Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

These door decorations will last beyond the Christmas season.

Chose these door decorations because they can go on after Christmas.

This isn’t the easiest time of the year, and if your regular life is piled up with distractions, the Christmas season can send you right over the edge. I know because I often have overreaching expectations of myself.

As a freelance writer, I have deadlines. All writers do, even if they are self-imposed. I’m also a mother and wife, which is my most important vocation. Today, one child is lying on the sofa sick. Another is at school, but also planning a ski trip for part of the holidays with friends, and I need to finalize her class reservation and ski rental, along with lift tickets. I’m excited for her to have this opportunity, and yet the details of pulling it together make me a bit nuts.

I am so not a detail person.

Then, there’s the lure of the Internet, that constant noise in the background of all of our lives. For a writer, turning much of it off while we’re trying to write is a good idea. Although Pages isn’t my favorite software–sorry Apple, I cut my teeth on WordPerfect and later Word–you can set Pages and other writing apps like WriteRoom to drown out the visual noise. I do like that feature.

I find all chatter, especially negativity, saps my creativity, and pretty soon I’m drowning in a sea of words.

So, when I feel this way, I call a friend for a play date. Helen Weis and I were mulling over our dissatisfaction with how society chooses to celebrate the holidays. If you’ve seen the commercials lately, you know they are pretty noisy  and filled with buy, buy, buy. I told Helen I’d found a beautiful wreath for my door. It happens to be a P. Allen Smith wreath from my local Lowe’s. I bought it because I love the burlap and the brown ribbon. I’m into brown for Christmas this year. It’s warm and cozy like hot chocolate.

Helen gave me the antique milk can last Christmas. It usually resides indoors, but today, I thought it went so well with the wreath that I pulled it outside. Oooh, now I wish my containers were copper colored. Where is that paint?

Just pondering all of this has energized and refreshed me. I wonder if that’s how Steve Jobs and his happy crew of pirates felt when they came up with something wonderful and creative. I think so.

Pinterest is one of my best tools to spark creativity. On one person’s board I saw ice skates hanging as a door swag, and I thought they were super cool. Then, strolling around an antique store, I saw a pair of vintage skates for $20. I bought them, and attached them to a wood sled we already have.

Decorating with a few new things:

  • a wreath for $24.98
  • a pair of vintage ice skates $20
  • ribbon for $10
  • a sled borrowed from my kids
  • a milk can beautifully wrapped in ribbon from my friend
  • two camellia shrubs, $30 each (I think)
  • Kale and ivy.

Unless we have a horrible winter, these decorations will last way past the Christmas season. They can be part of the blessed silence which comes after the big day. Quite invigorating, don’t you think?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Patrick's Garden

    Hey Dee,

    So glad to be up and around especially since Red Dirt Rambling is my favorite blog of them all. I’ve missed our little dialogues.

    Now this is certainly A + when it comes to curb appeal. I love how the antique sled on door compliments the teal trip. I’m making a note on next year’s Outlook to look into finding some antique skates for my door here at Trinity on ebay or maybe even the front doors of the facility. The overall look is so enchanting I had to enlarge several times to take the total effect. Very nice work, Dee.

    Speaking of the building, my health wasn’t up to it to pull off but I’d like to find a couple of used bicycles and spray them all cream then wrap in small white lights. I saw such in a antique store window over 20 years ago and have bookmarked the idea for someday. But my creative addition would be mounting on two painted rebar stakes in the front yard and adding chaser lights on the wheel to replicate spinning wheels. Wouldn’t that totally rock?

    Anyway, have a Merry Christmas, my dear.

  3. Randy

    I’ve never hear of Pinterest. My gosh what beautiful garden photos I found there. Thanks for the tip!

    • OkieWells

      Be careful! Pinterest is the rabbit hole from which you may not return. A local biz here in Ponca City (UnWINEd) has held Pinterest support group meetings. Of course, lots of wine was involved!

  4. Lisa at Greenbow

    You have some beautiful decorations here Dee. I always use what I have in new and creative ways. I often throw in a couple of purchased items. Never spending much though. It is a shame that we are brain washed into trying to buy christmas. It just can’t be done. Merriest of holiday to you.

  6. Melanie

    I love your door deco. .When the winter gets unbearably cold and long, ,your door will still be a bright spot!! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

  7. commonweeder

    I haven’t made my wreath yet – kitchen renovation has gotten in my way. I am determined to harvest some running pine and make a very simple wreath. I don’t look for perfection, whatever that may be.

  9. CurtissAnn

    Beautiful and inspiring, dear friend. I find it very cool that more and more people are speaking about simplifying and what Christmas really means. Yeah for us all!

  10. Kay G.

    Hey!
    We must think the same way! Look at my post called “The Wreath On Your Own Front Door”!
    Beautiful decorating.
    You have a lovely blog too!

  11. Robin Ripley

    You seem like a detail person to me. Your work is always careful and thoughtful. But I get it how words seem to smother you, so I will be brief. You’re awesome, Dee!

  14. Brooke - Creative Country Mom

    Oh Dee, it looks beautiful. I love you kale too, it still loks great! I too try to do “Winter” vs Christmas on the porch and inside. I love the natural elements. The one thing I havent done is go collecting evergreens in the woods this year. I usually do my windowboxes with cuttings. My own evergreens are way to small to cut! Many blessings my friend…. Brooke

  15. Kathy T.

    Dee, I enjoy your writings, and always get uplifted in spirit when I read your blog. Love the decorations at your front door. My best wishes for a Blessed and Happy Christmas!

  16. Cynthia L. H.

    Love it all, Dee. ;^) The brown ribbon (hot CHOCOLATE) idea, especially. ;^) It all looks so nice with your cabin with the turquoise trim (love that, too.) After you listed the items and their costs, I thought you were going to say, Blessed Silence: Priceless. :^D It is.
    Thank you for sharing!
    Cynthia

  17. Gail

    Dee, I love the colors you’ve chosen for your home; they are complimented by the holiday decor. Love dressing up the everyday and unique to give it a holiday touch~Which reminds me I need to put the winter scarf on my welcome pig. gail

  18. Mr. McGregor's Daughter

    That’s beautiful! I have an antique pair of ladies’ ice skates – they were my older sister’s, then mine when she outgrew them. For years I’ve been thinking of using them as some sort of decoration. I just can’t seem to get motivated this year, so maybe next year…

    • Dee Nash

      Thanks Susan. I found these straight off the truck, but later, they were inside the store. That wasn’t such a good idea. They were starting to dry out. I bought a second one, and Helen suggested we drench it in a sink to rehydrate it.