Christmas 2016...

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"....and the song rings true again this year in our home.... and as I like to do every year... I am taking you on a little tour....





Funny enough...I really scaled back on my holiday decorations this year... I just needed a little "breathing room" this holiday season...but as I look at these pictures...I realize that fact will make most people chuckle...trust me...I scaled back!!



My main goal with my holiday decor is to make two things happen within my spaces...coziness and brightness...with the onset of snow and cold weather...it helps ward off the chill....

I even scaled back on the tree size this year...and I must say I like it! I just like to play around with new things year to year...I didn't use a ribbon for the top of the tree this year either...I just bunched a group of ornaments together...

a staple is always fresh boxwood wreaths in the alcoves...

the view at night...is especially wonderful...that is when Christmas trees bring out the "magic"!

 


Our dog Stella...captured in her favorite resting spot...really...I ask her? With all the plush fabrics and carpets around our home she chooses a stair...hmmm....??







The family room is where we spend most of our time...I love a white sofa that I can layer with  different fabrics as the seasons change...I will always own one...it is my one of my true "loves" in design...

I also like to layer different rugs...I have a sea grass, an imported graphic and a sheepskin rug all thrown in together....

for the Winter season I decided to move my furniture around too...just to "cozy up" the space...

a little "party in the back" of the sofa too with one of my favorite textiles....

I use the extra large silver urn for chilling wine and champagne when I entertain....one of my favorite flea market finds.... I also found the two antique turquoise lamp bases recently and had lacquer white lamp shades custom made to finish the "look"....and I love the new light source in my dining room at night.

 

I went aerial for this shot.... are you impressed? lol...

A night view as you enter the living room...

I even added a little coziness and holiday cheer to our upstairs landing...

I find that I like sitting here a lot now...the light is fab and I have an art gallery that I can enjoy on each of the walls...also I saved these chairs from the dump and redid them...and decided I couldn't part with them...so now they have found a home here for the moment...

here is a look out my back door this afternoon...more snow is coming down now...looking forward to some cross-country skiing this week! 

                                             Happy Holidays! XO Emily

Festive Spirit...2015

Tis' the Season...to break out the baubles and bows at RuedeEmily...I have to say this year has just flown by....the years seem to be doing that...

Every year I mix things up a bit...I get bored...I re purpose...I get lazy...or inspired...it is always changing....but my color scheme is always in the pink, blue and white with accents of green zone...it just works for me!

 Christmas from an aesthetic point of view is really just about making your every day spaces look special...not necessarily in red and green. Don't get me wrong...I love the traditional Christmas colors...they just don't work as well inside my house. I play along outside though..since I live in a very classic, traditional brick Colonial/wanna be Georgian home...pink and blue outside...hmm...can't lean that far...

Lately I've been crazy for fresh Amaryllis during the holidays...there is something so pure, elegant and lovely with it's long stemmed blooms...this year I mixed it with a boxwood wreath with hot pink Gerber daisies for fun....

a front closer view...

I do a lot of fresh boxwood wreaths inside and out but I also like wreaths that add a bit of sparkle and whimsy too...

Bows....Bows...Bows...

A simple way to "festive up" a nook is to add ornaments or lights....

I always like to add fresh oranges for display during the holidays...they definitely remind me of the Season....

another fun feathered- wreath...

Large pink carnations are a go-to for me in many of my flower arrangements all year in my little containers...they pack a wallop of color...are inexpensive...and LAST! I use them in all shades of pink and white. The holidays are no exception!

I decided to put a new collection of plates in a few deserving corners...on the left I found this fun duo at Anthropologie...I love the purposeful imperfection in their design. As you see on the right... I have had this wonderful European vase which is a collectible antique in my china cabinet for years...baby it's your time to shine!

My favorite hearth accessory has to have a little "bling" for the holiday too!

I recently redid my dining room and created a free-flowing Art gallery on my hutch. My house has limited wall space since I have a lot of windows and architectural elements...I personally love Art that is not necessarily "hung on a wall"...the layered look works for me too and is easily interchangeable.

I  "spruced" this space (holiday pun intended) up just a little by adding a couple of lit faux trees underneath and some wrapped boxes...

I did a lot of pre-decorating before my elves  non- Christian girlfriends...showed up to help me decorate the tree. Usually they assist me with all the ornaments but this year I wanted more time to visit over brunch...p.s. the presents under the tree aren't real...just a ton of wrapped boxes in beautiful paper and ribbon that I store in bins year to year.

This year I was inspired to put up a quickly designed bit of mistletoe... over the trim of a wide door...

The tree in a new corner this year...fully dressed and ready to go....

I entice my girlfriends to come help me decorate the tree by serving brunch... here are a few images...from this year's buffet...

I love making granola parfaits in these sweet pink tumblers....

Speaking of celebrations...my daughter wanted to celebrate her holiday birthday with her friends before everyone left for vacation. Trying to find a night in the first two weeks of December that worked for 25+ busy high school students was basically impossible. She decided to throw a pajama-party brunch...with a little Christmas flavor instead.

I wanted to do something fun and breakfast-themed for her cake. I constructed a cake that morning using long john donuts, sprinkled donut holes, fresh flowers, a bit of ribbon and candy canes. Necessity is the Mother of Invention!  I actually used a bit of packing foam for the base and some kabob skewers to hold the long john donuts in place in a circle. I varied chocolate with vanilla for some interest, tied with a ribbon and then filled with sprinkled donut holes. The cake was a big hit! So easy too!

 ...The donut hole center...

       and the birthday girl...

                                                    

                                       Happy Holidays!!
                                               xo Emily