Saturday, December 15, 2018

Mosaic Monday #7 - Burlap and Bows

Oh, how I love decorating for Christmas!  When we lift the flaps on the cardboard boxes marked "Christmas", it is like a birthday, anniversary, and Valentine's Day all rolled into one.  Yes, we've possessed most of these decorations for two decades, but we haven't seen them for 11 months.  I experience a pleasing mixture of surprise and old familiarity that brings joy to my heart and (sometimes) tears to my eyes.


This year, it is the first time we are celebrating Christmas in our log home.  It means an opportunity to decorate in different ways.  To clean out some embellishments that just don't 'fit' the rustic industrial theme we have created.  To utilize gifts that have lain in wait until this moment.  So, come with me as we 'deck the halls'.


Do you decorate outside your house?  Our tradition in Ohio regularly involved some lights looped over fresh pine roping that festooned our porch and its pillars, aided by two short, artificial pre-lit trees on either side of our front door.  Well, it was time to fashion a new look, for many reasons: 1) those 'old-fashioned' bulbs have a sad, short life; 2) the stubby trees were blown over so frequently that most of the lights didn't work (and did I mention they didn't look much like pine trees anymore?) and 3) we strongly prefer a design that does not require banging nails into our lovely logs.


I am proud to say (because you know I am a planner) that we began this process last January when we snagged 8 sets of outdoor LED lights for the front of the house and the garage.  Are these cool or what?  They clip to the fascia - NO NAILS NEEDED!  And did I mention they were on sale?  Installing them was fairly efficient with the two of us; moving the ladder and ensuring its safety was the most difficult and time-consuming element.  At night, it looks like we have built a small landing strip …

We also purchased burlap bows last year, which we used to brighten the entry of our temporary home.  For this season, I wired the bows to branches of lodgepole pine (harvested from our back forty) to create home-made swags on either side of our front door.  (We also put a large swag with bow at the driveway entrance.)  Spousal Unit came up with the brilliant notion to 'plant' trees in our ceramic pots to add depth to the porch.  We took this occasion to thin a few lodgepole pines that were blocking our view of the lake, and used the tops for the pots.  Gravel to secure them, and a bow tucked into the front of each pot completed the look for the three 'trees'.  

As a finishing touch, I created a plant arrangement utilizing a vase I already possessed; all of the greenery came from our back forty, and a short stump elevated its position in front of the snowman and the bear.




This plain wreath has sported our Advent candles in some years; more often than not it was a cuddle spot for our furbaby Josie in the midst of our decorating process (I know; I don't get it either!)  This year, I decided it was time for a facelift.  I removed the bells from this old door decoration, and wired them to the wreath.  Collecting five Ponderosa pine cones from our woods, I added them to the wreath with floral wire.


Last year, we had purchased two different spools of burlap ribbon, and I chose this one for the bow on the wreath.  (This particular ribbon features stiff but pliable wire on the outside edges, so it is easy to shape.)

At this point in the process, I felt the wreath needed more color, so I gathered branches of grape holly.













Voila!  And when you open the door, you get a little jingle!!!  Next week, we'll go inside.



Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.


  

33 comments:

  1. Everything looks so festive and pretty. Lots of work getting it to look so pretty.
    I don't do a lot of decorating and we live in the woods on a dead end road and
    no one sees our house.

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  2. Good Morning,Angie,
    Your Christmas decoration is so charming!Pretty mosaic!
    I enjoyed the video,looking forward to seeing inside next time!
    You made my day.
    可愛らしいクリスマスの飾りですね。
    Have a wonderful new week.

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  3. I love it! I love how you used greenery from your property and the bows are so pretty. Your hubby's idea of the trees in pots look amazing. I look forward to seeing the inside. :) Kit

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  4. Wow Angie your home looks amazing and so festive,I love how you have decorated it so beautifully,thankyou for sharing my friend.

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  5. Tour decorating looks amazing, really like how you have used foliage and cones from your property.

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  6. WOW, your home is beautiful and we sure love those decorations!

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  7. Beautifully decorated. Josie is a sweetheart.

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  8. ...a beautiful bow, I never master bow tying. I decorate the two doors with wreaths and decorate the tree and that is it!

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  9. You planned very well. Those clip on lights are fabulous. We are purging some of our things from the city as we find spots to decorate at our country bungalow. Love your outdoor additions. The wreath is really nice. Love the landing lights! Ha. Thanks for being a great hostess for Mosaic Monday!

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  10. I love the way you have decorated your new house and your new door wreath, and that you have included forest finds. Happy Christmas to you and yours.

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  11. Great decorations. You do a beautiful display. And you give us ideas too
    MB

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  12. Your decorations are so pretty and so suitable to your log home. I love the idea of the trees in pots in front of the porch. Your wreath is charming and a little jingle is a fun sound! Thanks for hosting MM again, Angie.

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  13. beautiful house with pretty decorations.
    have a great day

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  14. Angie, it’s indeed a great Birthday Event. I love this too. To decorate each room with some things is to celebrate this. And I liven up for Christmas.

    Thank you for hosting. Have a wonderful time.

    Happy MosaicMonday to you!

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  15. Loved seeing how you decorated the outside of the “cabin”, it all looks wonderful. You are so fortunate to have all that amazing greenery to use right in your own back 40, the three trees by the entrance look fab and you have Jingle bells to welcome your guests as they walk through the front door, perfect!

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  16. Beautiful decorations, Angie, blending in so well with the natural beauty surrounding your home.

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  17. It’s just perfect! Love how your decorations came from your own back”yard”....so warm and cozy and perfectly your own welcoming holiday home.

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  18. I love the natural elements from the forest...makes the whole house smell SO good! You have a beautiful home and I know you are enjoying being there for the holidays! Happy MM hugs, Diane

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  19. Your decorations are wonderful. Happy Mosaic Monday Angie

    much love...

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  20. Making one's own Christmas decorations just adds so much to the festive cheer and spirit, Angie. Merry Christmas!

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  21. I think I need you here, to decorate my corner of the forest:):) I am not handy in these kind of things! Thanks for hosting, and have a very merry Christmas, Angie!

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  22. After seeing and reading what you did, Angie, I'm inspired to do more next season. I'm going to keep my eyes open for lights with clips. The Husband created a tree with Christmas lights on s wall, which I suspect won't be coming down unless I want to put something up on that wall. lol. Trees in ceramic pots make so much sense. Merry Christmas, Angie!

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  23. That is really fun! We're pretty minimal around here. We don't entertain!

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  24. Angie, The log house looks all decked out. Love the outside lights video. Nice how they can be programmed. Love the ribbon on the wreath! Enjoy the house. I appreciate a planner so congrats on being prepared. Have a great week. Sylvia D.

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  25. Great job of decorating your log home!

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  26. Your porch & front door look very inviting & Chrismassy. As to lighting the house outside, I always think of Chevy Chase & the family Griswold and their illuminated house that caused the nuclear plant go crazy. You up-dated also the old wreath beautifully.

    Wishing you and your family a great Christmas time!

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  27. Dearest Angie; Wow, it must have been a hard work but "GREAT JOB DONE"☆☆☆
    You gave me Special Happy Christmas Feeling which I cannot have here in Japan much ;-) I smiled with your lovely furbaby under the pictures of snowman♡♡♡
    I wish I could see all of your natural decoration and illumination with my own eyes and feel Christmas Season more closely(*^.^*)
    Thank you very much for all the wonderful pictures of your decorated log house and Hosting M.M.
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

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  28. how nice the light looks. Will guide you well in the dark :)

    Wish you all a great Christmas :)

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  29. i really liked all your xmas decorations u made angie they look fantastic.josie looks good too.thank u for the happy b/day wishes.luv joy xx.

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  30. How exciting your first Christmas in your new lovely log home! Your decorations look beautifully rustic; they suit your beautiful home. The lights on the exterior look fabulous. Hope you have a most wonderful Christmas celebrating with family friends.

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  31. Such lovely decorations and I enjoyed the video, thank you.
    Merry Christmas Wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  32. Considering your setting, it certainly makes sense to use nature's gifts for decorating. Twinkly lights always make the every day more festive. Happy holidays!

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  33. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post. best wood to make a bow

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