Holiday Open House

We’ve been partying it up here in North Carolina, and Friday morning was no exception. My dear friend, Megan, had a Christmas open house at her new house (she moved a few months ago and has been hard at work redoing much of it), and she was kind enough to allow me to bring my camera and show the world her awesome Christmas decor. Megan is my partner in crime at the Cameron (NC) Antique Fair twice a year, and hopefully she’ll allow me to show you some of her great decorating ideas after the holidays, too, but today I wanted to concentrate on her Christmas decorations.

Here’s her front door wreath–you know it’s going to be good with such an awesome wreath. OF COURSE she made it herself!

LOVE the firescreen wrapped up as a present–that’s from our Junior League’s Holly Day Fair last year. The magnolia leaves on the mantel are from my tree. She came over and cut magnolia and cypress boughs and I went to her house and cut pyracantha berries. They turn red instead of orange this time of year and are a great stand-in for holly (our holly bushes have been pillaged in the name of decorating for Christmas!). It’s a great idea to swap greenery with a friend, so you can have a nice variety on your mantel, and everywhere else.

Here’s the dining room, and the table is loaded with awesome food (I could do a post just on her recipe ideas). Meg and her family have lived all over the US, courtesy of the Army, and did a stint in Germany, too, so she’s got some great pieces in her home.

I just love the use of natural elements–the clove-studded oranges (courtesy of her husband and kids), the cranberries in the hurricanes, the cypress boughs, and of course the berries on the chandelier.

Megan has a great collection of transferware, and the red and white pattern is perfect for the holidays. I also love the old mason jars filled with greenery–she’s got them scattered throughout the house.

It’s hard not to be jealous of this stained glass window–she’s got a couple–one day I’ll find one I can afford at a flea market!

I was scolded because I took the pictures before the peppermint bark made it onto the table (sorry!!), but it still looks great. I never get tired of the apothecary jars filled with ornaments, and take a look at the antique goblet filled with peppermint straws.