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Accents of Home believes that what separates a home from a house is the ability to create a refuge that reflects the personality of its occupants that live in them.
Our newsletter will bring you decorating tips to help with your creativity just in time for Christmas. . I hope Accents of Home can be a part of your life to bring joy into your home with great decorating advice and consultation services.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog and I encourage you to submit decorating tips as our guests. All that is required is first, last name and state. We love sharing testimonial experiences with friends and family. For any concerns or questions, please email: kathy@accentsofhome.com

The following Christmas decorating tips will help you upgrade your home holiday decorations and set the perfect tone for holiday entertaining.

Using Live Plants for Holiday Decorations

For those people who live in the northern climes, the middle of winter can be very bleak and depressing, add to that some holiday stress and you’ve got a dreary outlook. By incorporating live plants into your home during the holiday season you’ll brighten the room and your mood.
Instead of cutting a tree or putting up a fake one, look for a small live tree that will give you that evergreen look and smell but you won’t have to watch it die and constantly drip needles.
Or replace the tree entirely with a topiary. A large potted plant can be capped by a wood topiary and strung with a few lights as homage to the traditional Christmas tree, but an understated and simple version.
Bring other seasonal live plants into the home such as Christmas cactus, Poinsettias, Amaryllis, Paperwhites, Cyclamens, and Azaleas. These brilliantly colored beauties will cheer any room. Arrange flowers in small clusters or groups of three for the best aesthetic impact.

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Guest Decorating Tips:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la…. Need any holiday decorating ideas? I’ve got some great ones for you!

We all are feeling the pinch of the downturn in the economy, but don’t let that keep you from adding joy to your home for the holidays. Here are some free or very inexpensive ideas to delight your family and your guests.

THINK GREEN

Cut pine or cedar boughs and decorate your mantels and doorways. If you have artificial trees and garlands, add the boughs to them for texture and aroma. Magnolia branches and holly branches are great too.

THINK SPARKLE

Fill glass bowls and vases with ornaments. (Throw some of your greenery in there, too.)

Put white mini lights on all of your large house plants.

Throw some on the floor under your tree, and cover them with a thin, silky fabric.

TREE, WREATH AND GARLAND IDEAS

Children’s trees: What are your children’s favorite things? Hang cars and trucks, teddy bears, and dolls in the trees. Your children will be delighted.

Buy inexpensive picture frames and add pictures of the family members to them. Hang them throughout the tree, and every year add new ones to your collection. You will see your children growing up during the years, and new family members will be added each year.

For the kitchen, add utensils and spice jars. Make cookies and hang them on the tree with ribbons. Children will love eating the cookies!

PETS

Give them a red collar with bells. Dogs look really great with reindeer antlers.

Hang a small wreath on the wall over the pet food dishes.

RED BOWS

The color red stimulates our senses giving off happiness. Buy inexpensive red ribbon, and put red bows everywhere!

If you would like some other decorating ideas, please visit my website:

I hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy them and have a very, very happy holiday!

Nancy McConkey

Georgian Home Designs
http://www.georgianholidaydesign.com

I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a blessed one.  May all your wishes come true and enjoy this holiday with loved ones. 

Home is Where the Heart Lives!