Christmas Decorating My Maine Way

I love Christmas. I love the colors, music, decadent foods and decorating. The holiday season allows me to use as much creativity as I choose to create the atmosphere I want to achieve in my home. Sometimes I keep it simple with just my decorated Christmas tree and a few decorations around my home and sometimes I go all out. Most of the time, I'm an eclectic mix of home-spun country and Martha Stewart-esque elegance. (I know, right?) Ah well. I didn't say I was going to make any appearances on the Nate Berkus show. :-)

I wanted to share a couple photos of my holiday decor...... simple, easy and cheery. I hope the pictures come out ok. I had to use my cell phone camera because I lost my camera cable to transfer higher quality photos.

This picture is simple, understated elegance. I cut poplar branches from trees in my back yard, spray painted them with a bronze metallic paint then stuck them in a plant pot full of sand. I wrapped the pot in white paper and tied the wide gold wire ribbon around it. Finally, I hung a few gold and red plastic Christmas balls on the branches. I finished the look by spotlighting the piece with one of the light fixtures in the room.

In the Northeast, evergreens abound. In many areas, these types of arrangements with greens and berries can only be ordered through LL Bean or other mail order companies. I am fortunate, not only to have LL Bean in my state, but that I can go into my back yard or nearby and get these materials and create my own centerpieces and arrangements. This one graces my bathroom counter and imparts a wonderful evergreen scent to the room.

How do you decorate where you live?

SNOW !

Winter. Many of us today are deep in the heart of winter as the blustery winter weather takes over across the nation on this February 2nd. Phil may have seen his shadow, but most of us are well aware that 6 (or more) weeks of winter are forthcoming....at least in these northern regions.

Today's weather may in fact signal a need for power outage preparation.  We in the north know quite well that ill prepared for storms that come with, or without, warning can be disastrous. Today's snow storm with high winds and drifting snow make an ideal setting for blogging, crafting, napping or just snuggling in with a warm cup of tea or coffee. Yet, it can quickly become a condition of loss of electricity (which for many means loss of heat), getting snowed in, and the inability to safely travel to get needed groceries and other supplies.

Making sure all is prepared in advance can certainly take some pressure off when the big storm hits.

• Store up some canned foods and bottled water
• Have water saved for toilet flushing (trust me, you'll be glad you did!)
• Stock up on batteries, flashlights, candles, blankets. Know where this stuff is when you need it !
• Invest in a generator and alternate source of heat such as a wood stove that doesn't require electricity.

And remember, it doesn't hurt to check in on the neighbors......especially if they're elderly. We're all in this together !