Outdoor Decorating for the Holidays

December 24, 2016

It's Christmas weekend - I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful time with family and friends. This year, I am spending the holidays with my daughter and grandchildren. We're traveling abroad for a much needed vacation.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've also done a lot of holiday entertaining here at the farm. I just love how my home looks this time of year - adorned with festive lights and beautiful ornaments inside and out. Here are photos of some of the outdoor decorations.

I wish you all a very safe and happy holiday. Be sure to check my blog in the New Year - I will have many more wonderful memories to share with you.

: Fernando took out more than 40-boxes from storage. I knew these would look wonderful on the two Camperdown Elms, Ulmus ‘Camperdownii’, outside my Winter House kitchen. Wait until you see what’s inside each box.

: Each box contains a giant silvered-glass kugel – all from Martha by Mail. Do you have any?

: Because the kugels are fragile, I wanted them secured to the branches with strong wire.

: These kugels are larger than Fernando’s hand and also quite heavy, so it is important to hang them securely. For extra strength, Fernando loops and doubles the wire through the hole at the top of the kugel before hanging.

: And then carefully places it strategically on the tree – none of the ornaments should bang or touch each other.

: Here is a smooth kugel. The mirrored shine of traditional kugels first produced in Germany during the early 19th century, comes not from silver or mercury, but from a coating of reflective material sprayed to the inside surface of clear glass.

: Here is a more textured kugel. The most common hues are silver, then gold, green, and cobalt. Kugels look radiant as a centerpiece, dangling from a chandelier like jewels, and, of course, dotting the tree.

: Fernando places the kugels on strong branches that can carry the weight of the ornaments.

: All of my outdoor decorating lights and supplies are always stored neatly in bins, so they are easy to find and put up year after year.

: I also wanted these Camperdown Elms to be wrapped in lights.

: Carlos began working on the other Camperdown Elm.

: I think they look great adorned with these giant silvered-glass kugels.

: Meanwhile, my shooting stars were placed on the outside of several buildings. Here is one above the Hay Barn.

: This shooting star was hung above the sliding doors of my Equipment Barn.

: And here’s Pete hanging another on my Gym building. Below are two ‘snow-covered’ artificial trees that flank the door to the wrapping room.

: Nearby, Fernando and Carlos unravel a string of lights for the tall tree outside my Tenant House, where my daughter, Alexis, and her beautiful children, Jude and Truman, stay when they visit.

: This tree is about 12-15 feet tall, so it needs at least a thousand lights.

: The best way is to start at the bottom, close to the trunk, wrapping it around the branches, and then going around again to fill outer branches.

: Carlos gives the lights a “thumbs up” – all done.

: Inside, lots and lots of Christmas gifts are being wrapped. I always try to make the gift wrapping as fun and as special as the present inside.

: I love this deep chocolate brown paper with the shiny satin ribbon embellished with sprigs of herbs. Keep your tissue paper, twine, and wrapping paper organized and accessible in bins so it’s easy to find year after year.