December 2011


Candles, Candles, Everywhere! By Sherry Birchall, Interior Decorator


Well, maybe not every-


where, but certainly candles are appropriate in many rooms in your home. Nothing softens a room more than the soft glow of candlelight. Tall and tapered, short votives, star-shaped, col- ors and scents abound! Re- member groupings of varying heights will be your key to a successful candle display.


Sparkle!–Mirrors, silver


and gold ornaments, picture frames, and even candlesticks


will help your room shine. Don’t be afraid to mix metals. By all means get out that antique silver, polish it up, and put it center stage. Nothing says “holidays” like the twinkle of hundreds of tiny white lights. The smallest of plants to the largest of ficus trees will come alive when you add a few inexpensive strands of white lights.


Chic table tops–Setting a beautiful table can set the mood for all your holiday


entertaining. Try adding bows to the stems of wine glasses. Fold napkins in a special way and tie them together with a gold tassel. Use gold or brass chargers under your special china. And pull it all together with a table runner and a wonderful holiday floral or greenery arrangement.


Merry mantles–It all starts with a theme. Possibilities might include your prize


collection of antique Santas, snowmen, birdhouses or reindeer. Whatever theme you select, use different shapes and sizes to create visual interest. Unify your display with garland, ivy, magnolia leaves, or anything else that is soft and easily draped.


Festive fruits and vegetables–Put the green in your holiday decorating by us-


ing nature’s bounty in a decorative way. Add cloves to oranges, limes or lemons will create a beautiful and fragrant pomander. Simply stacking fresh pomegranates and cranberries in a tall glass hurricane can make a truly impressive decorative state- ment. Spray paint walnuts and gourds in silver or gold and display them in a holiday themed basket.


Wrap it up with ribbon–Ribbon can be used for much more than wrapping


presents. Use French wire ribbons, in a variety of widths, to tie bows on your trees and your plant baskets.


Tie a holiday colored ribbon around three old books and display them on your


coffee table. Wrap your toss pillows with beautifully colored holiday ribbons and add ribbon and greenery to your window treatment tiebacks.


Sherry Birchall, interior decorator and owner of Decorating Den Interiors. For all your decorating needs, please call my studio: 951-308-9221


I was up to my eyebrows in ribbons and tissue paper after the kids fell asleep on


Christmas Eve. Every where I looked there were unwrapped toys scattered across the master bedroom. If you think I was in a cold sweat you’d be right, but my husband was in an even worse state in the garage where he was meticulously building Katie’s dream doll house.


The doll house was a two-story affair with half a dozen rooms, a wrap-around


front porch, and doors and windows that opened and closed. The cedar-chip shingle roof was a challenge that any die-hard jigsaw puzzle champ would’ve loved to lei- surely spend a week putting together…trouble was this had to be finished by morn- ing.


I cut paper, taped, labeled, and tied bows on one gift after another. Jim measured,


cut, and glued the doll house in the freezing garage. I sipped eggnog and arranged pretty packages under the tree. Jim continued to measure, cut, glue and freeze. I fell asleep on the couch in front of the fireplace with a knit throw wrapped tightly around me. Jim continued to…well, you know.


The sun came up and Jim came in with the doll house. Every porch slat was in place, every stair riser was there; it was a masterpiece.


The kids came downstairs laughing with joy – Santa had come! The doll house


was hidden in back of the Christmas tree surrounded by a mountain of packages. Gift opening was slow since every present must be recorded on film and every smile must be caught for future reference.


By the time the doll


house was brought forward Jim was nearly dead with ex- haustion so I don’t think he noticed at first that Katie was less taken with it than with the battery operated Godzilla. The Godzilla toy walked and roared and flailed its stumpy arms around in a choppy motion that Katie somehow found endearing. I recorded it all. Godzilla did not fit in- side the doll house however, so the doll house was pretty much pushed to the side.


When Jim came to several hours later he did take note of the fact that Godzilla


was the overwhelming favorite. When he asked if she liked the doll house, Katie looked pained and begged us not to tell any of her girlfriends that she loved Godz- illa.


Meanwhile, James had amassed a haul of gifts large enough to fill the back of


an old station wagon. He was quite content, pounding away on a small toy piano and eating candy canes until the red dye ran from the corners of his mouth.


I had tucked a silver sleigh bell under the corner of the Christmas tree skirt and


made pretense of discovering it there. I told James that it must have come off Santa’s sleigh and it was very special. Every year thereafter I would unpack the bell and remind him how lucky we were to find Santa’s sleigh bell in our house. Christmas joy!


James is simply not one to give up on a good thing because he chose to believe


in Santa for longer than anyone of us could imagine. After all we had the sleigh bell as proof that Santa delivered toys to good girls and boys. Finally, the day before he entered 6th grade, I took him aside and told him that I needed to tell him something very important. He stopped me, saying he already knew – that Dad had told him about, you know, guy stuff. I said that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to him about.


When I told him there was no Santa Claus he was stunned. His mouth dropped


open and he stared straight ahead as if all his years of childhood bliss were passing before his eyes. His response took me completely by surprise. “Right,” he said with a sly smile. “Like you and Dad could afford to buy me all that stuff!” He just shook his head and walked away.


May happiness and joy fill your hearts all year long, Merry Christmas!


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