With a Dash of Color: 2013

Hi friends!

I am sure all of you folks are pretty busy with last minute finishing touches to your holiday decor! As for me, I think I am running out of time with a gazillion things that are still pending.

I have yet to decorate my front porch, pick up my daughter from college, and finish buying the remaining gifts.

I have finished gathering all the things that I need for my Christmas lunch buffet and I thought I will share my tablescape with you today:

My white pitcher filled with breadsticks

My favorite snowball cookies in a cute enamel salt cellar

Of course, no tablescape is ever complete without some candle magic

I love cinnamon scented candles especially during holiday time

I tied the white brocade luncheon napkins with striped red and white grosgrain ribbon

Added a sprig of evergreen from my backyard and a snowflake from a holiday craft pick as an accent

Cranberries in mini tart molds

Cocktail forks for little tidbits

The forks are tied together in baker's twine

Love the adorable little cherub keeping guard over my lunch buffet

White flat wares inside a blue mason jar makes a pretty statement at my buffet

Ribbon in Christmas colors and a snowflake accent carries the holiday theme nicely

Simple every day elements

Makes setting up a holiday buffet so much fun

A view from another angle

Tabletop Christmas tree for my kitchen

A slate ornament hangs from the cabinet knobs

A view of my Christmas kitchen all decked out for the holiday

Click HERE to view more of my Christmas Kitchen and how to make the Orange Slice Garland.

I love decorating my home for Christmas! The holiday colors makes everything so bright and cheerful especially when there is a raging winter storm outside

The mini Christmas tree sits inside a decoupaged Frenchy pot. Click HERE for the decoupaged transfer method

I added these crystals from an old chandy as ornaments

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a tour of my Christmas kitchen!
Wishing everyone a warm, safe and a very Merry Christmas!
Also, my heartfelt thanks to sweet Maria Elena @ Our Home away from Home and Kathy @ A Delightsome Life
for highlighting my Christmas Orange Garland at their weekly linky parties

~Hugs, Poppy~
Linking to:
Come As You Are Christmas Open House Party

Craftberry Bush:The Inspiration Gallery

Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays

The Scoop

Common Ground: Be Inspired

The Tablescaper: Seasonal Sundays

Dwellings: Amaze Me Monday

Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday

The Dedicated House: Make it Pretty Monday

Between Naps On The Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Our Home Away From Home: Tuesdays at Our Home

DIY by Design: Fall into Fall

A Stroll Thru Life: Inspire me Tuesday

Ivy and Elephants: What's it Wednesday
The Style Sisters: Centerpiece Wednesday

Rose Chintz Cottage: Home

Share Your Cup Thursday

A Creative Princess
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party Thursdays

A Delightsome Life: Home and Garden Thursday

I Gotta Create: Wildly Original Party

Lamberts Lately: Create it Thursday

All things Thursday Blog Hop

The Charm of Home: Home Sweet Home

Rooted in Thyme: Simple and Sweet Fridays

French Country Cottage:Feathered Nest Friday

My Romantic Home: Show and Tell

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Flaunt it Friday

Hello everybody!

Christmas is just round the corner, and the year will be over very soon! It's amazing how time flies, and it has been a very busy year for us too! I love decorating for Christmas! I don't know about you guys, but I do so love a white Christmas! It makes everything so much more festive and makes me so nostalgic! Winter is officially here for us, and it has been snowing constantly in this neck of the woods:

I have been busy getting the house ready for the holidays and I am loving it! Our kitchen is the one place where friends and family love hanging out the most, and therefore the most decorated part of the house, besides the living and dining area, of course. I love using dried orange slices and evergreen sprigs to make my own garlands for decking the doors and windows of our house:

To make this pretty garland, I cut the orange slices into one inch thick slices, sprinkled them with some confectioner's sugar, and baked them at 200 degree on a non-stick baking sheet (single layer) for about two and half hours. Flipped the slices and checked once in a while to ensure both the sides are evenly dried. Baked until the orange slices were translucent! It's quite fool-proof, easy, and looks very pretty when it is strung with jute twine into a garland:

In between the slices I also hung some evergreen sprigs collected from my backyard for some holiday cheer:

And, at each end of the garland I added these cute burlap banners found at Jo-Ann craft store:

Don't they look so pretty next to the orange slices?

I love how it looks in my kitchen window:

Decorating window sills with holiday accents is so much fun! Especially decorating them with holiday candles:

This holiday tree from Big Lots ($4) graces a cute white Ikea pot:

A galvanized tin bucket painted white is filled with pine cones with a red cardinal sitting atop the cones:

I don't know what is it about red cardinals, but I simply loveee using them as accents in Christmas decor:

They look adorable in any vignette:

I bought a pack of six of these red cardinals for $6 (60% off holiday sale) from the craft store, and I am having so much fun playing with them:

The French script has been applied on the galvanized bucket with rubber stamp:

The glass soda bottles has been recycled as candle holders:

I love how the red candles contrasts against the white window:

Evergreen sprigs, small pine cones, and red berry pics make pretty tags around the bottles:

I love it when all the elements of a vignette come together to make a pretty statement. I like how the kitchen window sill looks especially when it snows outside and the holiday accents inside bring instant warmth and cheer:

I am so glad you stopped by for a visit! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a very happy, safe, and wonderful holiday season from my home to yours!

My heartfelt thanks to these gracious hostesses for showcasing my French Country Bathroom in their wonderful weekly parties. If you are looking for inspiring home decor projects, holiday inspiration, or delicious recipes, do pay them a visit or simply join their fun weekly parties to share your own creativity along with many other like minded people.

Judy @ DIY by Design

Sandi @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Jann @ Have a daily Cup from Mrs Olson

Kathy@ A Delightsome Life

Kathryn @ The Dedicated House

Maria Elena @ Our Home Away From Home

Thank you, ladies! You make me smile!

~Hugs, Poppy~

Linking with:

Town and Country Living: Christmas Extravaganza Party

Songbird: Christmas Decorating Ideas Linky Party