Showing posts with label boxwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boxwood. Show all posts

Mother's Day Brunch Tablescape Blog Hop





Today, I am excited to join 5 other bloggers on a week long blog hop sponsored by Balsam Hill in honor of Mother's Day. Balsam Hill asked me to create a Mother's Day Brunch tablescape feauring one of their beautiful Artificial Floral Arrangements, and share my thoughts on motherhood.






I think that one of my most important job's as a mother, is to pass down the love from a long line of mothers before me to my children. Having strong family roots has helped me through hard times in my life. I hope that honoring past generations of my family and of my husbands family in our daily life will instill this comfort and peace in my children as well. Since I have a passion for homemaking and decorating, I use our home as a way to honor family and carry on traditions. 







For instance, looking at this Mother's Day Brunch table I set for my family, I see more than just a nice tablescape. I see hints of my mom, my grandmother, my husbands mom and her mother. 







Boxwood and tulips always remind me of my mom. Growing up, our courtyard featured a path to the front door lined with hundreds of tulips and boxwood shrubs. Most summertime evenings my mom could be found in her gardens weeding, trimming and watering. This is where we would share our day with her and have intimate conversations. It may be why to this day boxwood and tulips can be found around my home.








(The Balsam Hill Faux Floral Arrangement Featured here is called The Boxwood Topiary in Tuscan Planter)






Cobalt blue beaded candle holders remind me of my Grandma. They represent childhood memories of visiting her during the summer. She was an antique dealer and had an extensive collection of vintage cobalt glassware that we used for family meals at her home. From the time I was very little until this day, whenever I see cobalt glassware I think of her and remember those fun visits to her home in Traverse City, Michigan.
















Our heirloom milk glass tea cups remind me of my husbands Grandma. She had a passion for entertaining her children and grandchildren during the holidays. When I married into the family, I was immediately welcomed into their traditions which included big family dinners.  Memories of those good times are present whenever we use these milk glass tea cups that we inhereted after she passed away. 















On the menu for Mother's Day is a special recipe that my Mother in Law passed on to me early in my marriage to her son. In addition to being very hardworking, she is a gentle and loving mother and grandmother. When my husband and the kids are in need of comfort food, I make them her special lasangna. It's unlike any other version we've ever had, using Swiss Cheese in place of Mozzarella. Although mine never turns out as well as hers, it still reminds us of her and her love. 

For dessert, it's a local Detroit area favorite and known to my kids as "mom's favorite" Bumpy Cake.







My ultimate hope as a Mom is for the love I have for my family to be remembered. If future generations can look at something (like a flower, a candle holder, a tea cup or a certain food) and it sparks a happy memory that makes them feel loved, then I'll consider my mission accomplished.

Tomorrow, stop by My Sweet Savannah to see the tablescape she created using a Balsam Hill Floral arrangement and hear her thoughts on motherhood. I am really hoping she shares one of her amazing recipes! For more inspiring Mother's Day Brunch ideas, you can join the blog hop from the beginning...

Thursday-That's me!




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*I received a Faux Floral Arrangement from Balsam Hill to facilitate this post.

Holiday Home Tour 2013

 Surprise and Merry Christmas!  
Today, I am the surprise guest on the Deck The Halls Holiday Home Tour organized by Jennifer Rizzo.  It began this morning (you can take the full tour from start to finish here) and I'm so excited to share my holiday decorations along with 30 others in this week long tour. 



I am house number five.  The amazing Jeanne Oliver was up before me and let me just say, I knew she would be a tough act to follow.  



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 daily design adventures and operate my online interior design studio.  In addition to being the title of my blog, "The Yellow Cape Cod" is also my home where I live with my husband, our three children and our dog, Murphie.  





I'm so excited to be the surprise house on this fantastic tour.  Christmas is always a big deal at The Yellow Cape Cod, sharing our decor on the blog is something I look forward to every year.  But this year, I am especially excited. 

As Murphie and I show you around, I'll explain…








…last year, I had the amazing opportunity to have our home photographed for the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas Magazine 2013.  It was an incredible experience, although it meant that I was not able to share my decor on the blog.  In order for BHG to publish an exclusive spread, I had to keep it under wraps. 








This means I have some serious Christmas blogging excitement, two whole years of pent up Christmas ideas spinning around in my head.  You can imagine my reaction when Jen Rizzo ask me to join this Christmas tour.







The theme of my Christmas decor this year is "Classic Christmas".  The basis of my Christmas design  is black and white hounds tooth, fresh boxwood and hundreds of red ornaments.




(Click here for a tutorial on these little trees)



As you can see, I started my tour in our Dining Room that also doubles as my home office when we're not entertaining.  






It's one of the first rooms you see when entering our home.  For the holidays, I spiffed it up with new chair upholstery and a brand new rug.  Later on this week, I'll be sharing a tutorial on the little trees shown on the buffet.  I will also share some tips for keeping fresh greens looking fresh for weeks.







One of my goals in decorating our home (this room in particular) for the holidays is making sure it's ready for drop-in guests.  Our Christmas high chair (a thrift store find that I painted cherry red) offers our littlest guests a festive place to eat. 





 Across from the dining room is our powder room.  Red towels, boxwood clippings and a glowing candle keep this little space ready for guests.






Our mantle decor this year was inspired by the deer that visit our backyard throughout the season.  This room provides a nice view into the woods behind our home where deer can usually be seen.  






When I came across these antler stocking holders, I knew we had to have them. 





Our stockings are one of those elements that we will probably always incorporate into our Christmas decor.  We have grown quite attached to them over the years.  







The kids always look forward to hanging them on the fireplace. 
Each year I try to keep our decor fresh and different while using a lot of the same things year after year.   







Many of the elements I use have special meaning to us or represent a family tradition.  






For example, the Christmas tree in our living room is dedicated to a collection of ornaments from my Dad.  He gave us an ornament each year for Christmas until he passed away five years ago.  








This year I changed up the ribbon, accent ornaments and added gigantic snowflakes to put a fun spin on our special tree.







This is one of seven Christmas trees we have in our home this year.  I can't believe I just admitted that. 







In the kitchen, the busiest room in our home, I kept the decor light.  My daughter and I enjoy baking together during the holidays and need all the surface area we can get. 







 I was able to sneak in our festive red Kuerig, a few seasonal plants and a Santa I fell in love with at the Goodwill.   Every year I decorate the chandelier with greens and ornaments for a fragrant centerpiece.






 One of our favorite Christmas traditions takes place in the kitchen on Christmas Eve.  After attending service, Hannah and I come home and prepare Over-Night-French-Toast for Christmas morning.  I love decorating for the holidays, but it is our annual traditions that I look forward to the most.  Thank you, for letting me share our home and Christmas traditions with you. 








I hope you will come back and visit again throughout the month of December.  
I'll be continuing to share more of our Christmas decor along with fun project tutorials. 









I confessed to having seven trees…








if you come back, I'll be sharing almost all of them. 




(Click here for a video tutorial on the monogrammed door wreath)



I would also like to invite you to visit my "Holiday" tab at the top of my blog (or click here) for loads of Christmas projects and tutorials. 








The next stop on the home tour is…
The Handmade Home.  You will enjoy the beautiful decor they have in store for you. 






Below I have put together a list of links to some of the items used in this year's home tour.
If something your interested in is not mentioned below, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to help you find it. 







1. Mantle Decor:  
6.  Buffet Decor:
Black Buffet~The Salvation Army
Black Kirsten Arch Mirror~Cooper Classics
Red Boxes~HomeGoods
8.  Murphie's Christmas Sweater~Amazon


Thank you, Jen for hosting this tour and including me in this fabulous line up.
And again, Thank YOU for stopping by.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

For information on my affordable online design consultation service, click here
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