Holiday decorating - off the grid!

This summer I tired of the traditional red door on my white/black shuttered Cape Cod house. I was looking for something out of the ordinary, with some pop and flare, "off the grid."

The front door of my house is now a bright citrus green as is the wooden bench under the white pergola on the side of our property.

So instead of my usual holiday decorating with traditional wreaths in each window, I decided to simplify and modernize. On a recent visit to North Carolina, Kristen and I stocked up on ribbon at Carolina Pottery and I brought home some wide mesh plaid ribbon and some fun flocked polka dot stuff to give my traditional wreath a makeover.

I used these same materials to punch up a couple of hanging baskets. These are always full of flowers during the summer, but adding some evergreens, a candle with a glass hurricane, and some ribbon gives them a cute look for the winter months.

This one hangs by my patio.

The one hanging in the pergola. 

The process, if you are interested... 

I put them together indoors this year. No more frozen fingers!

A simple way to save twenty bucks on a polka dot candle (only try this if you won't see the candle close up.)