Fall Into the Holidays...

Thanksgiving before Christmas, right?

well...... for some people, that only applies to the calendar!
There are some pretty strong opinions about whether or not to decorate for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving... 

almost as strong as opinions about the upcoming election!

As for me, I don't 'do' my house for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
[ I also don't shop on Black Friday. I decorate! ]
I know, it's so subversive.... 

continue reading to see how I incorporate BOTH holidays in my decor!

Maybe it's because I love fall and Thanksgiving.

Maybe it's because I've spent my entire professional life as a retail display stylist, 

and have decorated stores for Christmas as early as August. 

I've spent many a Halloween night decorating wineries for the Holidays - 

the trees are up before the jack o'lantern candles are blown out. 

But in my HOME, Thanksgiving gets its day first ... then Christmas. 

I know this idea has opponents and proponents, 
but I have something to suggest to both sides of the issue: 
Sneak some Christmas decor into your fall / Thanksgiving decor!

you can even slip Hannukah decor in there, too!
One reason I love decorating with neutral tones in my home 

is that I can create a seasonal 'bridge' in decor that isn't bound by the calendar.... 

I can snug some vintage glass ornaments in copper and bronze tones into my fall foliage, 

or tuck pine boughs and cones in with some gorgeous autumn leaves, 

and start to 'hint' at Holiday decor even before Thanksgiving. 

For me, it's all built around a nature-theme with elements from outside, 

so it's easy to make them all work together. 

When I lived on an island in the Pacific Northwest, I used my seashells for every season - 
including Christmas!

This method works for me because my palette is always the same soft neutral hues 

(they just get deeper in the fall and winter, and paler in the spring and summer). 

It might work for you, too, if you focus on the colors in your 'everyday' home decor 

instead of the traditional red and green 'Christmas Colors'. 

There's no reason why the tan and moss green on your striped pillows 

can't team up with gold and brown for an elegant earthy look, 

or the gray in your chevron drapes can't be paired with silver and white 

for a stylish Holiday scheme.

Look at your decor with a fresh eye, 

and go ahead - sneak some subtle Holiday decor in there next to those pumpkins!

Mom and I did some shopping today, in preparation for our holiday decorating...
you're not gonna' believe our color scheme this year!