Creative Simple Holiday Touches

“The best Christmas gift is to realize what you already have.”

If you are like me, you are probably trying to finish all the last minute details for Christmas. Over the last year, I have learned that many details I used to worry about don’t really matter (thank you Covid for that). The “things” I used to overlook in my to-do-list driven holiday frenzy & the “things” I used to take for granted I realize have always been the most important. I now strive to spend less time on dumb crap that no one cares about (or even notices) & less time worrying about the said above. I give myself daily reminders to slow down in order to cherish the time, the people, & the memories being made.

With moving the Studio & opening the new Creative Lifestyle Boutique (Creative Spaces) in the beginning of December, time this holiday season has been even more limited & precious. So, in response, this holiday season I’m focusing on using creativity to bring my relationships closer & to incorporate easy touches that make me & my loved ones smile. I’ve stopped doing the things that stress me out (or….at least most of them…I’m still a work in progress).

Today, I found myself looking at a bare holiday dining room table (which didn’t bring me any joy or smiles to look at). I had a limited amount of time & 3 kiddos home from school on winter break. I’m writing today to share with you that it doesn’t take a million dollars, a design team or hours of crafting & decorating to make something beautiful for the holidays. What’s beautiful is the time spent with others creating, or the mindful time you spend creating & the thought that goes into the creative gesture for your guests (or just for you to enjoy).

After looking at my sad bare table, I looked out the window & noticed all the “green”. I told my kids to throw on a coat & a pair of shoes. We were off on a greenery scavenger hunt! We looked for anything still green on this chilly winter day. I was surprised at how much green there actually was around our home. Now, I don't know any plant names, I just know they are green, simple & beautiful! We snipped some overgrown branches from the tops & bottoms of bushes & trees. We sorted all the greens once we got inside.

Here‘s what we found just around our home!

We laid greens down the middle of the table. We decided to mix in some pieces of faux greens, pinecones & berries that were in the bottom of a holiday storage box because my daughter loves glitter. I grabbed some pears out of the fridge & a few glass votives we had tucked away. We spaced the votives, the pears & glittery berries equally throughout the greens.

We set out the plates & napkins & laid a fresh piece of green on each napkin. It all looked so simple, festive & fresh. You can also tie greens around napkin wrapped silverware with any ribbon or twine. I chose to keep it simple due to my kids ages & ability to help.

We finished off placing the remainder of the collected greens on our kitchen tiered tray and in a ceramic pitcher on the kitchen table. I tucked leftover greens in little areas around the dining room to add a sense of cohesiveness. We added one little greenery sprig in a vase by the powder room sink.

Such simple touches, time spent together, easy & bonus…it was free! (And,

yes, we will eat those pears after Christmas dinner!)

If you don’t have anything green in your yard/neighborhood, trim off the bottom of your fresh Xmas tree, or grab free clippings from a tree farm, or maybe a neighbor‘s trash can 🤷‍♀️ (Joking….well, kinda..if you see it, grab it!) It can be any kind of “green”. Grocery stores carry cheap greens during the holiday season in the floral department. Wegmans usually always has eucalyptus that is gorgeous and cheap. Instead of pears, try oranges, pomegranates, apples, or piles of cranberries. Or keep it simple with greens only.

It doesn’t take a lot of money or time to put simple creative touches in your life. The pops of natural greenery make me smile. We actually tie them on all our winter gift baskets & bags at the boutique. The extra touch brings smiles to our clients faces. You can add them to your gift bags or ribbons too. Fresh greens bring a sense of peace into our home for the holidays. My kids are proud of their involvement & we did it together. Wins all around on this one!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday filled with love & creativity. Remember to surround yourself with what brings you joy. Usually, it’s the most simplest of things.

❤️ Colorfully & Creatively,

Manda