Cost Saving Approach to a Festive and Welcoming Holiday Porch

Merry Christmas! 

Today, I'd like to share some tips on how I keep holiday decorating costs from getting out of hand.  Every year, I create a festive display on our front porch. This is one of the areas where I splurge and spend most of my holiday decorating budget. There are some ways in which I'm able to cut down on the expense without sacrificing style.

For instance, I love to use fresh greens at the entrance of our home to welcome guests with the scents and live textures of the season. Instead of heading to the local nursery or the tree farm,  I grab these small, fresh, table top trees from the garden center at Home Depot ($15.99 each). They already have a plastic base attached to them which fits perfectly inside my existing porch urns. 

To keep them standing up straight (even through a blustery Michigan winter storm) I bury the plastic base in a $5 bag of pea rock. 

This year, I purchased a gorgeous set of faux greenery from Potterybarn that includes a wreath and pair of decorated garlands. This was a bit of an initial investment, but I will reuse them for many years which cuts down on the re-curring annual cost of decorating. 

I wrapped the base of my fresh trees with the garland and secured it with a large wire twisty tie. 

Then, I added inexpensive white lights to finish them off. 

I like to have a big, oversized wreath on the door, however as you can see in the image below, the wreath I purchased from PB was on the small side. 

To dress it up and to make it appear larger, I added fresh greenery. In the past, I would purchase a large, fresh wreath from the nursery to attach to the back of my faux decorated wreath, but this year I found a way to cut the cost in half. 

I noticed a plain, undecorated 31" fresh, mix-green wreath cost $49.99 (yikes!). However, a 50' strand of mix-green garland was the same cost. I grabbed the garland, cut it in half, looped it into the shape of a 31" wreath and tied it around the back of my PB wreath with wire twisty ties. I was able to use the other half of the garland to decorate my foyer!

Here is a look at the wreath after I added the fresh greens...

The size and scale is much more dramatic. Not to mention the fragrant and textural mix-green garland added to the faux wreath takes the entire look up a notch. 

Here is a peek at the foyer that I decorated using some of the remaining garland...

Okay, back outside on the porch...

A few years ago, I made a hand painted sign to personalize my porch decor. It was very inexpensive, I just used a piece of MDF, black chalk paint and Sharpie Paint Markers to make it. Since then, my holiday decor colors have changed from red and black to gold and black. To save the cost (and time) of making another sign, I simply painted over the red paint with two coats of gold. 

I brought a few indoor elements outside to make the porch look warm and cozy. My indoor/outdoor pillows and rug do great in the Michigan elements. An inexpensive scarf from Walmart, a bunch of fresh greens (clipped from around the yard) and some bricks placed inside wrapped packages dress up my little wooden deer on the cheap. 

The final element was absolutely free, snow!

I hope you are all enjoying the season.

Peace to all who enter my home and yours! 

For information on my affordable online design service, please click here.

Saved By My Fix - All Accessories Stitch Fix Reveal

Last month I was literally saved by my fix! My husband surprised me with a last minute, weekend trip to Chicago to celebrate my 40th birthday. Ironically, my monthly Stitch Fix box showed up on my porch just in time!  

It made packing for a trip, unexpectedly, at the last minute so easy! Neither myself nor my Personal Stylist had any idea about this trip, yet she sent me items that were perfect for a cold, fall weekend in Chicago.

(What is Stitch Fix? Click Here to Learn More)

 Each month when I place my fix order, I have a chance to write my Stylist a note and let her know what types of items I may like to receive. This time, I requested an "All Accessories" fix. Here is what I said, "I would like to receive a box of accessories. Items that will be the "cherry on the top" of the outfits you have sent to me over the past few months. A purse, jewelry, scarves, hats, flats etc. would be wonderful. I'd especially love a winter coat". 

Are you ready to see what she sent to me?

By popular request, I'll model the items in my fix for you this month instead of just showing you the pieces. Please don't laugh too hard, I'm by no means a fashion model and I haven't gotten the whole "selfie" thing down yet.

When my monthly Stitch Fix box arrives, there is usually at least one or two items that I'm on the fence about at first. I choose to trust in my stylist, follow her advice in my style cards and give these pieces a try. They almost always turn out to be my favorite "go to" wardrobe pieces. Case in point, these shoes... Green Suede Pointed Toe Flats... 

At first, I did not like them at all. Then, I tried them on and thought they "weren't too bad". Then, after a few days of asking others what they thought of them and getting mixed reactions,  I decided just to wear them. They are now My. Favorite. Shoes.  I love what they do for my outfits, they give my everyday look a little something unexpected, exciting, and not typical "me".  Did I mention how much I love them? Look how cute they are with basic black leggings...

The next item in my box was a "love at first sight" piece, The Cossanay Wool Wrap Coat. Now this is something that I would have seen in a store and chosen for myself. I love the classic style of this piece. 

For being a wool coat it's very soft. It's light weight which makes it a very nice layering piece. In spite of being un-lined, it is very warm. It's the most expensive item I have received from Stitch Fix, but I requested it and felt it was worth it for this Michigan girl. I'll get a ton of use out of it. In fact, I wore it the entire time we were in Chicago. 

The next item was Brooks Cross-body Purse...

I am obsessed with this purse! It's large enough to hold all my things, but still small enough that it's not too cumbersome to wear across the body, or under my coat. The cognac color of the leather is so pretty that it inspired me to pick up a pair of matching riding boots. 

The day we left for Chicago, I wore the cross-body bag and new boots with black leggings and my Jana Poncho (from my last fix). It was the perfect traveling outfit! It was so comfortable that I wore the same outfit on the way home. 

The next item in the box was a soft, black and white, fuzzy, plaid scarf. I love this scarf because it is long enough to wrap around my neck loosely, but not too bulky. 

Once we got to Chicago, I was surprised again by a group of our friends that were there waiting to celebrate with us. We took a night-time walk along the Navy Pier and my scarf layered over my jean jacket (from another fix) kept me snuggly warm. 

(40th Birthday Selfie with My Best Girls on the Navy Pier)

The last item in my fix was something that I would never have selected for myself. When I first saw it, I wasn't sure how to wear it without it looking like I was wearing a (gorgeous) throw blanket. Then, I read my Stylist's suggestions on how to wear this piece and I gave it a try.

Turns out, I wear it all the time. Especially in the design studio and when I'm out and about, running errands. It's a perfect piece for someone, like me, who prefers to have temperature control options without having to pull layers of clothing over my head in public. If you are one that worries if you will be hot or cold when you get somewhere, this is a great piece to grab on your way out the door. 

It is a very light weight shawl-like piece that can be worn over the shoulders or around the neck, like a blanket scarf. My 16 year old daughter can't keep her hands off it either. 

One of the reasons I signed up for Stitch Fix was because I wanted to experiment with updating my wardrobe without spending hours shopping for myself. I also wanted a fresh perspective from a professional stylist to push me out of my comfort zone and introduce me to things I usually wouldn't choose for myself. My Stylist has done just that while still taking into consideration my lifestyle, personality, basic style preferences, budget and most importantly, my shape (figure). With every fix, it gets better and better. 

Since I wrote this post, I have received my December fix and I can't wait to share it! It's a really fun fix with a unique theme that I requested.  Let's just say, she pinned it down perfectly.  To learn more about Stitch Fix and how it works, please visit them through my affiliate link: stitchfix.com/referral/8546020 

For information on my affordable online design service, please click here.

*This is not a sponsored post, however it does contain affiliate links. 

Important Announcement Regarding Our Design Services

I have an exciting announcement this morning…The Yellow Cape Cod Design Studio is offering gift certificates for our online design services! This is a great gift idea for yourself or a loved one.  If you'd like to purchase a gift certificate simply follow the instructions to make a reservation here and type "gift certificate" in the notes section during check out. You can purchase a One Room, Two Room or Three Room Design Plan Package. Please note that due to popular demand, there is a limited supply available, so get them while you can!

Here is an example of the results you can expect to achieve by following your Custom Online Design Plan...

(Before) 

(After)

These are actual photos, taken by my client after she followed the design plan we created for her. 

To see more of this space including more before pics, more after pics and the actual design plan we delivered to this client, please click here. 

If you are interested in purchasing a gift card, or getting started on a room design in your own home,  please click here for more information.

2016 Holiday Home Tour

Welcome to The Yellow Cape Cod 2016 Christmas Home Tour!

 My home is number 20 on The Holiday Housewalk, an inspiring, week-long, online tour of Christmas homes presented by Jennifer Rizzo. I'm excited to announce that we are partnering with Wayfair this year. I'll be linking to some Wayfair items that I'm featuring in my home this season.

If you are visiting from Inspired By Charm, thank you for stopping by and continuing the tour with me! I have to admit it is a little humbling to be the house after Michael's. Every year I look forward to his Christmas decor, he sets the bar pretty high for the rest of us. If you did not stop by as part of the tour, please be sure to hop on here and then go back to the beginning to see some absolutely beautiful homes, all dressed for the holidays from all parts of the country. 

Welcome to my home!

(White Faux Fur Blanket)

If this is your first time here, let me introduce myself.  My name is Sarah Macklem, I'm a professional Home Stylist from Detroit, Michigan.  This blog is where I share my daily design adventures along with DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas, exciting room makeovers and more. I operate my busy online interior design studio and often share my professional design work here on the blog. In addition to being the title of this blog, "The Yellow Cape Cod" is my home where I live with my husband, our three children and Murphie the dog, (who wanted to greet you at the front door but he was way to cozy on the couch when you arrived).  

Let me show you around, starting in the foyer...

This is the fourth year I've participated in Jen's Holiday Housewalk. Each year, my goal when decorating our home for the holidays is to balance the need to keep things looking fresh and different from years past with my families deep appreciation for tradition. This year, I swapped out my red Christmas accent color for golden yellow to give our existing Christmas decor a new look. It is really different from last year (click here to see last years tour) but we are enjoying the change.

After entering our foyer, the first room you see is my Dining Room Home Office. You can read all about how this room pulls double duty as my office and our formal dining space when we are entertaining, by clicking here. 

The tree in this room is secretly only half a tree, the back is completely flat. It's a clever solution for a small space. I decorated the tree with real, naturally shed antlers to give it a sense of whimsy while the beautiful silver and gold ornaments keep it feeling a bit formal. The candles on the tree are from Balsam Hill, they are LED lights that look like a real flame. They even have a flickering sound. I had so much fun creating this tree as part of Balsam Hill's 10th Anniversary Celebration. You can see more photos of this tree  in this post. 

 A lot of designing, managing, blogging and coffee drinking goes down in this space each day. Since this is the room where I spend the most time during this time of year, I decided to make use of every square inch to keep my holidays running smooth. For instance, I filled my office wall pockets with gift wrapping supplies so I can wrap gifts at my desk.

My dresser-buffet (aka my file cabinet) is all ready for Christmas dinner styled with entertaining supplies just waiting for a party.

Speaking of parties, for our family Christmas dinner party, I've ordered the most amazing fresh fruit and greenery garland from Wayfair to create a fragrant table centerpiece. As we get closer to Christmas, I'll share how I transform my "desk" into a formal dining table for six. I'll also show you my Christmas dinner tablescape. Until then, here is a peek at the garland...

The next room in our tour is our tiny Powder Room. This space is frequented by our holiday guests, so it usually gets a little Christmas cheer. This year it's a fresh stack of guest towels, a thrift shop church illuminated by a scented candle, and an adorable printable from Etsy reminding the kids to wash their hands. 

(Shatterproof Gold Ball Ornaments)

Now, it's time to round the corner into my Living Room. Our mantle this year features a hand painted, oversized monogram (painted by yours truly) along with a new piece of art by The Mountain View Cottage that perfectly represents my life-long love of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I found these adorable gold dot stockings at Potterybarn to hang from my Ballard Designs Antler Stocking Holders. I love the way these white elements pop against my black painted fireplace. I added German glass monogram tags and black striped ribbon to personalize the new stockings. 

(Striking Striped Pillow)

(Shatterproof Gold Ball Ornaments)

(Garvin Twist Candle Sconce)

The Family Christmas Tree is hands-down our favorite Christmas decoration. A few days ago, I shared the story behind the new tradition we started last year to visit our local tree farm and cut down a fresh tree. It was a special request by my youngest son, Max. We have been looking forward to this all year, and the tree we harvested last week is amazing. It's a beautiful Balsam Fir that smells divine and fills our living room with a magical glow. (Click here for a post I wrote on everything you need to know about cutting down a fresh tree). 

(Gold Star Tree Topper)

This year instead of setting up a traditional advent calendar, I came up with a fun alternative to get the family involved in decorating. I hung little numbered bags from the family tree. Each of the 25 bags contain a surprise, either a piece of candy or a small note featuring a special bible verse to reflect on for the day. Every day in December, the first person to get to the respective number on the tree gets the prize inside the bag. Then, that person will replace the bag with a special ornament from our heirloom ornament collection that has a ton of meaning to our family. 

By the time December 25th comes around, the bags will be gone and our family tree will be completely decorated with our special ornaments. 

A tree this big and this special needs an extra large star! I found this huge, gold, glittered star at Wayfair. It is perfectly over-scaled and dramatic. It gives the tree a ton of personality and a huge presence. The gift wrap I selected is custom made by Zazzle and also brings a lot of character to the tree. Last year, I made the large DIY Christmas Carol Chalk Art board for the mantle, this year I placed it behind the tree.

On the opposite side of the living room, in a corner is a shelf that I use to organize my entertaining supplies. This shelf also comes in handy as a dessert station by simpling adding mini desserts to the cake stands during our holiday parties. The nativity set was a thrift store find that I gave a mini-makeover with white paint, glitter and a small plug in light. 

The day after Halloween is the day I usually begin to force paperwhite bulbs. This way, I have blooms by Thanksgiving, then I start another round to give me fresh blooms again by Christmas.

I love to deck out our breakfast nook chandelier for Christmas. This year, I used fresh mixed garland to wrap the fixture and hung pretty gold tinted mercury glass ornaments from each arm. I made the black bows from wire rimmed ribbon, the black and ivory stripe complements the dot pattern on my chandy shades.

The last stop on my tour today is our front porch. I was hoping to have some snow, but it's a little late in arriving in Detroit this year. We are still holding out hope for a white Christmas. Whenever it decides to show up, I am ready for it. My all weather rug can take just about anything mother nature throws at it. It's been on our porch through four Michigan seasons this year and still looks brand new. 

(All Weather Rug)

That wraps up my Christmas Home Tour. Thank you for stopping by and letting me show you around.  The next home on the tour is  Just Destiny . Be sure to visit and see what she has been up to this year! **Spoiler Alert… it's awesome!

Now that the Christmas decor is up and the home tour is live, there is nothing left for me to do but cozy up on the sofa with some spiked egg nog and enjoy the magic. Well, maybe just for the night, I'll be back in the design studio tomorrow. 

Merry Christmas my friends!

For information on my affordable online design service, please click here.

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