Christmas in July

I am so delighted to be part of a very talented group of bloggers who are celebrating Christmas in July. What exactly is Christmas in July? I did some research and you can read more about it at the bottom of this post. Psychologically, in the sweltering Arizona heat, a mental escape to Christmas it is a quick way to beat the high temps.

But right now, some stores already have their autumn decorations up and retailers seem to dictate the seasons long before they arrive. Each Christmas, I do try to decorate something/someplace in a “different” way. For years I would put our decorations in the same areas. But stepping back and looking at your space with a critical eye, can spark refreshing ideas on how to use the decorations you already have. Whether it be a new color combination or a holiday theme, by mixing it up a bit, tends to keep me out of a decorating rut.

Experiment with Color

Being a bit of a traditionalist, I do love reds and greens for Christmas. However, last year, instead of focusing on Christmas colors, I based my decorations on the shades and tones of each individual room. Since we do decorate nearly the entire house, there is a great deal of pleasure in making each room unique and different.

Our dining room (see post here) has a beautiful Oriental rug with shades of cranberry, pink and greens. This rug isn’t going anywhere as it is very high quality and the perfect size for the room. But red and green in a room whose dominating colors are cranberry/pink/teal, just doesn’t work well.

Pink it is!

Though pink isn’t a traditional Christmas color, I am able to find this large container with ornaments in the blush/pink tones. The ribbon is typically available on Amazon here. But it is currently out of stock. A pink polka dot ribbon in similar shades can be found here.

In addition to the ornaments, these glittery floral picks are also from Michaels. Please note that I waited to the early part of December to look for pink-toned items. The inventory is so low at that point, but by chance I did find one container of ornaments hidden along with these pink blush picks on a low shelf. If you are looking for a unique color, I recommend starting your search a lot earlier than December!

Addition of a fresh tree

Armed with ornaments and ribbon, we did splurge on a fresh evergreen tree in a corner of the room. This tree is the perfect size for the dining room, elevating the entire Christmas theme (and smell) of the room.

Surprisingly, I did find pink Christmas wrapping paper to give the gifts under the tree a similar theme.

For a tree skirt, I gently wrapped my pink/white Valentine quilt around the base of the tree. Again, try and utilize what you have on hand.

With the tree complete and in the pink, now I need to focus on the rest of the room.

The Mantel

Being a historic home, we have a fireplace in nearly every room. With a wide and deep mantel, they are perfect for holiday decorating. In the dining room, I apply a faux garland, white lights and tuck in dried pink peppercorns, pink hydrangea and a sparkly pink ball floral wire.

The bottle brush trees in shades of pink, teal, evergreen add height and dimension to the linear mantel. For fun and balance, I hang the pink balls on fishing line on clear Command hooks on the underside of the mantel.

You don’t need to buy new holiday items every year. Here’s a photo of Christmas 2019 where I use the same pink balls, but in a different application. Playful and festive, they are hanging from the crystal chandelier over the dining room table. Reimagine and repurpose!

More festive touches

With the tree decorated and the mantel adorned, the rest of the room gets a few pink touches.

Pink satin ribbon with boxwood wreaths are pinned to the tops of the upholstered Parson chairs. These wreaths are an after Christmas significantly discounted purchase from Ballard Design. I use them year after year in different ways and they look as good as they day they arrived. See boxwood wreaths here.

Our Christmas dinner is a bit on the formal side and many memories are shared here in this room. Instead of using our traditional red/green, it is fun to change it up a bit to go with the rest of the pink/blush/tree decor.

The sparkly bits of the centerpiece are glittered pine cones, silver trees, coppery votives and silver mint julep cups as vases.

Natural elements like fresh greens, deep ruby pomegranates, alstroemeria and pink roses bring color to the table. Dark cranberry ribbon secure the napkins and a sprig of greens tie it all together. Plain white dishes, pink glassware are layers toward a compliment of colors.

With a burgundy/pink toile tablecloth, the entire new color scheme pulls together.

I can honestly say this is one of my favorite holiday rooms. Getting the colors right with minimal cost is so rewarding. Just writing this blog post and seeing the photos over again, makes me so happy.

Since this is a time of celebration, change your decorations up a bit. If you always put the snow globes in the same place every year, think of where else you can still display them but in a new and exciting way. And if you are buying a unique item or color, don’t wait until December to do it. Most stores will be out of stock by then.

What is Christmas in July?

Per Real Simple Magazine, according to legend, Christmas in July was first celebrated at a summer camp in 1933, when Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina decided to dedicate two days (July 24 and 25) to the holiday—complete with cotton fake snow, a decked-out tree, a gift exchange, and, of course, Santa.

The tradition carries on today, and blistering-hot Southern summers have yet to stop the camp’s tradition—now they simply go for a dip in the lake post-presents. 

Thanks for joining me today! And now let’s see what these talented gals are sharing below.

Christmas in July Blog Hop

Don’t you love looking at other holiday ideas? Me, too. My sweet friend, Rachel from the Pond’s Farmhouse is the host and clever coordinator. I you are visiting me from The Pond’s Farmhouse, welcome to my historical home.

Let’s get started and see what the other 13 bloggers have in store.

Click on the highlighted links below to follow along on the tour.

Stacy Ling – Bricks N Blooms –/– Chloe – Celebrate & Decorate –/– Anne & Ann Marie – Simply 2 Moms –/– Cindy – County Road 407 –/– Jenn – Down Shiloh Road –/– Kelly – The Tattered Pew –/– Rachel – The Ponds Farmhouse –/– Mary – Life At Bella Terra –/– Michele – Vintage Home Designs –/– Jen – MIdwest Life & Style –/– Kim – Shiplap & Shells –/– Kristen – White Arrows Home –/– Andrea – Design Morsels –/– Chas – Chas Crazy Creations