Favorite Christmas Inspiration

Welcome to the first "official" day of Christmas preparation. I know many of you have begun your preparations months ago, some of you may have even started the day after Christmas last year, but for many of us the day after Thanksgiving begins the holiday season. Did you spend the day unearthing boxes of Christmas delight? Did you remember where all those lights and ornament boxes were stored from last year? I am always remember one last box that did not make it upstairs with the group.

As today is the first official Christmas prep day, I thought I would share a few of my "go to" books when thinking about my decor for the holidays.

I always pull out Carolyne Roehm. She epitomizes elegant style and inspiration to me. I review "Presentations" for ideas on gift wrapping.

Then I flip through "A Passion for Parties" Christmas section to refresh my memory on her divine ideas for the perfect party.
Then I grab "Winter Notebook" (pics above and below) to indulge in more pictures of Christmas delight.

After I return from the kitchen with my hot cup of tea, I pull out what was my first Christmas inspiration book loaned from my public library the year I got married, "Martha Stewart's Christmas". It was my go to for many of my first years decorating. Remember her giant gingerbread house replica of Turkey Hill, handmade wrapping paper with her daughter Alexa and homemade presents for her family and friends? Long before Ms. Stewart was the multi-media queen she is now, she was delighting me with her unique ideas.

Above, Martha Stewart instructs how to make homemade sugar cookies for ornaments to hang on her kitchen tree. I emulated Ms. Stewart by baking gingerbread cookies and strung them with red plaid ribbon to hang on my 2 foot tree in the kitchen of our first home (a rental) on Klonway Drive in 1990.
I cannot blog about Christmas books without mentioning the divine Ms. Garrity. Her books "Christmas at Home" and "O Christmas Tree" are both chocked full of glorious ideas for holiday decor.



While I do not own a copy (yet) of her newest book "O Christmas Tree" (images above and below) I have stood in the book store admiring it several times now. I must admit it has been on my Christmas wish list since I first heard of it's publication back in the summer time.

What a cozy fireside decorated with natural elements intertwined with the silver pieces.

I love her tabletop trees and the cloches below them!

A final book to mention is one I found quite by accident. Valerie Parr Hill, most known for her product line on a shopping channel, has a charming book entitled "Decorating for the Holidays". It is filled with some wonderful ideas and Christmas decorations.

I hope a few of these titles may be new to your library and if added will bring you the Christmas cheer they do me each season. Now lets get decorating!