Living Well

Southern Living Christmas Feature- Behind The Scenes

Christmas came early for us when Southern Living published a feature on my home in their December issue.  While the issue is now out on newsstands, I thought it would be fun to take a look behind the scenes.

 

I had the best time this summer shooting with them, as their team is so much fun.  We had these polite, young men and ladies who helped us decorate, and guess what?   They did not complain once. 🙂  Christmas decorating made easy!!   With Christmas a few weeks away, I sure could use their help now.

 

Their team came in for a week in August to set up and shoot, and with a 10′ Christmas tree delivered directly from North Carolina, we decorated, Southern Living style.

 

The talented photography team
The photography team with stylist Buffy Hargett pointing out something specific

 

 

Buffy and I decided to keep the colors simple- gold, white, with touches of purple. Lots of greenery and white flowers- We were going for texture and unique ideas versus busy and color.

 

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Love Buffy’s idea of a Eucalyptus garland draped over my bed

 

 

 

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Boxwood garland holding up an angel over my Family Room mantle

 

 

Look how gorgeous this mantle arrangement is in my Living Room that Buffy and her team created.   It was stunning and I wish I could have kept it alive to enjoy a little longer.

 

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Close up of the arrangement

 

 

The feature ended up being several pages and shows different spaces throughout my house.  It is interesting, too, how some of the colors in the rooms read differently in the magazine versus in person.

 

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Photograph of my upstairs’ landing in the Southern Living December issue

 

To see more photographs, pick up the December issue now.   I hope you see something that inspires you this holiday season-

 

dana

 

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Living Well

Decorating For The Holidays

I think I am finally ready for Christmas as my house is decorated and my to-do list is ALMOST complete.  I guess that is a good thing since Christmas is only two days away!

While I love all of the pretty things you see this time of year, I am really trying to simplify my life to remember why I am celebrating.   Less is more in my book these days.

Here are some pictures of a few of the decorations found around my home:

 
ann is busy making a moss wreath
this year's christmas tree after it fell over TWICE!
keeping it simple-
boxwood wreaths decorate the front door

And for my three favorite decorations of all……

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

 

I am taking a few days off after Christmas, so this will be my last post until 2012.   Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy your family.   

Dana

Living Well

Simplifying Our Lives In A Not-So-Simple Season

As much as I want to say I am ready for Christmas, I am not.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have had two installs the past week.   Work, on top of a Christmas birthday for one of my girls, has made this time even more busy than usual.

Village Living, a wonderful  paper for the Mountain Brook community, asked me to write an article on decorating for the holidays.   I loved writing for them as it made me reflect on how I approach the holidays and what I can do to simplify my own life.   Here are a few of the tips I gave on how to make the holidays stress free and more enjoyable.

 

Simplify.  Simplify.  Simplify.

No, your decorations do not have to be elaborate; they just have to be a reflection of you and your family.  You do not have to have a Christmas tree or a nativity scene on every chest or open space to create a beautifully decorated home.  Less is more, so keep your decorations simple and use only what you love and has special meaning to you.

 

Strategically Place the Decorations You Use

When walking into a room, where does your eye go first?  Where does it go next?  Decide where your focal points are in each room and strategically place a decoration in one or two of these places.

 

Choose Holiday Colors Cohesive With The Colors In The Room

Just as you want the colors of each of your rooms to flow nicely into one another, you want your holiday décor to do the same.   If a warm palette is used throughout your home, use warm colors in your holiday décor.   If your home has more cool tones, try silver, white, or blue tones when choosing holiday colors.

 

Layer Contrasting Textures

Contrasting textures layered in subtle ways is one way to create dimension and make a room look like it has evolved over time.  Think of placing an iron lamp on top of a wooden chest versus a wooden lamp on a wooden chest.    Apply this same concept to your Christmas décor.   Instead of placing a nativity scene directly on top of a hard surface area (such as a glass top table or marble chest), add a little texture with Christmas greenery, moss, and magnolia leaves first and then place your Christmas items on top.  If you are placing greenery on your mantle, think about mixing in some shiny ornaments or candles to add another texture to the mix.  You will be delighted how much prettier your decorations look just by layering different materials.

 

Pull the Outside In

There is nothing like the smell and texture of fresh greenery.  Holly, magnolia leaves, fraser fir, birch wood…I love it all.  Incorporate natural materials into your holiday décor as your imagination is the only limit.

 

Involve the Family and Create Tradition

Every year, my girls and I gather the leftover limbs from our Christmas tree (along with any other scraps of greenery we can find) and we make a few small wreaths.  If you know my girls, you can probably guess which wreaths belong to whom, as they truly reflect each one’s personality.  One wreath may be wrapped neatly and tightly all the way around while the other child’s wreath is looser in style.  No, they are not always perfect, but each is beautiful in its own way.

I hope you find these tip helpful in simplifying your own holiday season.   To read more, visit Village Living and let me know your thoughts.

Living Well

Christmas Is Here

Not sure when I blinked and discovered Christmas is around the corner.  I am just now putting up greenery as I have been busy with two installations and a child’s birthday this week.   As I am deciding how I am going to decorate my own home this year, I thought I would share a few photos from Christmas past in the Wolter household.

When my home was on the Independent Presbyterian Church’s Home Tour in 2009, I added a few trees to the mix.  Here they are:

traditional christmas tree
painted tree of sticks in my daughter's room. picture courtesy of southern living christmas
tree made from birch branches
Some other decorations found around my home…..
photo courtesy of southern living christmas

 

I will keep you posted on how I end up decorating my home this year.   The holidays are upon us……Are you ready?  How will you celebrate this year?