THE POWER OF THE PLANT

As the trees and shrubbery go dormant for winter here in the northeast I begin to concentrate more on indoor projects. With Christmas around the corner what better than to put a little energy into tree decorating and present wrapping? This year my love and I bought a new faux tree from Michael's along with many, many sparkly adornments. And yes we did in fact make a point to head out with the masses on Thanksgiving night to take advantage of the sales (something I swore I'd never do!) With a vast assortment of high-end meets low-end buys I am proud of the overall outcome of our tree and wrapping presentation. Cheap tree from Michael's meet expensive ornaments from Restoration Hardware. Expensive wrapping paper meet cheap ribbon from .99 Cent Dreams. It's all about mixing it up and saving some dough along the way. And putting a smile on your loved ones face!

My modern kitchen leads into an informal dining room with a large rustic table and chandelier (both from Restoration Hardware). I like the juxtaposition of clean white lines with the solidness of the wood table and iron from the lighting and wall decor. When mixing it up, do it drastic enough so that there is no confusion whether or not you were trying to match.