Decorating for the Holidays

I have never been good and designing. I don't just come up with my own ideas, thus I never feel comfortable claiming creativity. However, I do enjoy searching other websites and seeing what other people come up with. Once I look around and see what others are doing, I can usually take it and make it my own. I add my own flair, or just do an exact replica. I guess I should be comfortable with that. I just worry about copywriting and I'm not sure how that works on the web. So, my disclaimer in all of my creative endevors is that I start with someone elses idea.

That said. I will move onto my topic.

I get very excited for the winter holidays. I enjoy decorating and ambiance of the holidays. I enjoy the warmth that they bring to the often bleak days of winter.

This year I have a new home to decorate. (We moved in the spring.) I had a little routine at the other house, but now I am starting fresh in a new place. Up first on my adgenda is to tackle the entryway and porch. It is a large entry with a staircase and a big porch, all new to me.

Here is the view of the staircase as you enter the home.

And as you look up, it is all open to the second floor landing.

Then you look to the left and it enters into our front room where I will put the tree.

I know I want to decorate the staircase and I have been debating on how to do that. (Now this all gets a little more tricky when I tell you that my husband also has an opinion. But, for now we will pretend that I have the only say.) After looking around on the web I believe that I will probably go with something like this or this .

I like the idea of making my own garland and hanging it. Mainly because it wouldn't cost much. I just need to trim some trees. Then I could get a little ribbon and ta-da. I have a grand effect without the big dent in my pocketbook. Wish me luck.

For the porch I think I will also go with the homemade garland idea and put it around the door like this and around the lamp post like this. I guess we will see how far I get.

Here are my lamp post and porch.