas decoration is coming your way... I will be giving away more on Wednesday... so let's keep playing this game...Tweet, facebook, comment, subscribe or follow me... there are no rules in this game... If you are already a subscriber or a follower then you need do nothing more you are automatically entered...
Tell me all... What are your decorating schemes this year?... What should I be adding? xv
Sounds merry and bright! I'm hanging wreaths in windows and on mirrors with simple silk ribbons, too. Two are up and four more to go. I hope you'll post some photos as your Christmas colors come together! And thanks for another gorgeous Paris shot, I've been loving the virtual trip to my favorite city through your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love reading your posts about Christmas in France. You say 'last week in Paris'.....sadly I can only say,'last year in Paris'.....but I loved watching Paris get ready for Christmas....the French have such a beautiful style, I love it all!!!!
ReplyDeleteLinda
GORGEOUS PHOTOS. WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK TO PARIS AT CHRISTMAS. X
ReplyDeleteThis year I will be away for Christmas so I don't have to put a lot of thought into decoration but I get to take the bon-bons! Christmas would not be Christmas without them...funny hats, bad jokes and all!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh hooray! I have been looking forward to hearing about what you have decided for this year. I love the reasoning behind it, that it isn't just a 'design scheme'.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I saw some Christmas crackers here in Arles. If you need backup, they are in that tiny boutique in the rue Jouvene near Benedicte, the fabulous encadreuse. Let me know if you need more info!
Dear Vicki, I can't wait to see Christmas though your eyes. It promises to be a visual treat!
ReplyDeleteI love that you adding color, Vicki! And I love red candles through the house ... might borrow that idea from you ;) My Christmas tree is going to have ornaments in all colors and lots of lights, I like it traditional, kind like in Benjamin Bradley's home here http://nysocialdiary.com/node/1389908.
ReplyDeleteWith red velvet ribbon I hang simple small green wreaths on my kitchen upper cabinets' glass doors. These I make myself, they are artificial this year, but for the next year Christmas I would love to make small ones for my kitchen like here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/266082/fragrant-wreathes?czone=holiday/workshop-christmas/workshop-christmas-lights
xoxo
I usually go for the glass, silver and frosted white theme in the living room, but this year I have been drawn to the red and white Scandinavian look. It started with just one or two 'cute' items and now I have rather a lot of them!
ReplyDeleteI also have a very ugly 1980's kitchen that is dark green and brown. As we will be eating Christmas dinner in there, I have decided to get over the embarassement of the room and have fun with the ugly! I have bought lime green baubles with 'Crackers about Sprouts' written on them and will tie one to the back of each chair with cream satin ribbon. Then I will pile the others into a galss bowl for the centre of the table. If you can't redesign the room, then make use of what awful colours you already have!
These images are so gorgeous. Can't wait to see your Christmas decorations. I remember the beautiful images last Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, Vicki.
Teresa
xoxo
Good Morning from Canada;It is grey and damp,yet not cold.The posting about Xmas decorations is just the thing on such a day.Your ideas are lovely.This year ,because of a change in residence,a real tree is possible.Also,my sister moved here from California and brought our mother's decorations.The tree will have a vintage look.Hopefully,my grandchildren will be available to help us decorate.I have found out there are no busier people than 10 year old twins(girl and boy)and their staff(aka parents).The colour scheme is up to them.It will be fun.Have a marvelous day.OXO Jean
ReplyDeleteI think your red and violet theme sounds so festive. I'm going cream and gold with hits of copper- an old standby but it works in my neutral living room with it's rusty toned area rug.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas DREAM is to spend time in early December in Paris and shop the Christmas markets - maybe next year. Have you ever been, or might I have missed a previous post on the holiday markets? Lol Looove your writings and the blog...
ReplyDeleteLinda at Beautiful Ideas
Hi Vicki,
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing. I used to worry that my kids would come away feeling we didn't hold to any "traditions" by the fact that I changed up the decorations each year, depending on what struck my creative energy. I use the favorites consistently but will change colors at whim. Nice to know I'm not alone. :-) My adult sons seem to have chosen women (one married, one engaged to be so) that enjoy the same change at Christmas. Ha!
I will look forward to seeing what you've done this year.
Karen
Vicki this color palette is so festive and elegant!! I love it!
ReplyDeletePlease Come and enter in My 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways. There are so many exciting & special Gifts! Tis the Season! You will love Karen Sugarman's Earrings!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Ah, now that is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLet those posts be coming! I enjoy every minute. We are planing our vacation in France next summer, you provide all the inspirations.....
ReplyDeleteThank you!
can't wait to see all the colors of Christmas when we arrive in Paris next week!
ReplyDeleteTwisted willow branches in large pots decorated with lots of glass and silver baubles... and fresh flowers, that's my plan. I seem to be a year behind you!
ReplyDeleteHave fun with it all.
Avril
ahhh you had me at violet, my favorite(this year) Love seeing the blog. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteI'm going the colorful route myself this year. How I would love to spend Christmas in France. Gorgeous photos! xxoo :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of red and violet! My color scheme remains the same all year (once I find things I like, I leave them) - burgundy velvet curtains at the window, faded green armchair, cream couch, rug with all those colors.
ReplyDeleteAnd so Christmas is a blend of those colors and much sparkliness - in varying degrees depending on how busy I am and how destructive my cats are being...this year I opted for wreaths in every window instead of a tree...
What a cheerful photo! I like that it is not organized. Love the mix of colors. I will go for lots of colors too, and since I have recently discovered purple as my new fav', there will be a lot of it on the tree and around the house. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteVicki,
ReplyDeleteMerci! You have made my day, my week! I am terribly excited to have a piece of your Christmas treasure to celebrate with ~ Lucky Moi!
I will email you,
Have a wonderful week and bonne chance with your decor...again I cannot wait to see photos!
Nathalie
Dear Vicki,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it that you are going colourful this Christmas......it's not always about everything looking perfect and matchy, matchy but being festive and fun. I know that your home will look wonderful, whatever you do !!
For us, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without crackers. Our family wouldn't speak to us if we didn't have crackers. We were in Liberty's a couple of weeks ago and bought some, I bought a box from Toast and, when our Dad died, I found a box of unused crackers from the 1950's. One was missing but, I think that we should all pull one this year and see what delights they hold !!!! XXXX
As a Brit, France was a regular destination but now I'm in the US, it's been a while. I have found that reading your posts on Christmas in France each morning transports me to that magical wonderland, even if only for a few seconds... Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteJo xx
Hi Vicki, What a fun giveaway you are hosting. I know this sounds stupid, but I'm changing my Christmas decorations from silver to gold this year. I'm so tired of silver and red.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your winners, rich violets and red are always beautiful this time of year, very rich and decadent. I tend to use a lot of gold with dark green, this year being between moving into our new home, its a bit of a hodge podge but I will make do and admire and enjoy everyone elses decorations in blogland!
ReplyDeletegorgeous! wish i could see paris during christmas time
ReplyDeleteI have a collection of angels....in white, silver and gold...and I look forward to decorating with them every Christmas....they symbolize all the angels watching out for me.
ReplyDeleteNext year I will start a collection of snowflakes and stars...
Looking forward to seeing some pics or your home.
regards
Emma B
This week I am sending my boys out to the bush for a christmas tree and then on Friday night we have the traditional tree decorating. When the boys were young it was milo and biscuits now they are older its a beer for them a wine for me and nibbles. I can't wait always love our tree decorating night.
ReplyDeleteDear Vicky what a grand plans for holiday decoration you have! It sounds very promising. Can't wait to see your Reportage.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a coincidence, my very first Post about St.Paul-de-Vence is so in tune with your Daily Click.
Please visit my just launched blog Jewel yet to find http://jewelyettofind.blogspot.com/
Thank you.
Natalie
it sounds like you have your work cut out for you!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of mixing it up--neutrals one year, bright colors the next. One of my favorite, tried-and-true decorations is a fresh wreath hung in my dining room window. I decorate it with my children's silver christening cups and baby forks and spoons. It looks beautiful and is as close to scrapbooking as I'll ever get!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Lauren
Rouge and violet.
ReplyDeleteAhh. Wonderful choices!
I've done copper and scarlet and I love it!
Wreaths on the inside of every window.
Trees in three rooms, including the bedroom, which is such a treat.
Happy Christmas!
Last year was a big color year for me. This time I'm doing white, silver, and turquoise. I bought a silver tree this year and I LOVE IT! With 900 white lights it glows. My table is a more subtle. I have a set of creamy white dishes with a teal band. The napkins and tablecloth are the same shade of teal. Glitzy napkin rings, stemmed glasses with a silver ball at the top of the stem, and white candles with small silver pears forming the candle ring completes the table. I changed out the shades on my chandelier to silver. My fireplace surround is already a mirrored mosaic so enough glitz there. I filled the firebox with glass candlesticks and white candles and put three pillar candles on the mantle. Because of the colors in my living room I added a little lime green to the turquoise. It's the color palette that makes me happy this year.
ReplyDelete... lovely Vicki ... I love your photos of French holiday lights ... loved last years in St Remy
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me today. So I posted a photo of my Xmas tree on my blog. Colour does it for me everytime.
kind Regards
Karen
Vicki, your photos grow more beautiful each day ~ the light and colours in this are glorious. I love the sound of your Christmas theme. It's just about time for me to put up my teensy weensy tree. I'm not sure about the colours yet but you've inspired me to come up with something different rather than my traditional silver, white and gold...
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do gold, silver and cream...this weekend I am bucking down and getting it done!
ReplyDeletexx
Sounds lovely Vickie cannot wait to see the house in all its splendor.I am by the sea this year have decorated a lovely moss encrusted large branch from the paddocks of Bowral with glass and silver decorations and beautiful decorations by a Scandivian lady whose name escapes me at present.
ReplyDeleteMy dear old maiden aunts used to have a lingerie shop in Sydney and they gave me beautiful glass decorations that they were using in the 70s and 80s to decorate their shop. They have since passed on.I still have the kids original decorations that they made when they were small.I will pass them on.Loving the posts remember the fantastic photos that you took last year around St Remy.xxTrish
I love lots of bright colors! I like the old fashioned reds and greens! ♥
ReplyDeleteThis is such a pretty and happy photo!! There's always been something about nontraditional colored Christmas lights that I've loved! Keep up giving us the inspirational photos!
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas for Christmas this year, Vicki--especially the violet! And I always think pine wreaths with silk satin ribbons are the epitome of simple elegance. I'm glancing around at my decorations now, and realizing what a hodgepodge of colors I've got, but the one thing that holds everything together this year is that I'm using all vintage ornaments from my collection. Somehow that patina makes all the colors work together for me. Can't wait for a peek at your red and violet decorations! xoxo Gigi
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating to read all the comments with such a variety of colour schemes. It seems the only thing consistent is sparkle, and lots of it. Red and violet sounds very richly striking - very luscious. I have a strong mind to set up half a dozen trees this year, because I simply cannot decide which mood I am most in! Virginia xx
ReplyDelete