Best of Christmas 2011

Two 20 pound boxes of boxwood and cedar cuttings, miles of white pine roping , oasis, clippers, twine, etc... ready set GO! 


 Some people get excited jumping out of a plane but for me, opening an old fashioned waxed box of eight inch boxwood clippings is pretty thrilling.


Oh, the possibilities....

After clipping hundreds of tiny 2-3 inch boxwood clippings, I nestled them into floral foam (oasis) which come in different shapes.
Unfortunately I could not find many of the shapes that I was looking for... a little trim here and there and voila!  I made little round balls plus fat and skinny little trees!
Each one takes more than a few hours, but the end result is well worth the work! These will stay fresh well into February.

A skinny Christmas boxwood tree waiting to be placed in a silver Revere bowl.

Boxwood Christmas "kissing ball" on a silver butter dish.

Lots of luscious red satin ribbon used for a pop of color here and there.

Recycled Trader Joe's Christmas bags cover amaryllis pots.  Amaryllis grown in Florence at
Forest Lake Greenhouses... one of my all time favorite places in the world!

One of my favorite finds this season, kraft paper with gold stars... twinkle!

Check out the wooden bunny (from Anthropologie) on this package from my children.  

These Chinese carryout boxes from Michael's are great for tiny treasures and look especially pretty when tied up with satin ribbon from Paper Source.

Candlelight, paperwhites, cedar, the aroma of garlic and mushrooms cooking, the fireplaces crackling,  warm hugs of family...nothing could be better.

Boxwood and cedar (plus burlap... everyone knows how much I love my burlap!) in every nook and cranny.

This gorgeous package contained a very special gift from my husband.

Gorgeous poinsettia from
Forest Lake Greenhouses 

Mantels decorated, boxwood and yards of boxwood garlands, wreaths made and hung.  Every minute of snipping and tying was beneficial to all involved.
This work energizes me and satisfies my soul not to mention and all seemed satisfied with the end results!


 Now for a peak into the life of a full home at Charles' residence... 

Our sweet, sweet Lizzie taking a break from watching all the activities surrounding her.

The tree is up and the stockings are hung.

A lovely gift from Charlestowne Hotels arrived
which made for an exciting, spontaneous ice cream party where we 
"played the rating game" (a favorite activity while traveling)
and scored each of the fabulous flavors...

And the winner...
DRUMROLL

Toffee Chip
...
 with everything else coming in at a close second. 
Loved the chunky peppermint ice cream for the holidays.

Check out Graeter's since 1870 for your own party!

A lively game of LCR (dice_game) played with "real" money resulted in a scholorship for a girl in Malawi to attend high school.  

         If you are interested in finding out how you and your family can send a child to high school 

click on link to Peachtree Presbyterian Church (below) and look for the Tubepoka Development Initiative.

My manly husband and son built a big bonfire down by the pond.  

We roasted marshmallows, ate s'mores and yes, even sang camp songs around the fire.

These were just a few of my favorite things this Christmas 2011.


Hope your Christmas celebration was lovely, too!


Wishing you the very best in 2012!


Interested in some of my other musings and obsessions?
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THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE. BE INSPIRED!

Be Merry!

Be Bright!

Be Green!

Be Bold!

Be Foxy!

Be Patient!

Be Naughty

Be Beautiful!

Be Classic!

Be Adventurous!

Be Sassy!

Be Inspired!
BE READY!

harriet charles

843.267.3438
sgatedesign@gmail.com
southgatedesign.blogspot.com

all photos property of harriet y charles

Thanksgiving in Paris

November 19th a year ago our family was dashing off to Paris.  We had been collecting frequent flyer points for years and we were setting off to see our daughter, Lillian, who was studying in Paris.  

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So grab a latte and a croissant, chocolate of course,

 and enjoy a quick stroll through the streets of Paris and feast your eyes on some of what this beautiful city has to offer in autumn.

Notre Dame

Love this gorgeous piece of architecture leaning against the wall in the "backyard"

of the Notre Dame Cathedral.  

Place de la Concorde under a threatening sky, which produced snow flurries a bit later in the day!!  To us southerns snow flurries in

Paris just made the day more magical.

yep... magical!!!

Before heading into Musee Orangerie, I got this shot of Lillian in front of a lovely bookshop.

And then a little stroll into Musee-Orangerie for a burst of fabulous art....

Of course, this is the museum displaying Monet's humongous water lilies but I just love the look on this woman's face.  Check out the eyebrows, the posture...ahhh.

----
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With warmer temperatures a trip to the farmers' market to shop for some lovely vegetables, etc for our dinner.  Obviously, I am always attracted to the flowers and the vegetables piled high look like works of art...they take my breath away.
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cheese, please!
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mounds of artichokes
a work of art
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Primroses
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Cyclemens
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Musee Rodin
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This is my most favorite museum in the entire world.  Well, my view is probably limited but it is my favorite thus far.  I believe the sculptures, the gardens and the architecture are perfect..in fall or summer.

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What is not to love here?
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GOD is Good!
This rose is truly magnificent.
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Hope you had a great stroll through a few areas of Paris.
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If you need a little "something-something" to spruce up your decorations for the holidays, call or email me and we can have a soiree planning and scheming on a Thanksgiving tablescape, your Christmas decorations or fixing up your front porch for you and your guests.



harriet charles
sgatedesign@gmail.com
843.267.3438