CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK.....Thanks to Paula Deen!

I love magazines. But, I especially love the holiday editions that start appearing on newsstands this time of year. I'm always inspired by the titles for new ways to celebrate the season..... great new recipes for cookies, candy, and old favorites like fruit cake and gingerbread. I especially love the decorating ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to to put a "spin" on the old ways I usually decorate. I especially love a warm welcome for the entrance to our home.

I love filling the house with all the scents of the season with garlands of fresh pines and cedars, juniper berries and holly along with huge blooming bulbs of brilliant red Amaryllis and potted Poinsettias. I always get a little frustrated that the fresh pines barely make it through the season without shedding their needles everywhere. Sometimes I even find one or two months later!

I was intrigued by the front cover of one of Paula Deen's holiday magazines featuring Colonial Christmas in Williamsburg where they are renowned for their exquisite designs using fresh pines and fruits. Since I love to decorate early, and I knew the fruit would never last the season, I was inspired to design a wreath using synthetic materials.

Because I have a store that specializes in silk floraI design, I have access to all types of good quality synthetic botanicals that can really "fool" the eye. I started with a synthetic mixed pine base and added synthetic boxwood throughout. I then added a mix of assorted fruits, pine cones, and pods (all synthetic) and created my New York version of "Christmas in Williamsburg".