W
hat a fabulous event we had with the Holiday House, in spite of the weather. Who would have imagined that the very day we had this planned, tropical storm Ida would come blowing through Birmingham? We still had a great turnout though and it was a very fun day. 
I wish you all could have been there in person. I’ll try to show how pretty it was, but it’s hard to capture everything in pics. This is the area that I did, so I’ll share that part today and then as I get pics loaded, we’ll move on to the other parts of this huge home. My area is a small den and kitchen area, known as the Bistro. It’s right off the HUGE main kitchen and tucked on the backside of the house. This is where the homeowners spend most of their time. This is me and my friend from church, Janice, who helped me get everything in here on decorating day. Thank you to my blog readers who came out for this, it was great seeing you all!
This is the bar area of the kitchen where I placed the small lime green and red tree, along with a white tureen filled with red balls, lime green moss and some pretty beads. I borrowed that Santa from someone, since it looked so great with my colors in here. We were swapping things back and forth and that was a lot of fun, but most everything in here, I brought from home.
This is looking towards the den area from the kitchen. You can see I placed my pretty paperwhites that I picked up recently on a cake stand and added some faux snow. I love the simplicity of putting things out like this and adding that snow. Instant Wintery feel! We’ll go back into the den in a minute, but first I’ll show you around the Bistro kitchen.
From the den, looking back at the kitchen area.
On the other countertop, I added this tray that I painted a long time ago, since it has a lot of green in it and layered some glass candlesticks that I filled with fresh greens and cranberries, added water and lit a floating candle. I just added the green teapot and Christmas plate for some fun. Again, added the fake snow and some Christmas balls.
These floating candles got a lot of attention and comments from everyone coming through and are so easy to do. I’ll do a post later on how to set these up and use them for a party. They are SO easy.
There’s a glasstop Bistro table in here and I added some pretty plates and Christmas coffee cups, with my linen yardsale green and white napkins tucked inside. I knew they would come in handy for something. Again, I used the other faux paperwhite on top of the Southern Living at Home pedestal with green moss, balls and pinecones tucked in, sitting on a plate with more Christmas balls and fake snow. Simple, but pretty, I thought.
Over the stove hood, I added a pretty Christmas sign I have at my house, along with some sparkly balls and ribbon, with a small wreath and another sparkly ball hanging from the front.
Over on the left side of the stove, I placed my white cakeplate with big cloche on top. Some of you might remember I did something similar last year in my kitchen, adding some little ceramic people for a Winter scape under glass. You will see this at my house again this year. 
This pretty wreath with the red and white checked ribbon was a loaner, since it went so well in my space. The Joyful Tidings greeting in the window is mine, as well as the red bottlebrush trees. I did add the lime green balls to the wreath to bring that color in too.
Another shot of the Bistro table.
To the right of the stove area, I added in my new whimsical cakeplate and platter that I found last year in the after Christmas 1/2 price sales. I love these pieces and hope to put them to good use this year. The faux amaryllis is the homeowners and I borrowed it to use in my big white urn, perfect on top of the cakeplate.
Moving back into the den, I went more understated in this room, with bronze, silver, and gold and very neutral. Look how well it all goes with the pretty painting over the mantel.
To the left of the mantel, is the big screen TV, so I added in Merry Christmas letters that I also found last year in the after Christmas sales. I love the simpleness of this too, with some pretty votives, pinecones, and simple pieces. The wreath underneath is mine too, found at Target a few years ago, and it totally looks real, but is not. 
The mantel and coffee table. I added a pretty gold and black runner to the coffee table and used my large lantern with 3 battery powered candles, which I really love. Those are great and they flicker just like the real thing. I got mine last year at Michaels. 
I added some fresh greens and a few silvery sparkly balls and pinecones to finish it off and tied a fancy bronze bow around it.
Me and my friend, Cindi, who is a designer with her own business. She did a fabulous area, which I’ll show you later on. We go to church together too and have had so much fun getting to know each other during this project.
That’s all for my space. Stay tuned for much, much more from this beautiful home. It will take me days to take you through it all, but I’ll keep posting until I show all of it. I won’t do it all in a row, but will sprinkle in the inspiration throughout the next few weeks, so we all don’t get burned out on Christmas too early!
After all, we still have Thanksgiving to celebrate first. And I love that Holiday too.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I love it…everything looks so amazing & beautiful!!
Just perfect! You have done an amazing job with your areas. I love all of the little touches and the colors are great! The guest coming through must have been thrilled to enter. Looking forward to seeing how you made the floating candles. I hope all of your week has gone as well as your project!
xo, Jennifer
You did a wonderful job ~ everything is so festive and classy! I’m curious though, was any part of the house decorated for Thanksgiving?
It’s all beautiful Rhoda! I love the lime and red combination. Lots of inspiration!
The year our home was on tour, we had a big snowstorm. We were cleaning sidewalks and driveways, the morning of the tour and a friend came over and bladed our street. We had lots of visitors. We’ve gone to them after snow and ice storms and in rain and sunny days. I love home tours, especially Christmas home tours!
What beautiful spaces you have created! Such inspiration for us all. I love the look of the red with the lime green. So fun! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the home.
I love the little winter scene under the cloche. I have a covered cheese plate that’s just waiting for inspiration, and I think I’ve found it. My son would absolutely love it.
The green sparkily leaf-type things in the cranberries/candles (Love, btw) – where did you get those? I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere (Hobby Lobby? or Dollar Store maybe?) and wanted them and didn’t buy them for some reason. Now, I want them again!
You did a beautiful job. I can’t wait to see the rest of the house!
Oh, and I’m doing my dining room in lime green, turquoise, and silver, so I saw a lot of things in the kitchen that I’m going to have to copy!
It all looks so pretty Rhoda! Love the pics!
I am totally going to “steal” some of your ideas for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks beautiful!!
Gosh Rhoda you did awesome!! I love it! I know the homeowners will want to keep everything you did!!
Beautiful job! As always…..so talented my friend.
Lou Cinda
what a feast for the eyes!! Everything is just so, so gorgeous. I especially love the Christmas Spirit sign – so much that I’ve printed the picture and I am going to try and replicate it with the help of my cricut (gosh that thing was expensive and I need to make enough projects to make it worth it
I really like the faux snow! I’ll have to try that this year. Thank you for taking the time to show us these great decor ideas.
Awe, how I wish I was there to see all this in person.
How beautiful. Please show us more! I will tune in tomorrow.
I do love that green, Rhoda! I have quite a bit of it to sprinkle in myself this year. I really like it with red and pink, which seems to be what I’m drawn to this year. You did a great job, especially bringing your own stuff in. Your house must look spectacular for Christmas! Love all your little things ~ and I think they are the best because you can always fit them in somewhere to add some holiday decoration!
Yesterday was so much fun! I loved it all! Everything was beautiful. The entire house was amazing. I would get lost in that huge house!
Your area was decorated to perfection as was the entire house. I could not believe the kitchen…how many island were there? Gorgeous!
It was good seeing you yesterday.
Blessings,
Donna
So very inspiring!! You did a fabulous job. I love it all and so wish that I could have seen it in person. I’m going to begin decorating this weekend because I’ll be out of town the entire week of Thanksgiving. I will be certain to use some of your ideas as inspiration. Thank you so much for your willingness to share so generously with all of us. You are a jewel. Blessings!
Oh I just love to tour decorated houses at the Holidays. So many great ideas! Your areas are just perfect. And I too really liked the little scene under the cloche. Really all of it looked wonderful and was fun to see. Thanks!
Rhoda~thanks soooo much for the first tour…the home looks gorgeous!!! Love how you used the red and lime green combo…these colors work so well in my home. Hope you have a super FUN week!
Blessings,
Linda
Oh my gosh…you have so awakened my Christmas Spirit! Your decorations are lovely and I will be waiting for your tutorial on the charming cranberry candles. They are really pretty!! Love your color choices….so festive and inviting!!
Great job!! xOxO Nerina
I can’t believe you did all that! Wait a minute, YES I can! So pretty and inspiring.
Look how much fun you had! Such a pretty space and lots of great ideas, Rhoda. I’m definitely putting my paperwhites on dessert stands this year and I have little winter people and glass cloches, so I can steal that idea too! Thanks!
We had such a nice evening wandering through this magnificent house. All the decorations were lovely, fun and creative. So glad you were a part of this project, Rhoda. Your space was cozy and inviting. The mantel was beautiful. Such a grand idea to help the ministry of By Provision. It was fun to meet Elizabeth and see photos from their work in Africa, also. Hats off to one and all.
) Merry Christmas!
Wow Rhoda!
What an inspiration you are!
Makes me want to decorate for Christmas today!!! Like now! Love the Bistro kitchen decor.
The paperwhites and the big platter with green diamonds and snowflakes are my faves!
I know your home must be absolutely amazing once you have worked your magic!
Lovely!
I live in Seattle now…but Birmingham is home!
Graduated from Vestavia!
Dad worked in Dept. of Surgery @ UAB.
XXOOXX
My jaw is on the floor – HOW pretty!!! You Southern Ladies sure do have your acts together. Thank you for all the great ideas and the warm fuzzy feelings this post as induced in me! I’m so excited for the Sunday after Christmas when I’ll be decorating my home! ox
Rhoda,
That was a lot of work on your part and it paid off in spades. Looks amazing!
great work! but looks like hard work!
sarah
Great job Rhoda! It all looks beautiful and I can’t wait for those after Christmas sales to see if I can find some of those lovelies you’ve found.
looks great! I am glad that you did not get blown away! I am sure all who turned out had a great time! Thanks for the pictures I can not wait to see the rest of them~Amy
I am so glad Ida was not a bother !!!!
Great job……how fun that must have been for you
Pretty sweater Rhoda I love that color ….(I know I know you got it a sale for like 3 cents lol !!!!)
Kathy
This looks wonderful, Rhoda! I love the way you matched the tone of your decorating to the house–whimsical in the bistro kitchen, more subdued and elegant in the den. Can’t wait to see more!
I’ve tried to leave you a comment several times lately and haven’t been able to get the comment box to load. I’m hoping this one goes through. I do want you to know that I’m visiting you!
Beautiful decor & great job, Rhoda! Thanks for sharing the pics…….Bonnie
I can just tell that many great ideas will come from that beautiful home!! Woo hoo.
Everything looks so festive. I especially love the cloche with the people. I can imagine them coming to life when you leave. I think I might have watched Night at the Museum, one too many times!
Oh! It’s so beautiful!!
I love so many things – but, my favorite is the Bistro table setting: it looks so inviting & festive! And thanks for sharing the flicker candle info – I’ll definitely visit Michael’s with one of those great coupons.
Can’t wait to see the other photos, too!
Gorgeous! Certainly gets me in the Christmas decorating mood! Except that I still have my fall stuff out…and I love fall colors…
What a great job Rhoda! I luv how you elevated your paperwhites & the amaryllis up on cakestands. I can’t wait for you to share your floating candle ideas and that cloche is just too cute. I also look forward to the remainder of the tour. TFS! Sheila
So beautiful Rhoda. I agree with you about getting “burned out” on Christmas. Even though we have all started to decorate for it let’s not forget Thanksgiving. It’s also one of my favorite holidays and it seems we “rush” right by it.
I can’t wait for that post on the cranberry Christmas candles!
Take Care,
xxLisa
So beautiful! Thanks for showing has got my deocrating juices going!!
OH my what gorgeous colors you used… I love the lime green. Each room is just beautiful… I can’t wait to see more.. how fun it must have been….
Hugs;
Alaura
Rhoda, It looks fabulous. I look forward to you sharing some ideas/tips on some of your designs. Did you do the bow on that faux candle? I would love to know how to do that – I can never do bows but would so love to do them as beautifully as that bow. Diane
WOW!!! Your rooms are great! you are so creative! =)
Looking good Rhoda! So much fun even with the cruddy weather. Looks like I will be in the “ham (as my son calls it) on Friday the 20th…will let you know!
xx
Oh Rhoda, just beautiful my friend…love what you did…when are you coming out to my house lol..stunning…
Rhoda my friend, you did a beautiful job. You have such a God given talent. I am proud of you, and so blessed to know you.
So very pretty.
It amazes me when people have all of these Christmas decorations because it means you store it all year…somewhere.
I wouldn’t have a clue where to keep all of that…I guess when the kids move out there will be more storage in our home. That is one upside to them growing up…
What I love is that you put it to very good use.
What a beautiful room.
Becky K.
It’s gorgeous!!!
I’m so bummed that we missed it! But Chris was quite sick, so we were best to be quarantined…
You did an amazing job!!
The rooms look gorgeous, great job! And I love your green blazer, very festive and a great color on you!
Just beautiful and elegant!
Everything looks fabulous! I love the bistro table and it’s bright and happy decor. Thanks for the tour.
I totally thought the paperwhites were real til you mentioned they were FAUX!!!! And I am a floral designer working with all silk flowers:):) Your area looks fabulous! LOVE the little people under the cloche! Everything looks just wonderful. I love celebrating Thanksgiving too but wish it was earlier so I could decorate NOW!!!!!!! XO, Pinky