Christmas Tour of Homes on Sea Island

The Touring Gals and I headed South again this year to Saint Simons Island (Ga)

 for the Cassina Garden Club Christmas Tour of Homes. I always love driving on

the island and seeing how it is "lit up" for the hoidays!

This year the houses on the tour were all on Sea Island. There were

five homes and I wish I could share tons of pictures with you, but they do have

a No Photography rule. The holiday decorations were wonderful. The garden

club members had really out done themselves adding special seasonal touches

to these magnificent homes.

We decided that this tour was without a doubt one of the very best that we had

been on and readers we have seen a lot of homes in years past. I was really

disappointed that I could not find more photos to share with you. But I did get

some exterior shots to share of these unbelievable "cottages" as they are called

on Sea Island. Each of the five stops was marked by the tours wreath logo.

Kitchen Exit

Beautiful flowers were everywhere!

Guest House Entrance

This group of reindeer were circling one of the beautiful oak trees.

 
Last year we had the special treat of visiting Brunswick Manor and
seeing the beautiful Christopher Radko collection. If you missed that
post Click Here

This year, our extra special event was lunch at the Cloister and getting
to see all of the beautiful decorations there!

Georgia is very fortunate to have this beautiful resort.
One of the top 100 in the world

The Christmas tree, as you enter the Cloister, is 29 feet tall
and 13 feet wide.

 

Carolers were singing around the tree for the guest to enjoy.

 This "huge" gingerbread house filled one end of the room. It seemed so

small compare to the big Christmas tree. But it is much taller than it
looks in the picture!

 This is the beautiful solarium where you could relax with a hot beverage.

 

 

 Another wonderful place to sit and enjoy the fire!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful decorations at the Cloister. It is almost

the night before Christmas and I hope each of you are ready for the big day

and have all of your shopping completed and are ready to relax and enjoy this

special time with family and friends.

 

 

Please remember the real reason for the season. Enjoy your Christmas Day

and have a very Happy New Year!

I will be back to visit with you in 2013!

 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree what story are you telling?

What would Christmas be without a Christmas Tree?

 

We had always had a real tree downstairs and a flocked artificial tree 
 in the upstairs living room, when I was growing up.

I was not prepared for the out cry the year we got our first
artificial tree. My daughter was sixteen and I was sure she was never going
to forgive me!
It might have also had something to do with her age.
(Parents of teenage girls will understand!)
It was a beautiful tree and was so realistic. It even had tiny

pine cones on some of the limbs. It served us well for over twenty years!

Now we do something a bit unusual. We have all of our Christmas
ornaments on a garland that goes around our arched window.
We also have several other small trees. You can see one of them and my 
ornament garland in last years blog.

These are a few of my Favorite Things

We have had a number of small theme trees over the years. My husband had

a Car Tree with matchbox cars on it. We had a Dog Tree with pictures
of our dogs and doggie ornaments and milk bones. We have had a tree
with all crystal ornaments.
 

This year we have our kitchen tree with cookie cutters, cinnamon sticks,
tiny red apples, and old fashion bubble lights and plaid ribbon.
It sits in the kitchen bay window.

Kitchen Tree

 

Mother's Angel Card Tree
 

On my dining room sideboard, is a silver twig tree with a series of
Hallmark Angel cards. My Mother sent these cards out for a number of years.
We also still have the baby tree shown in my favorite things. It sits in our
guest bath on the vanity. All of these trees have a theme.
If you have never had a theme tree

you are missing out on a great chance to really let your creative side shine!

Theme trees come in all sizes and are only limited by your imagination.

 

Here are some ideas to help you get started!

 

Birds & Pine cones

 

 

Patriotic Tree

 

 

Christmas Tree with Letters

 

Close up of Letter Tree

 

 

Christmas Tree with Vintage Clocks

Close up of Vintage Clocks

Book Tree

Georgia Bulldog Tree

Folk Art Tree

 Bottle Tree

Edible Tree

Pink and Purple Tree

Beach Tree with Mermaid Topper

Starfish Tree

 

Beach Ornament Tree

Rustic Tree

 

 

What ideas can you think of for a theme tree?

Just remember to.....

 

 

Designs on Holiday Windows NYC 2012

 

 City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.

 Dressed in holiday style.

 In the air There's a feeling of Christmas!

 Children laughing,

 People passing,

 Meeting smile after smile

 and on every street corner

 you will "see"

 

that the big department stores have rolled out their annual holiday window displays!

Several years ago I was in New York City before Christmas and got to experience

the fantasy of these fabulous windows up close and personal! They are a

special treat for young and old! Here is a peak at the Windows of 2012!

 

Macy's:

 

 



 

Macy's was the first department store to have holiday windows. Their theme

this year is the Magic of Christmas.



Lord & Taylor:

 

 

 

It is Lord & Taylor's 75th Anniversary. Their windows this year depicts a

globe-trotting Santa Claus making the most of his day off and Holiday Traditions

around the world.They were the first store to have animated windows.

 

Tiffany & Company:

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany is displaying Home for the Holidays and captures all of the allure of the Tiffany & Company's iconic blue box!

 

 

Saks Fifth Avenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saks Fifth Avenue's  window this year has a Snowflake Spectacular Light Show

and tells a story of the Snowflake and the Yeti against a backdrop of

high fashion!

 

 Bloomingdale's:

 

 

 

 

 

 Bloomingdale's takes this year’s inspiration from the soon to be released movie, “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away 3D.” It will be in theaters on December 21.

 

 

Bergdorf Goodman:

 

 

 

 

 This years Bergdorf Goodman's windows are inspired by all things Jazz Age,

old Hollywood and glamorous. Their production takes nearly an entire year

of planning. It is the Follies on Fifth Avenue.

 

 

Henri Bendel:

 

 

 

Henri Bendel continues with the Roaring 20's theme.  The main window features a replica of the store’s main selling floor circa 1920. It includes a gold-plated chandelier with Swarovski elements and a grand staircase with mirror panels, inspired by the first Henri Bendel location on 57th Street.

 

 

Barney's:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Barney's holiday extravaganza this year is a salute to the Mouse! They partnered

with Walt Disney to show you Minnie's fashion adventure in Paris.

It is an Electric Holiday!

 

I hope you enjoyed your stroll down the streets of New York and you are getting

ready for a wonderful Holiday season!

 

If you would like to see more pictures of the 2012 Holiday Windows,

Click on this Link.