The Christmas Hutch

All the elements of Christmas decorating can be boiled down to these three things:

Greenery, Ribbons, Lights. 

So I was overjoyed when I saw Mr. Maison Decor's big dump truck full of shrubbery

 pull in our driveway yesterday. He is a retired police officer 
but now is the CEO of his own excavation biz and was taking all this
 green goodness to a dump as part of clearing the site for an addition.

 Oh boy!! Wait a minute!
I had a clear vision of how wonderful that greenery could be right in 

our own home, instead of at a dump.  He looked funny at me (for only a few seconds)

 and then knew it was probably not worth any further discussion.  

I ran outside in my bathrobe while my first cup of coffee cooled on the kitchen

counter.  Hubs climbed up into the bed of the truck and clipped an assortment

of boughs and tossed them down to the ground, along with the industrial strength

clippers I would need to trim them when decorating.  

Who cared what the neighbors think anyways. 

 I couldn't have been more excited about this bounty of boughs! 

I wouldn't be using them on the mantel as the fireplace would dry them out.

I had the perfect place I planned to put them.

Right on top of the country hutch.  

And so the "Christmas Hutch" was born.  

I started piling and shoving the boughs up on top of the hutch, 
until it was full and lush.

 I couldn't love it more. 

 It feels like an old fashioned English cottage Christmas in here!

Large pieces of furniture can really become beautiful focal points of any room.

It's size can carry this lush and bountiful dressing of branches woven with 

wide purple velvet ribbons.  Its truly the focal point of the dining room now.  

Which is really saying something because....

Our new beautiful French doors are hard to compete with. 

 I will be getting started on the table as our first party is tomorrow, buffet style.  

The second party will be a formal sit down dinner,

and both will have different looks with special accents that I will be sharing here. 

 Hoping you are in good shape for the upcoming holidays, 
its been such a treat this year for me!  Staying home and not running to a 
retail shop has been a gift. 

 My new dog, my husband and kids and home are all
 getting lots of attention, and I wouldn't have it any other way.