Christmas Past- The Seasons Best

Christmas comes and goes with the month of Dec.  For me, styling Christmas for magazines, it starts in Dec and often just keeps on going.......

As this years long awaited December issues started to to arrive I was quickly reminded of what a long holiday season last year was, as well as a very cold white one!

It started with the first snowfall of the season.  I shared in the excitement of working with Interior Designer Lisa Hilderbrand at her home for Traditional Home Magazine.  Lisa's holiday is a Christmas, deep in tradition with layer upon layer of elegant holiday finery.

The living room, the heart of the home, was a styling dream come true. So many beautiful things to play with.

Lisa's tree has over 5000 ornaments! 

Every inch of her home is decked out with beautiful trims,  ornaments, and greenery,....

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 and touches of Amaryllis in every room.

Working with photographer John Bessler is always a delight.

To see the full story, go to Traditional Home magazine. Winter 2015  

Then there was this quintessential country cabin, A perfect retreat for a snow laden Christmas in the woods.

This wooded cozy cabin offered a different kind of holiday magic with faux furs, and plaids.

  

 I made this wreath from scraps of faux furs wrapped around a Styrofoam form!

           Multiple scrabble boards and jars of scrabble letters makes a crowd pleasing runner for the holiday table. 

Birds and snowy owls, pine cones and bells draped the tree!

I can smell the Holiday breads baking in this charming kitchen! 

Rhododendrons leaves brought in from the frozen tundra perk up in warm water and make gorgeous bouquets!

Thanks to Interior designer Claudia Farias Kalur of A Room for Frances for sharing this magical spot with me!

And thanks to assistants Monica and Shelly for wrangling with that tree!

Another great shoot with photographer Michael Partenio.

To see the full story, beautiful Christmas Ideas and images go to Christmas Ideas magazine. Winter 2015

As the winter progressed the snow got deeper and deeper!  In three feet of snow I set out to find another Christmas tree. A feat in itself! With a snowmobile, shovels and a big pick up truck I found the perfect 9 ft tree.  That was the beginning of the Country Living magazine project, showcasing this beautiful renovation of a classic New England Home. 

It was a memorable week working with Country living Editor Jamie Supsic.

The end result was very Merry!

 and filled with festive ideas!

     jingle bells and boughs of holly!

The behind the scenes action can be quite a mess! Thanks Monica and Marilyn your back breaking work!

Thanks to photographer Max Kim Bee for his hard work!

See the full story in the "Country Living" Magazine, Dec 2014 issue 

I still had one more Winter feature where snow was crucial for Better Homes and Gardens magazine! 

Shot at the charming Country Home of Amy Cupp Dragoo, we created some inspirational outdoor lighting ideas for keeping the lights glowing throughout the Winter months.

Stay tuned in my next post for images from that memorable shoot!