Friday, January 18, 2008

file under "Remember this next December"

I'm just now getting around to uploading this picture and posting about it...so it's not exactly timely, but it still might be helpful to someone out there. Just file it away in your next Christmas idea bank, ok?

So I mentioned a few times that I used some free greenery in our home this past Christmas (here and here, for example). I collected some of it at Lowe's, when we purchased our tree. They allowed me to take scraps for free. Then Brian clipped our Buford Holly, so I carried those clippings inside. We made our annual stop for mistletoe, which we clipped out of an oak tree in a vacant lot. Then we had a reception at our church, so I collected juniper and cedar and pyracantha from roadside bushes. After the reception, I brought those clippings home. Finally, I clipped a bit of Texas sage and boxwood from our shrubs to finish things off. What resulted was a very Texas spin on Williamsburg natural decor. It was fragrant (though perhaps a bit rough on our allergies), and it looked lush and beautiful. This basket is one load of what I took down...I had three baskets full!

All this is to say that nice looking garlands and wreaths can be costly. If you can get them after Christmas, they are more affordable. However, if you find your Christmas decorating budget is tight this year, take a look around your town and see what you might be able to bring inside!

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