• About GH&P
  • Contact Us

Garden, Home & Party

~ My love of gardening, making home comfortable and entertaining friends and family.

Garden, Home & Party

Tag Archives: holiday

Deck the halls with boughs of holly…

20 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Party Planning, Traditions

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Entertaining, holiday

…fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la ♪

Each year for the past 10 years one of my friends, Joyce, in our Birthday Group (to read more about that visit HERE or HERE) hosts a caroling party for the 5 couples {Joyce & Russ, Carla & Tom, Linda & John, Wendy & Thomas and Hubby and me}.

Joyce makes her home a Christmas wonderland with no detail left untouched by the magic of elves, angels, reindeer and Santa.  Her table settings are coffee table book worthy and along with all of her beautiful holiday decorations comes a warm welcome and a jolly time had by all!

Wreath

Joyce used to teach elementary school and she is a wonderful pianist (as is my friend Carla, who is also in this group).  We start the evening with wonderful appetizers, dinner and dessert and then the ladies do an ornament exchange.

Christmas floral centerpiece

Following this cavalcade of fun we drag the men in from the family room where they have been discussing everything from football to politics and truth be known, would probably rather just let the ladies sing, and make them participate.  We are not about to let them miss the fun!

Our host, Russ, is our very own Santa for the evening!

...fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

I hope you are enjoying the activities of the season.

Outdoor holiday decorations

13 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in DIY (do it yourself), Gardening, Outdoor living, Traditions

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Christmas, holiday, home

When I think of decorating for Christmas, indoor decorations get more of my attention than outdoor…until this year.  5th and State, a blog site I recently stumbled upon, featured a DIY on planting outdoor planters for Christmas.  If you’d like to see more visit HERE.

I live in Southern California and let’s face it we’re simply NOT going to be celebrating the holidays with freshly fallen snow.

left & right images via 5th and State

image via Country Living

That said when we entertain friends and family they will pull up to the curb and the first thing they see is the entrance to our home.

image via 5th and State

image via 5th and State

I’ve always done wreaths, sometimes fresh sometimes fake faux.   I don’t have a bias since I’ve seen beautiful versions of both.

This year I will attempt to go a little beyond the front door wreath.  (By the way, we do hang a string of lights across the front of the house but due to the design of our roof line it would be suicide for anyone to get up on the peak of the roof to really do the Griswold Family Christmas version of Christmas lights).

I picked up some Ilex berries from a local floral supply store and added them to the cone shaped boxwood in the urn by the front door.

The berries are faux but festive!

I also planted some cardinal ivy geranium in the planter on the right side of the door but, sadly, they are not in full bloom right now.

There will be more red blossoms later in the year, probably after Christmas but maybe in time for St. Valentine’s Day.

image via Martha Stewart Living

I  put a bow and some holy on the lantern that sits by the door, I guess that will be a good start to branching out beyond the front door wreath.

I used a wax battery-operated candle so that I can turn it on and not worry about it catching anything on fire.

Welcome to our home!

image via room service

Maybe next year I’ll put a pre-lit garland around the door!

With all of the options for incredible wreaths I will have to try a new one each year!  {just kidding} What are you doing to welcome guests this year?

Christmas past, present, future…Ebenezer and me.

10 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

English gardens, holiday

image by tartanscot

Maybe its because I’m a first time grandma, or maybe it’s just that time of year when I reflect on events of the past…but I’ve been thinking about how time has flown by and before we knew it our children were adults and now we have children with children! What does this have to do with Christmas, you ask?  I guess it’s the time of year we all start reflecting a bit on years that have passed…and for me, the eternal optimist, an eye on the upcoming year.

image above via tartanscot

I love the activities around our home this time of year and embrace how they (activities) change as a family changes.  I still delight in baking, putting up the tree, dinners with friends and family and presents.

images via Southern Living

I enjoy reading Polar Express and believe with all my heart in the spirit of the story.  (If you’ve only seen the movie but never read the book, you may be disappointed).  Some years I join my dear friends with a ticket to Handel’s Messiah.  The traditions can change and new traditions can become the standard, at least for now.

Christmas can be simple and wonderful; it’s what you make it, right?

I hope you enjoy a Happy Christmas with family and loved ones and the best the holidays can offer!

I’m off to Austin to meet my very first grand daughter, born November 28th!  I’ve scheduled some holiday ideas and will return on December 17th to share more ramblings.  Happy Friday

A few of my favorite things about the season

08 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Entertaining, Traditions

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

details of a home, Entertaining, holiday, Table Settings

I love this time of year…everything about it makes me happy.  I like cooler weather (I realize there are two distinct camps on this, I have friends that are warm-weather fans) I must have lived in Iceland in another life time! Anyway, here are a few of the things I like best about the season…

image via BHG

I guess it goes without saying, I like the decorating part of the season the best.  I think it’s fun to create new ways to dress up the house.  I’m a traditionalist at heart but its fun to try out new ideas for the home using greens and seasonal  fruit, nuts and the like.  I’ve not done this (above image) but once—hanging wreaths in windows side-by-side.  I think it looks great indoors and/or out.  The reason I haven’t hung live wreaths since the first time is that the hardwood floors were constantly filled with pine needles so maybe I need to find a different spot…but it does look festive and pretty, don’t you think?

image via Slim Paley (you will enjoy her site, visit HERE)

Right up there with decorating is entertaining. I’ve said it before, my house is definitely a winter house.  It looks it’s best when I have a fire in the fireplace and candlelight is emanating throughout.  (Maybe we all look better in candle light, I know I do).  But having good friends over for dinner with Christmas music in the background—good conversation, decent wine and comfort food, what could be better?   (Fans of summer need not respond :-))

image via Country Living

Along with entertaining comes using my Christmas Tree dishes by Spode.  Many of you may know of  my disease—I’m addicted to dishes, all patterns and makes, and I’ve read that there is NO cure.  By the way, I don’t have the red transfer ware pattern above but believe me I’ve eyed it with more than faint enthusiasm!

image via Country Living

And at the end of a beautiful day of holiday traditions I like to climb into bed, between my flannel sheets and catch some zzzzz.

Don’t forget to get your rest during this busy month!  Happy December.

Happy 4th of July!

02 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Party Planning

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

4th of July, Entertaining, holiday

Happy 4th of July (weekend).  This holiday has always signaled the start of summer for me.  I used to work at Disneyland and the 4th of July brought visitors from all over the world, the weather was almost always hot in Anaheim (where Disneyland is located) on this date, and it truly felt like the start of summer.

Edible 4th of July decorations, I love it!

According to Wikipedia:  In the United States Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

She's a grand ol' flag, she's a high flying flag...

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.  ~via Wikipedia

You can make these using Martha Stewart's directions in Living-July issue.

Have a wonderful weekend, we're lucky to live in a country that's free!

Pictures via Veranda Magazine & Martha Stewart

Recent Posts: Garden, Home & Party

Homes that welcome the season

A little this and that

The color of autumn

Wall Art Inspiration for our bungalow

Project Design: Outdoor Living Spaces

Enter your email address to subscribe to GH&P and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Instagram




Follow gardenhomeparty on Twitter

Follow on Tumblr

Google Plus

Recent Posts

  • Homes that welcome the season
  • A little this and that
  • The color of autumn
  • Wall Art Inspiration for our bungalow
  • Project Design: Outdoor Living Spaces

Categories

  • Accessories; details
  • Annual WP Report Card
  • Antiques
  • Architects & Builders
  • Architectural elements
  • Autumn
  • Bastille Day
  • Bathroom
  • Bedrooms
  • Christmas
  • Collections & Accessories
  • Cottages
  • Decorating
  • Designer
  • Dessert
  • Dining Room
  • DIY (do it yourself)
  • Drink
  • Easter
  • Entertaining
  • Fall Entertaining and Decorations
  • Family
  • Flowers
  • Food
  • Gardening
  • Gardens
  • Halloween
  • Holiday/Seasonal cooking
  • Holidays
  • House and Home
  • Independence Day
  • Kitchen
  • Maintenance
  • Misc
  • Outdoor living
  • Paint Color
  • Party Planning
  • Personal Information
  • Recipes
  • Renovating
  • Seasons
  • Simple Meals for the Avid Cook
  • Spring
  • St. Patrick's Day
  • Storage/Closets/Pantry
  • Study/Office
  • Summer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Traditions
  • Travel
  • Trends
  • Uncategorized
  • Valentine's Day

Recommended

  • Bastion & Lark
  • Content in a Cottage
  • Cote de Texas
  • French Essence
  • French Kissed
  • Garden, Home and Party
  • Greige Design
  • Heirloom Philosophy
  • Henhurst Interiors
  • In the Fields
  • Jennings & Gates
  • Making Magique
  • Miss Mustard Seed
  • paper{whites}
  • Polished Pebble
  • Providence Ltd Design
  • Restoring our 1890 Victorian
  • Slim Paley
  • Splendid Willow
  • Talk of the House
  • TG Interiors
  • The Adventures of Tartanscot
  • The Enchanted Home
  • The House of Edward
  • The Lady's Life
  • The Pioneer Woman
  • The Polohouse
  • Tone on Tone
  • Trouvais
  • Velvet & Linen

Archives

  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • October 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • October 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007

Top Posts & Pages

  • {Home} Cozy and other adjectives that describe home
  • Living with what you love; age and decorating
  • Knock, knock, who's there?
  • {Home} Adieu Pierre Deux
  • {Home} Mirror, mirror on the wall...
  • {GHP} Summer Heat ~ cool pools
  • Cottage living...Moody cottages
  • About GH&P
  • Homes that welcome the season
  • Toile, my favorite

Subscribe via RSS

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Topics

4th of July accessories antiques Architects & Builders Austin Autumn Barefoot Contessa bathroom bedrooms birthdays blog favorites Blogging blue & white decor books centerpieces chairs Christmas collections cooking cottage cupboards decorating for fall decorating styles designer details of a home do-it-yourself Dogs dream house Easter easy recipe easy recipes Engagement Party English gardens Entertaining fall Family Father's Day Flowers foyer furniture Garden Gardening Halloween hardwood floors holiday home home accessorizing House Beautiful magazine how-to Independence Day interiors Irish Stew kitchens Kooboo chairs library mirrors Mother's Day neutral color palate New Years Eve Organizing Outdoor living paint color Pets in the home plaid recipe recipes Rogers Gardens Spring summer living Table Settings television Texas Thanksgiving Valentine's Day weddings

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Garden, Home & Party
    • Join 749 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Garden, Home & Party
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...