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Decorating My Home

How to Create Drama with a Tiny Bunch of Flowers

By 11/26/2010December 5th, 202219 Comments

When I was in Portland a few weeks ago I bought the tall Mercury glass vase at West Elm. Then last week I found the short one at HomeSense.

Photos by Maria Killam
 

Now that I have such a dramatic sofa table (which is the first thing you see when you walk into my living room) I’m compelled to always have fresh flowers on it.  So I bought some branches for the tall ones—greens usually last for about a month. And then yesterday I bought a tiny bunch of Casablanca Lilies for $5.  When you cut them low and add some green leaves from outside, suddenly you have this inexpensive but dramatic arrangement!


You can see me taking the picture in the reflection of the vase, I couldn’t figure out how to get around that 🙂

Here’s another angle into the dining room, love my new chairs but I haven’t found the table and sideboard yet, that’s just an old gate leg table we are using in the interim.

I also desperately need new toss cushions and I just received some new fabric books so I’ll make some decisions there too!   A housewarming before Christmas is looking bleak at this point, eeeek.

I’m off to the Culture Crawl tonight to see if I can find some art to fill my empty wall (above).

We had our first official snowfall yesterday, here’s what the walkway in our complex looked like afterwards.  We RARELY get snow this early but they are saying it’s to be the worst winter in 50 years. . . we’ll see if that’s right!

Here’s what it looked like in the summer (above).
 

I love this feather, raspberry wreath I found for the mantle.  I’ll show you the entire mantle when I pull out my Christmas decorations and decorate the whole thing.  Also my 2 stocking holders.  Now I need cute stockings to match!

Hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend!
 
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person decorating and colour.
 
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19 Comments

  • Lazy Gardens says:

    You can see me taking the picture in the reflection of the vase, I couldn’t figure out how to get around that 🙂

    It's optics. You can't. If you can see it through the lens, your reflection will be in it.

    Pro photographers use something like a hunting blind with a small home for the lens, or just edit out the parts they don't want.

  • Kathysue says:

    It is beginning to look allot like Christmas, Love the feather wreath, perfect for your home. I used a white one in my guest room with a feather boa as garland swag on the window. Fun aren't they!?

  • Bruce Barone says:

    I was wishing to wake to snow this morning. Alas, no. But it is a beautiful day!

  • Renae says:

    I LOVE that feather wreath!
    Next time instead of buying greens, just take your clippers and go outside and see what goodies you can find!
    xx

  • Blondie says:

    Great idea! Make sure to enter my Christmas Giveaway if you haven't already! Today is the last day!

    http://www.blondeepisodes.com

    Kori xoxo

  • Maria Killam says:

    HI Renae,
    Great advice, I already have greens clipped from the garden all over the house but nothing like this more festive branch!
    Thanks for your comment!
    x
    Maria

  • Ideezine says:

    Maria,

    It looks beautifully festive already. I just wrapped Christmas gifts, sorting decorations, while listening to Christmas music. All four of my sisters are hitting the "Black Friday Sales" not I not this year. The right things always come to you when you need them…just remain open!

    Bette

  • Love the vases and arrangements. But the feather wreath in raspberry? Hello! Luvvvv it.

  • Mary says:

    Everything is looking so pretty.
    Will you be showing us your tree this year? Where in your space will it be placed?

  • kate says:

    Love mercury glass. What great finds.

    Snow already? I guess it comes with the territory but I'm glad to still be experiencing "sweater weather" here in DC.

  • bricarwaller says:

    How fun your decorations are. Looking festive! I love your Mies van der Rohe chair in the background. Your inexpensive flower arrangements looked like a million bucks. I hope you find lots of treasures on your hunt:)

  • diane@onlinefabricstore says:

    I always have fresh flowers of some sort in the house…it's a must. Sometimes it's just a tiny bud I found in the garden (or more likely the neighbor's garden but don't tell) or a bouquet from the grocers but my friends and guests always comment later. Love your mercury glass vases too.

  • Stephanie@cre8tive says:

    Red and green are going to look so pretty with all the white and yellow you have in the room.

  • Anonymous says:

    Renea said, "Next time instead of buying greens, just take your clippers and go outside and see what goodies you can find!?

    If it's your house, OK. If it's a rental property, the management might look askance on your collecting greenery from their bushes.

  • Maria Killam says:

    Hi Mary,
    Yes I'm sure I'll show my tree this year, I'm thinking the best spot right now is beside my mantle in front of the window!

    Hi Anonymous,
    I figure there are enough branches that will be clipped by the management company when they are trimming the bushes, a few little clips from me is okay. . .anyway I would rather beg forgiveness than as permission in this case!
    Thanks for your comments!
    Maria

  • Donna says:

    Maria, I love your flower arrangements. They really do look dramatic! BTW, I would agree that you just need to edit out the reflection. I use the retouch feature on Picasa. I haven't quite figured out how to do that with my new photo editing software though. Retouch is awesome!

    I just bought a fabulous flower pot if you can call it that from the Renaisance Faire for my sister-in-law. It was in a pottery booth there. It consisted of a bowl with three to five tall rectangular tubes. All you do is put the various flowers in the tubes, then add water in the surrounding bowl. It looks very Japanese and makes even the smallest flowers look dramatic. I wish I had bought one for me. :o)

    Love the photos of your new home! How fun!

    xo
    Donna @ Comin' Home

  • Donna says:

    PS. AWESOME WREATH! So pretty–and love the raspberry pink. :o) It looks like you-fun!

  • Stephanie@cre8tive says:

    Well you have a wealth of information looking at your followers comments and the sites they either have or the links they have given you. I figured there would be at least one site/blog that covered one of these items. I am glad you posted this, I have already checked out a couple of their links and they are very informative.

  • Lauren says:

    lucky you with snow maria!! so beautiful!!
    love your rasperry pops int he flwoers & wreath… so fun & happy and perfect for the season

    xoxoox

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