A-ha moment -decor inspiration ahead!

1.4.12- 

Baby... it's CoLD outside! {-15 degrees at my house right now}  I wanted to share some of my Winter decorating ideas in case you are having a little bit of a brain freeze after the Holidays & don't know how to decorate now that all the Christmas has been boxed up & stored for another year. 

-Mini winter wonderland- 

  I love to decorate for the Holidays. My house is decked {in someway} in every room.  I used to go ALL-OUT putting up any & every winter/snow related item.  But I found that I would either get sick off it by the time Christmas came around or when it was time to put it all away the house felt so empty & sad.  So last year I figured out a solution to my decorating problem.  I simply didn't put up everything & set some aside to savor & welcome in January. 

{usually a bitter dreary month but not anymore in my home} 

I have started to collect Snowflakes 
{of every shape, color & size. No 2 are alike you know!} & Snowmen.  My collection {obsession} started at a Pottery Barn in No. Carolina 6 years ago when I spotted some cut glass snowflake ornaments & bought 8 of them.  Ever since then I try every holiday season to at least add 1 
{or more} snowflake to my collection.  

- A glittered postcard dangles from an old window pane- 

Come into my home & take a look at the Winter Wonderland inside 4011. 

Decorating Tip #1- Find new & unusual uses for things. 

{I'll show you a few ideas} 

- Love this glittery, sparkly Snowflake {that's actually a Christmas tree topper} that sits on our mantle upstairs.  The rays of the sun come in in the morning & strike it perfectly!- 

-Fill a vase or glass jar, any size, with fake snow & then toss in all sorts of Snowflakes for a wintery accessory-

Ooh, the infamous chicken feeder appears again.
{can't stop coming up for uses of this thing- post to come soon!} 
This time it's used to hold a blanket of fake snow & fragile, dainty & glass snowflakes. 

-Love how this glitters & shines on our kitchen table- 

-I like that I can look at these pictures & remember when & where I got each snowflake or which ones were given to me by friends & family.  Makes having a collection so fun!- 

Decorating Tip #2- Look around & see what you have to use. Don't go out & spend a lot of money to make a big impact in your home. 

I didn't know what saying to put up on our Marquee board so I asked the H&H FaceBook friends for some help.  Got this Japanese Proverb from my friend, Natalie, & I thought it was perfect!  I loved it because I could leave it up for the month of LoVE that is coming up too.  Such a sweet, thoughtful saying. 

{Be Kind everyone!} 

*Notice how I opened up the game closet & used the Uno & Rook cards.  Makes for a unexpected twist to the word board. Love it! Think about what you have & USE it. 

I didn't know what to put up on top of my mudroom shelf & then looked around & saw all the candlesticks I had.  Bundled them all together to make a great statement.  Love the mix of medals, wood, colors & heights together. 

-Again I just dug into my snowflake collection & hung some off of the hooks & off one another to create a dangling affect.  The vintage ice skates add the perfect winter touch.-

-Vintage Coolers!  Who knew collecting these years ago would tie in perfect to the winter theme around here. Paired with the Hot Cocoa tin sign- fabulous!- 

-Hector hanging out next to this adorable house winter scene.  Can't get enough of these glittered little snowballs!  Hope you got some at The H&H Holiday Show.  The boundaries are set by pouring them into a cake stand.  Again, look around & see what you have.

Decorating Tip #3- Group things together.  You've noticed that in the photos above but check these next ones out. 

-Group large & small things together. I always like the rule of ODD numbers together.  3 or 5 things together is my favorite decorating combo. I don't know why, it just looks better that way- 

-Hanging Snowflakes, with fishing line, from the chandelier above our kitchen table. Absolutely love this idea!  Makes for a fabulous conversation piece over dinner with family or friends.- 

-Again a grouping of 3 snowflakes placed in a little of an unexpected place- 

-The table in the middle of our great room.  Love the holiday poinsettia, another glass vase filled with snow & snowflakes & this fabulous owl dish I got as a Christmas present this year.  Love it because it reminds me of my little family of 5- 

-Isn't it the cutest?- 

 Decorating tip #4- Look high & low for decorating opportunities. Place things all over your home.  It's fun to attract your eye to different spots that are a bit unexpected. 

{Okay, this next collection is really want started my love for all things snowy, winter & wonderful. I used to have to really look for them but now they seem to be everywhere.}

-Placed some of my houses up on top of a green hutch- 

- I also filled every little cubby on the wire rack in our dining room with houses & bottle brush trees.  This I had up for Christmas but just left it up for the winter months.  

-again another snowflake stuck in a unexpected spot on the side of the rack. I think these snowflakes might just be my favorite but don't tell the other ones ;) - 

This display is using all the decorating tips in one- grouping, using what you have, unexpected way & setting up high. This little glass, snow globe display sits above our kitchen sink.  Love that each jar & bottle is filled with something different.  Love the variety.

Decorating Tip #5- Go Big! Sometimes I just like to put it all out there in a big mix matched grouping that is just fun & whimsical. This is the collection I put together this year on our stair case ledge. 

- Love the randomness & color scheme of the ledge.  I just put together a bunch of things that I love that I thought tied in well together for Wintertime- 

-A vintage H&H frame, holding one of my all-time favorite pictures of {A} playing in the snow. Makes me happy every year I put it up-  

-Some more of my favorite H&H things, blocks & a vintage blue frame with the word snow spelled out in different letters- 

-Like this little cluster on the ledge of a snowflake, wooden raw trees & a sledding book. Love the cover of it!- 

-Another cute grouping of this & that.  H&H blocks, star string art & snowflake frame- 

-In the family room I placed this vintage sled with some old family ice skates & a bucket of glittered snowballs. Again looking around & seeing what you have to work with.- 

-My snowman collection in all it's glory! Love each one of these guys.  They make me smile when I see them all set up & on display together.  Each with their own personality & flair.- 

-This little grouping shows off my philosophy about going big.  Look at the different colors, textures & styles  & they all work so well together-

-My favorite thing on the mantle downstairs.  A little scrap piece of wood that {E} saw & turned into a snow globe using some colored pencils, so precious to me-

-Some more of my favorite men hanging out together!  Some H&H goods in there as well- snow sign, blocks & Mr. Frosty in a frame, all so fun to create & make!- 

I hope this little tour around my winter wonderland has inspired you to shake off those winter blues & post Christmas let down & spruce up your home with some winter things. 

I'm so glad I don't put all this stuff out at Christmas I love giving it all their own time to shine, sparkle & bring us joy in the month of January.  

Hope you all have a wonderful day! 

Thanks for stopping by. 

{M}