White Christmas by Donna. Part two

         More of my decorating style from our home's White Christmas.

Dreaming of a White Christmas by Donna

I once read that white brings a calmness to an already hectic Christmas season. Thinking about my own experience decorating with white, I think there is much truth to that observation. It all started a few years ago when, in our home, I put a white Christmas tree in the kitchen.  I was pleasantly surprised how the white tree gave the entire space an almost natural glow and added so much ambience to the room.  And it wasn't just me who saw the effect; everyone that came to our home commented on the white tree and how beautiful it was. Since that Christmas there has been a gradual transformation, and now white is undoubtedly the dominant theme.

It is difficult to capture in words exactly why white creates a certain mood at Christmas (apart from the obvious connection to snow); nonetheless I will try.  Over the years I have worked with many colours and white offers more options than any other shade I have ever worked with. There is a transparency and brightness to white that creates a feeling of stillness and comfort, though energizing and sunny at the same time.  At Christmas there tends to be a profusion of colours and, frankly, at times there are just too many colours for the eye to enjoy. I suggest choosing three colours and concentrating on those.  Then you can introduce white to your existing colour scheme to help create a harmonious effect. If you want to use white on it's own, but you are unsure of the result you don't have to worry. Between the natural light coming in from the windows and the white decorations added, you will be delighted at how the space will sparkle in it's own reflection.   Regardless of if you decide to go all the way with white or use it in combination with a few other colours, the presence white has will greatly enhance your Christmas decor.

To decorate with white, all you need is a little creativity.  You can even use a few basic items you already have to get this Christmas project off the ground.  For example, white bed sheets can be transformed into tree skirts, or you can purchase inexpensive white cotton or flannel fabric at your local fabric store instead. To polish off this look, add a layer of tulle on top of the fabric.  You can also take out white candles and set them on shelves, tables, mantles, or on stacks of books.  White organza or silk type fabrics can be loosely draped on windows or door openings.  Other essential items for a white inspired Christmas are snowflakes, spray snow, white ribbon, and white ornaments. If you really want to go all out, a few white lanterns, white garlands, white feathers, crystal icicles, white stars, and of course white trees.  

A white tree, regardless if it is table top or a seven foot tall tree, will add a hint of glamour to any style of Christmas decor.   If you can't wrap your head around having at least one white tree, although I recommend it strongly, you can instantly change the look of a green Christmas tree with a can of spray snow. If you have never used spray snow before I suggest practicing first on a piece of cardboard before you try it on the actual tree.  After you spray the tree, casually add white garlands, feathers, and ribbons and finish it off with white ornaments. 

Carry the theme still further by suspending snowflakes on invisible wires from the ceiling, windows and in doorways. You can also attach snowflakes to mirrors and cabinet windows. I have experimented with various brands and Martha Stewart's line of beautiful stick on snowflakes are the finest by far.  I find using snowflakes is one of the most effective ways to complement a white Christmas decor. Snowflakes will create such a natural element to your design, it will make the end result look almost effortless.

Adding crosspieces to your windows will make an enormous difference in the overall atmosphere in your home.  You can purchase easy to assemble kits for this project.  Once the crosspieces are in place, spray snow around the edges of each square to create the illusion of a fresh snow fall.  To complete this project tie white velvet ribbon through the hook of a white or clear ornament, and hang in a fashion that allows the ornament to fall into one of the squares you have just created.  You can repeat for each square or every other square. 

Below I have listed a number of suggestions for both a casual and an elegant style of decorating.   You can also draw from the two styles to find a balance that appeals to you.

If you tend toward a casual look:

-  Make or purchase white feather wreaths to hang on doors.  

-  Drape white feather boas on chandeliers and around the base of your trees.

-  Paint sea shells white and immediately (so paint doesn't start to dry) sprinkle with white glitter.

-  Glue tiny seashells around a styrofoam tree-shaped cone.  Start from the bottom of the cone and work your way to the top. Once the entire cone is covered with the shells paint it white and top with a little clear star, or a white clip with a wispy feather attached to it.

-  Cover tables with white tulle or flannel and gather bottom edges upward ever few inches. Fasten a bow using white ribbon into the gathered areas, and let a few ribbon strands fall from the bow.

-  Tie small and flat white ornaments on the back of kitchen and dining room chairs.

-  Group two or three white tin lanterns on a table (if you can't find white lanterns you can easily paint over the colour they happen to be). If the lanterns are large, place on the floor or on a step.

-  Add a white blanket to a kitchen chair in a casual fashion. This will add a little more coziness to the space. 

-  Paint tall branches white and place in a floor vase.  Twist a strand of clear or white lights around the branches.

-  Place two dozen white carnations in a large white pitcher and set it in your entrance way.

If you tend toward a chic or elegant style of decorating:

-  Purchase an authentic white feather tree for the centre of your dining room table.  You can use battery lights and miniature vintage mercury ornaments to decorate the tree.

-  Drape cords of rhinestones or crystals on chandeliers.

-  Make garlands using crystals and beads, and string a set of white lights through the garland and hang from a mantel. You can use this same type of garland to put around the base of table top white trees.

- Tie small white wreaths on the back of kitchen and dining room chairs.

- Cover tables with white lace.  If the length of lace is not long enough for the entire table, drape on one end of the table.

- Replace one of your lamp shades with a white shade and put the lamp on a kitchen counter if you have room; if not place on a side table in the kitchen.  This look works equally well using a floor lamp.

-  Add a faux fur white blanket to a kitchen chair by draping it along the back and seat.

-  Paint a dozen or more tall branches (as tall as you can find) white, and tie with a four or five inch wide white satin ribbon.   Add swarovskli crystals from invisible wire throughout. Stand on the floor in the entrance.

-  Place two dozen long stemmed white roses in a floor vase.  (I would suggest ordering these from your florist a few weeks before Christmas).

Having grown up in Northern Ontario, not only was a white Christmas expected, it was a reality.  When you are accustomed to having a white Christmas every year, naturally it is almost impossible to imagine not having a white Christmas. So even if the atmospheric pressure outside does not generate real snow, the atmosphere you have designed inside will still allow you to have a white Christmas.

Shari's Tips on choosing the bridesmaids dresses

Here's how to ensure that your bridesmaids will look as fabulous as you do on your wedding day, and get plenty of wear out of the dress after the fact:

Don't begin the process of choosing your bridesmaids dresses until the overall design for your wedding has been decided on.  This includes venue, colours, decorations, and your own dress.

Along with the design, consider the overall feel of your wedding day, and what you expect your guests to be wearing.  Is it black tie?  Semi-formal?  Casual?

Consider the colour palette for the day and decide which shade the bridesmaids dresses will take a cue from.  It is very trendy right now to put bridesmaids in the brightest colour of the palette, but I find this troublesome for a few reasons.  First of all, speaking for myself, as a bride wearing white or another pale colour, I would be jealous all day long of my bridesmaids wearing bright colours!  Secondly, bright colours do not look good on everybody, and chances are your bridesmaids do not all have the same skin tones and hair colours.  The brighter and more specific the hue, the less likely a given bridesmaid will get to wear the dress again.  If there is a neutral in your colour palette, that would be a safe and elegant bet for the bridesmaids dresses.

While this Pretty Maids dress features a stunning shade of turquoise, in my opinion it is nicer as an accent colour in decor, and not on five bridesmaids standing in a row.  Also, I don't know many women who wear such vibrant formal dresses when they aren't a bridesmaid, so reusing a dress of this colour seems unlikely.

This is the colour palette we used while planning our wedding.  I briefly considered gold for the bridesmaids dresses, but since four out of five of my bridesmaids are very fair in complexion, I knew that the colour might wash them out.  Green was out of the question since I knew this was in our palette to account for greenery and accents on the cakes.  We pretty quickly, with the help of the bridesmaids, settled on brown, as this would coordinate with the bow on my dress, and go well with the dark wood decor of the library in Casa Loma.  Also, as brown is a neutral and flattering on all complexions, I hope that all of my bridesmaids will again find use for the dress someday!

Involve your bridesmaids in choosing the style of the dress. Often brides choose dresses that they themselves would wear.  When I was posting photos of dresses for my bridesmaids to look at, there were all sorts of strapless, bubble skirt dresses that I wear all the time.  They, thankfully, spoke up and said none of them would wear that, and it would be really unflattering on their body types.  All of my bridesmaids loved the After Six Renaissance dress, pictured here.

This Eden Maids dress is something that I would love to wear as a bridesmaid, or really on any occasion.  However, my style is quite different from that of my bridesmaids; I tend to wear youthful puffy dresses, and they all have a more sophisticated sense of style.  Also, I am very narrow in the chest and shoulders area, so I can get away with strapless dresses more easily than most women (one of the few perks that comes with having a small chest!).

The amount of material in this dress also adds a lot of bulk to the visual picture; on five women, they may end up looking more like a line of modern Moulin Rouge dancers than bridesmaids.

Speaking of excess fabric, stay away from designs that use too much unnecessary fabric.  On tall, lean figures it can create visual interest in just the right places, but for the rest of us, it only serves to disguise our figures.   This dress on the right, from Sydney's Closet, is very beautiful, but adds a lot of bulk to this girl's torso.  I think the wrap look has the potential to be very figure flattering, but as the material does not lay flat against her chest, it is the wrong fit and/or style for her.





The Renaissance dress my bridesmaids wore gave the illusion of being a wrap dress without being one.  The only fabric that wrapped around was the bow, and therefore the material was able to sit snugly against the body.

If you are only choosing one style for all bridesmaids, it is best to choose a style with wide straps.

I had a lot of trouble locating a picture of a busty model in a strapless dress; however, on Facebook I often see busty bridesmaids in strapless dresses, which is almost always very unflattering.

This Sydney's Closet dress is a departure from the other dresses in the collection, as it is strapless.  There is no way this model is wearing a supportive enough bra, and how could she with the design of this dress.

I can't imagine this Swak Designs dress, pictured here in black, being unflattering on anyone!  The sweetheart neckline and straps would look great on busty and not-so-busty girls (no pun intended, Clinton Kelly).

Again, if you are only choosing one style of dress, choose something that hits around the knee so that it elongates the bodies of even the shortest bridesmaids.

As a girl who is always self conscious about her stomach, I strongly recommend staying away from mermaid or trumpet gowns and the like, as I would be mortified to wear anything of the sort.  My bridesmaids all have perfect figures, but just in case, I made sure the skirt of the dress flared at the waist.

Also consider practicality!  As beautiful as a floor length gown is, beyond your wedding day a bridesmaid may have no use for it.  Tea-length dresses are most versatile.

This Jordan dress would have also been a great pick for my bridesmaids, as it has the same neckline and colour.  However, I've never seen any of my friends wear a full-length gown, and I doubt that they ever did after prom.

Avoid choosing anything that looks too much like a bridesmaids dress, and has too many elements that are not found in any other types of formal wear.

These Jordan dresses just scream "bridesmaid" to me.  There's something about lace on bridesmaids dresses that make it unwearable after the fact, not to mention the combination of colours and patterns.




This Alfred Angelo dress also would have a difficult transition into real life.  Bows streaming down the side of a bridesmaid dress is really popular right now, but again, since on a bridesmaid dress is the only time we see that trend, it's doubtful that it will make the transition.

Consider price and who is paying for the dresses!  Obviously, whoever is paying has more control over the style.  Don't ask your bridesmaids to pay for a dress that they have had no input in choosing, and keep the price reasonable.

Regardless of who pays, the most important thing to consider when choosing the bridesmaids dresses is your bridesmaids themselves!  Ensure that this dress is an investment and that they will feel just as much a princess on your wedding day as you do.

Donna's favourite decorating magazines.

Architectural Digest
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/
A classy decorating magazine with International design articles and designers' homes. It also focuses on the exterior of homes, which most decorating magazines don't.

Elle Decor

http://www.elledecor.com
This is a glamorous decorating magazine that is full of inspiring pictures and articles.

House and Garden UK
http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/
I buy this magazine to see what is available in the UK.  It is a gorgeous magazine with lots of great ideas on decorating.  I especially like the focus on accessories.

House and Home

http://www.houseandhome.com/

A Canadian decorating magazine that follows the latest trends in decorating.

House Beautiful
http://www.housebeautiful.com/
Just as the name implies, this magazine shows the most beautiful homes.

Romantic Home

http://www.romantichomes.com/

Romantic Homes is, visually, a gorgeous magazine. It is full of ways to add a romantic element to any home. 

Southern Living
http://www.southernliving.com/magazine/
Well-presented magazine with a variety of articles on decorating with a southern influence.

Style at Home

http://www.styleathome.com/homes

My current favourite Canadian decorating magazine.  Lots of great ideas for all types of decor.

Traditional Home
http://www.traditionalhome.com/
I love this magazine.  There is more packed into every issue on a decorating style that has been around for centuries.

Veranda

http://www.veranda.com/

Even though this is a higher end magazine, the decorating ideas can be adapted to anyone's lifestyle.  If there was only one decorating magazine I could have it would be Veranda.

Victoria

http://www.victoriamag.com/
This magazine has the most beautiful layouts. It covers a wide range of topics including decorating, fashion, collecting, etc. Although its inspiration is Victorian, the ideas can easily be used for any decorating theme.

Pretty in Pink - by Donna. Part 2

Why hide a shoe bag when it's this pretty?

Paper roses on a shelf.

Porcelain roses glued on candle holders.

Dining room drapes.

Pink china clock on a night stand.

Pink candles add a little charm to any space.

Vintage pink trim adds more interest to this pillow.

Glitter wreath I made.

Pink sea shells from Shabby Chic shop in New York City.

Sex and the City Eiffel Tower