Skip to main content

Getting Holiday Ready

Deck the Halls for Happy Holidays

Whether you opt for fresh-cut or fresh out of the box, trimming the tree is a staple of holiday decor in most homes. However, if you'll be entertaining this season, you may want to go beyond the tree and take your seasonal decorating to whole new level.

Create a scene filled with festive joy and get your home holiday-ready with these tips from the holiday hosting experts at Macy's:

Choose a theme: Designing around a specific theme is a simple way to keep your holiday decor from feeling cluttered. Your theme might be based on color or a favorite seasonal character like Santa or snowmen. If you're starting from scratch, begin with a few statement pieces and let your collection grow over time. Choose a new item or two each year, and soon you'll have a treasure trove of beloved holiday items that can brighten up your home.

Cook up some fun: Whipping up dinner for a house full of guests won't feel like such a chore if you rely on cookware that makes meal preparation fun. For example, Martha Stewart's Holiday Enamel Cast Iron collection can bring on the holiday cheer. With its festive plaid pattern and bright colors, the collection makes holiday entertaining special. Oven safe up to 500 F, these pieces can also be used with nearly any cooktop. Choose from gray or red plaid designs and 2-quart or 6-quart pot and lid combos.

Offer cozy accents: Tables, shelves and mantels tend to get their share of decorative love, but don't overlook the ways you can bring cheer to other parts of a room. A snuggle-worthy throw in vibrant holiday hues and some plush seasonal pillows add practical warmth and good cheer. Another option: fun holiday floor decor, from welcome mats to area rugs to cushy kitchen mats that can make all that time cooking easier on your feet.

Set a stunning stage: Go ahead and fill your guests with delight before they even sample their first bite. A holiday spread served over festive placemats and cheerful motifs can make your table come to life. Bring vibrant colors and cheeky detailed design to your dinner table with an option like the Cellar Holiday Dinnerware Collection. Placemats and coasters feature seasonal images like snowflakes, ornaments and red and green lettering with a cheerful "Ho Ho Ho." Salad plates and mugs showcase whimsical animal art with beloved creatures like dogs and giraffes.

Add pretties to the powder room: The bathroom may not be the first place you think to add some holiday spirit, but it's a room virtually every guest will visit, so don't leave it undone. Deck out the room with hand towels in seasonal colors and prints, and add plenty of festive accent pieces like rugs and soap dispensers. Don't forget a candle with a subtle seasonal scent.

Find these holiday entertaining products and more at macys.com.

SOURCE:
Macy’s

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meet author Jan Sikes

I'm happy to share my blog with with fellow member authors of  Rave Reviews Book Club   as part of the RRBC's  Pay It Forward Week. Initially introduced by author Bethany Turner, the concept of Pay It Forward is to profile, promote and propel another fellow club member to new audiences for the day. This month I have the honor of hosting Jan Sikes. Jan has authored four books about the journey of two people moving through adversity, growing and learning about life and love. Interestingly, though she uses fictitious names, the books chronicle her life and relationship with her husband, the late singer-songwriter, Rick Sikes. This North Texan incorporates bits of wisdom and hard-learned lessons in her fiction stories and hopes to reach readers in a positive way. Her titles include: Flowers and Stone  Nothing could have prepared Darlina Flowers for the reckless Texas rogue musician, Luke Stone, to come stampeding into her life like a team of wild hor...

The Move Part 3 - The Finale

It’s Done Last month, my husband and I successfully sold our home of 37-plus years. I’d heard hair-raising stories of closings that went wrong, but thankfully, our closing went smoothly. The weeks leading up to the closing, however, were anything but. We secured our house’s elusive Certificate of Occupancy, but the buyer’s title company disputed the property lines, putting us under a tight deadline to talk to and secure notarized affidavits from neighbors bordering our property. Though we moved into our new apartment, we had to return to the house to shower and cook for two weeks while we chased after the gas utility company to turn on our service. Emptying the rooms, deciding what to part with, what to save, and  getting rid of stuff  was both physically and emotionally taxing. And we’d forgotten about a small attic! Our adult son and his large, older dog, Winston, were still living in the house, sleeping on a blowup mattress, basically squatting amongst the unwanted remains,...

Cover Wars

New Cover Samples Okay, feedback of the first two cover samples suggest one photo is too difficult to make out, and the other, the one with the couple on beach looks like a YA novel cover. The couple in the story is in their twenties, but it is certainly not a YA novel. I call it a literary love story, but the newly coined genre, New Adult, is also an appropriate fit. There is explicit language and scenes. With that in mind, here are two new variations of the cover. Please keep the comments coming! Other photo options: Here are two other photos I like, but are much more suggestive. My favorite photo by far is the one on the left as the couple actually looks similar to how I envision my characters. Unfortunately I couldn't download files big enough to insert in my sample cover. Photoshop effect added