Innholdsfortegnelse for Christmas 2012 i The Cottage Journal

During the holidays, home is the place we retreat to for comfort and joy and spending time with loved ones. Our memories from past Christmases inspire our expectations for the present; we may read the same books to our children and grandchildren, or we might bake a favorite cake to recapture those magical holiday moments. This issue is all about capturing those moments and inspiring new ones. Visit several charming Christmas cottages that exude warmth and welcome. If you’re a collector of traditional holiday trinkets or you’d rather indulge in current decorating trends, you’ll find homes that will inspire and motivate you. Fresh and bright describe the looks homeowners achieve as they blend holiday decorations with their current décor. Christmas wouldn’t be the same if there weren’t sweet and savory…

Christmas brings about many wonderful moments spent with family and friends, but one of the most special is the traditional trimming of the tree. Every family seems to have an old box of ornaments from childhood, which they add to yearly. This may not be a conscious attempt at collecting, but the results are the same—a varied collection of treasured memories from many places and times. Christmas ornaments got their start as a cottage industry in small villages throughout Germany. Originally, edible treats and small gifts were placed on the tree, but by the mid- 1800s, German glassmakers were replacing these treats with blown glass balls. Other popular mediums for these artisans were metal, tinsel, spun glass, paper, wax, and cotton, but glass ornaments have been the most enduring. Vintage…

The classic color palette of red, green, and gold weaving in and out of each room draws fond recollections of owner Theresa Shepherd’s childhood Christmases. The smell of freshly cut evergreens, citrus fruit, and baked goodies permeate the cottage and lend an inviting holiday aroma to the air. Two trees are decorated for the season. The tree in the keeping room is embellished with colored lights, a bounty of gold tinsel, and an assortment of ornaments that were crafted by her children or commemorative baubles she gave to them. The other tree, located in her husband’s study, is tall and slender and adorned with colored lights and ornaments that give it a masculine feel. For Theresa, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until certain keepsake pieces are put out, including the…

Sherry and Johnny Eldridge have spent the past 38 years perusing and purchasing antiques and accessories. While crafting their collection of beloved baubles, the couple says they were especially fond of festive holiday finds. “We are always looking for items that we love and that fit our vintage winter wonderland theme,” Sherry explains. “We enjoy having that snowy-sparkly feeling throughout our home during the Christmas season and even into the New Year.” For those looking to begin their own collection, Sherry suggests selecting a favorite item—Santas, stars, or perhaps even angels—and build it up within a basic color family. The Eldridges have collected diverse Old Saint Nicks for many years, but when they moved to their charming cottage, the couple chose to direct their style toward whites, creams, silvers, and…

To get her home ready for the season, Trissy Holladay need only look around her comfortable and eclectic interiors for inspiration. Describing her décor as “English Cottage in style,” Trissy uses fresh greenery and heirloom ornaments to complete the look. “I prefer a very loose style of decorating,” she explains. “Nothing tightly arranged or contrived.” Two spaces in particular that benefit from her laid-back approach are her keeping room and adjacent screened porch. In both, natural garlands and wreaths establish a festive ambience while enhancing Trissy’s collections of antiques and vintage accessories. “I like to supplement fresh greenery from local nurseries with what I cut from my mother’s yard,” she explains. “The final results vary from year to year based on what looks pretty that season.” Style Idea You may…

Holiday Table Tips • Start with a runner. Choose a solid color or Christmas design to tie in all the elements of your table. • Mix and match dinnerware. If you have a set of Christmas dishes, pair them with chargers for a different look this year. No Christmas dishes? Just add accents of red and green to create a holiday look. • Add colorful glassware. Whether plastic or crystal, it’s a fun addition. • Use cloth napkins; it’s the holidays after all. • Don’t spend time polishing the silver—everyday flatware is all that’s needed. • Use wreath ornaments for napkin rings. • Decorate plain white candles by wrapping them with cotton twine. • Make special holiday place cards (see page 130). • Create a fresh centerpiece from cuttings of…

Alabama artist Ashley Fitts didn’t take a direct route to her current career. It was only after graduating law school and successfully passing the bar that this creative soul realized she had no desire to be an attorney. Instead, she began enrolling in art courses. One look at the beauty of her work and the depth of her clientele, and it’s easy to see Ashley made the right choice. Although her initial pottery classes emphasized perfection, she recalls feeling drawn to a Dr. Seuss-like style—seeing objects in a different, more three-dimensional way. With only a couple of years of courses and workshops under her belt, the artist has since developed her own distinctive designs. She began with delicate angels (which are still popular) and has since added whimsical Christmas trees,…

With just a few supplies, you can create unique one-of-a-kind place cards. Look for white, green, and red handmade paper (or be adventurous and make your own) at the craft store. Gather a few small sheets of card stock, glue, scissors, and some tiny Christmas berries (found in the scrapbook section of the store), and you’ll be ready to go. Then it’s just a case of cut and paste.…

Style Idea Use decorations that reflect your family. As a nod to her sons, who love to hunt, Phyllis tucked some turkey feathers in a grapevine wreath and hung it on the kitchen hood above her stove. Step inside MJ and Phyllis Lyons’ cozy bungalow, and you’re bound leave the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind. What you’ll find are comfortable, inviting rooms with just the right amount of seasonal touches that evoke a festive mood. Rather than decking her halls in traditional red and green colors, Phyllis gravitates to more earthy elements, such as birds’ nests, twine, burlap, feathers, and nuts. She even adds Mason jars and antique bottles to her down-home arrangements. “Also, real greenery is a must,” she confides. “You just can’t get that wonderful fragrance…

Where winters are mild enough to leave the garden furniture outside, holiday decorations go beyond the front door to include outdoor living spaces. Unlike garlands that frame the door, these porch and patio embellishments don’t need armloads of greenery to make a splash. In addition to the evergreens in your yard, take advantage of roadside berried branches. Possum haw, juniper, and privet add natural color and grace to bouquets of pine, fir, and magnolia. Live plants, whether miniature conifers you can plant in January or flowers and rosemary topiaries that can move indoors, also make festive porch decorations.…

Style Idea To prepare the dining room for holiday dinners and parties, just add a few seasonal items. Hang a wreath in a window or in front of a mirror. Instead of using flowers for a centerpiece, consider decorations such as these elegant trees and beaded red balls, which will last the entire season. And don’t forget the candles; everyone looks better in candlelight. BEET AND GOAT CHEESE TART Makes 8 to 10 servings 1 pound small beets, peeled 4 ounces goat cheese, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons butter, softened ¼ cup chopped fresh mint ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided ½ (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed Garnish: fresh mint leaves 1.Preheat oven to 350°. Using a mandolin or…

Style Idea Give a slender purchased garland more visual weight by wiring in magnolia branches or other broadleaf evergreens. Simple or Fancy? Whether you prefer formal, casual, or something in between, use the same palette of materials from lamppost to front door for a unified look. Apple-studded designs say Colonial Williamsburg, while feathers and antlers have a woodsy, rustic feel. Ribbon, whether sheer or brocade, makes an eloquent style statement. Even garden statuary is fair game, just waiting for a Santa hat and bow. Style Idea Let the beautiful welcome you create outdoors continue inside by picking up some of the same colors and elements for indoor decorations.…

On any given day, Tim and Cindy Bembry’s Tudor-inspired home is a vision of well-appointed rooms and imposing features. But once Christmas Day nears, it truly becomes a sight to behold. Aided by interior decorator Sharon Hixon, Cindy leaves no mantel unadorned and no space untouched by some sort of seasonal reminder. Cindy weaves in sprigs of holly and snips of greenery as embellishments among her collection of antiques and cherished possessions. “Every year, we also decorate three trees throughout the house,” she adds, “and each one has its own theme and look.” Style Idea Let a room’s colors and contents dictate how you decorate it. Because the formal dining room is replete in blues, greens, and coppers, decorator Sharon Hixon picked ornaments of a similar palette. For the family…

“When it comes to decorating for the holidays, nobody does it better than God,” promises homeowner Nikie Barfield, who delights in her family’s annual tradition of foraging for fresh greenery in their beautiful backyard. “Natural elements infuse winter wonder in the most elegant of ways.” This simple sentiment carries over into the living room, where a dramatic Noble fir was chosen for its fullness. Style Idea A handsome Leyland cypress inspired this homeowner, who potted a branch in a cream planter. Add a few ornaments, if desired, or take pleasure in nature’s stunning simplicity. Elsewhere in the home, spots of crimson from apples, berries, and peppermint candies speckle holiday merriment into a year-round neutral palette, paying playful homage to winter’s calming colors. In the dining room, a dashing set of…

Style Idea White pillar candles of varying heights sit amid fresh greenery and pomegranates, emphasizing the colors of the painting above. “Traditional with a twist” is how Susan Loveridge describes her home’s design and her approach to spicing up holiday decorations and celebrations. “Given a choice, I opt for glam,” Susan laughs. She likes a big-city, cosmopolitan look, and although her home is located in Salt Lake City’s stately and stylish Federal Heights neighborhood, it’s just a short distance from the sparkling and often snowy downtown. Susan, an executive in the financial industry, recently completed renovating and redesigning her home with the help of interior designer Gregg Hodson. “I restored the classical details of the home like the crown molding, wall coverings, and finishes and mixed in contemporary elements with…

Page 10–11—stocking from Annie’s Woolens; wicker chair from Summer Classics; Santa pillow from Pottery Barn; holly topiary trees from Four Seasons Antiques, Art, and Botanicals Feather Your Nest Pages 12–19—tree, ornaments, and snowmen with brooms from Ragon House Collection; glass pedestal bowl from Juliska Pages 20–21—wreath and swag on light created by Suzy Reynolds at Four Seasons Antiques, Art, and Botanicals; tree and garland by Melinda Bailey Home Sweet Home Pages 27–37—candle from Simpatico; white canisters from Arte Italica; glass candleholders from Four Seasons Antiques, Art, and Botanicals; rosemary topiary trees and holiday flowers from Sweet Peas Garden Shop; beaded trees from Cody Foster and Co.; glass cloche from Four Seasons Antiques, Art, and Botanicals; birchwood tree from Bromberg’s Pages 38–45—berry garland, nativity, and flocked tree from Summer Classics; wooden…