My daughter and I have started the tradition of taking one of those holiday tours of homes each year. Last year I came home with many decorating ideas and I waited a whole year to implement them! One thing I saw in several homes were themed collections on shelves in kitchens, made into little vignettes. I always tend to lean towards decorations that emphasize whatever aspect of nature is connected to the holiday (Easter: eggs, St. Patrick’s Day: shamrocks, Thanksgiving: turkeys, Halloween: pumpkins). It was time to expand my Christmas decorations. I hit on polar bears and became obsessed. So far, I’ve only bought two, but am hoping Santa might add to my collection. I love the ones that are mostly faceless – I’ve never been a fan of anthropomorphic faces on animals. These polar bears found their way into my cart at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods for under $10 each. I put them on the shelf above the window over the sink, added some silvery and ivory beaded garland, some cheap plastic stars from Walmart, and some berries from Michael’s to match my kitchen blue theme.  I’m happy to have the polar bears keeping me company in the kitchen. What Christmas collections do you have?

My daughter and I have started the tradition of taking one of those holiday tours of homes each year. Last year I came home with many decorating ideas and I waited a whole year to implement them! One thing I saw in several homes were themed collections on shelves in kitchens, made into little vignettes. … Read more →