Christmas Decorations

Bye bye Thanksgiving..hello chaos! Feels like just yesterday I was posting about my lack of thanksgiving decor and with just the blink of an eye, Christmas decorations are displayed in every corner of our lives. But this time I am happy to say I quickly removed whatever scant Thanksgiving decor I had around my house the day after the festivities and got a head start on my Christmas decor. During the process of looking for new ornaments I could not help but visually consume all the pretty Christmas decorations displayed in retail stores..I had to take pics and of course I picked up a few tips to use in my own home..hope you pick up a few from these..

This was displayed in J. Crew. I call it a contemporary garland..Anyone can make these and display in their own home. If you are one of those simple decor types..this would be great to wrap around your tree with clear glass ornaments.

More from J. Crew. I love how birch wood was used to hang the "contemporary" garlands. And notice how they used the books in the background! I was so amazed at how simple yet festive they were. How clever and the best part is its free! Everyone has to have a few novels laying around. Pull those books off the shelves and place them back as a Christmas book tree!

 Love it!

My apologies for the somewhat blurry picture.. These trees were placed throughout Nordstrom. They were grouped in 3's and were one of the many adorably decorated trees. The bird theme is so different and unexpected but look at how gorgeous of a result.

More from Nordstrom. I took a snapshot of this for those who have large chandeliers. This is a great decorating idea!

 I'm a sucker for accessories and would not hesitate to buy every holiday accessory in sight. I love when accessories are grouped in retail stores. I get so easily drawn to the cluster of these decorations and my mind runs wild with ideas of how to place them in homes. 

Now I know these aren't "Christmas-y" but the assorted colors of paisley patterned jewelry trays were too pretty to ignore. They may not go well with your Christmas decor but one would make a great present.

More beautiful displays.The mixture of Christmas decor and regular merchandise packaged with panache made it easy to choose stocking stuffers.

Now this was just elegantly beautiful! These giant origami flowers were the store front display at Sephora. They may be too big of a decor piece in your home but if they came in a more reasonable size, they would take center stage! Like the assorted colors of paisley patterns, these paper flowers were just too gorgeous to pass up!

I had a field day at Kohl's while shopping for presents with my daughter. Again, I was drawn to the cluster of displays that I just had to take photos of my favorites.

Tall ornament topiary's are one of my favorite accessories. You can place them on your mantel, group different heights on your dining table or place anywhere in your home that can fill a large space.

My daughter found this ornament. We both loved the cluster of candy canes turned into a Christmas tree; another easy idea to make for your own. I'm sure you could find plastic candy canes and create a bigger Christmas tree and use as a table centerpiece.

 Nutcracker mania! A must have for traditional Christmas decorating. Check out the different variations..

 Cutest couple! I don't think I've seen a lady nutcracker.

Check out this modern version of the Nativity Scene. Another great piece for those simple holiday decorators.

Decorating for the holidays can be just as overwhelming as bringing your regular home decor together. If you have existing Christmas decorations; either ones you've had for years or have been passed down) and you want to change the placement or look, go to retail stores and find accessories similar to the ones you have. Sometimes you have to get a visual to really understand how to approach it. Mix a few of your older decorations with newer ones. You'll be surprised at how much of a difference it makes. ~MG