I am so fond of wreaths at Christmastime, aren’t you?  For me, decorating my front door wreath is just as important as the tree.  My favorite front door wreaths are vibrant, festive, and most importantly, welcoming.   When I came across two very different wreaths in my stash of Christmas decor it struck me that they might look marvelous if combined.  

I have a ‘spend less, spend more’ goal this December, meaning I seek spend less at the retail stores, and spend more time with my loved ones. 

Creating this wreath in about an hour with what I already had at home allowed me to do both.

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I was just fa la la la la-ing my way through the fabric store the other day, in search of more velvet for those stockings I have every good intention of sewing whenever I get around to it. 

Darn it, why did I have to spy those bolts of faux fur ?  I was completely stopped in my tracks.  I couldn’t think about stockings, I could only see a fabulous tree skirt trimmed in that cream colored fur.  I’ve never ever ever had a tree skirt -  it’s one of those luxuries I’ve just never bothered to purchase.  In years past, I simply wrapped a piece of crimson velvet around my tree trunk.  In truth, that worked just fine since the fabric always seemed to be covered up with Christmas presents relatively quickly. 

This year, after spying that fur, I just had to make myself an authentic tree skirt.  I wanted a skirt with a luxurious look, but without the big price tag. 

So I came up with this purty little number. 

Here’s the quick and easy way to make this simple sew faux fur trimmed tree skirt in one afternoon.

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I love a big city Christmas just as much the charm of a small town Christmas.  We are having the most amazing weather this week in Northern California which makes for a spectacular day spent in downtown San Francisco.  With out-of-town family staying with us again over the Thanksgiving holiday, we couldn’t resist playing tour guide in the City by the Bay. 

Amidst blue skies, the bustling Union Square was aglow with window displays, holiday decorations, and lights from all the big retailers and the grand hotels. 

We even had a celebrity sighting – we caught Mrs. Claus as she was hailing a cab.

Come on along on our tour through Union Square and Chinatown.

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Whenever the Christmas closet is opened, the first place I always begin with my seasonal decorating is with the three mantels in my home.   This year, I used a combination of fresh garland, faux greenery, yard clippings, and other baubles to add a little holiday flair to my home with three very different, yet very merry mantelscapes.   

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