Oh Christmas Tree

I will be going home in about 24 hours and I can't wait to see our Christmas tree and decorate it. This year, my parents have finally gotten rid of their metal stand from the 1940s, that makes my dad swear and makes the tree tilt to one side, and replaced it with a 2010 easy-to-use stand. Because it's easy, my parents are slightly un-trusting of it. Anyway, it got me thinking about different bases for Christmas trees and how I've been seeing so many interesting ways of standing those gorgeous trees up.

This wide basket makes a beautiful base for a tree, right? It also looks really stable--no tree tippage here. From Southern Living.

From Martha Stewart. Martha mounted a tree in the stump of a birch tree for a super woodsy look! I find the gold tree a tad abrasive but it's Martha so, I still love it.

This cute couple tried the same thing and I think it turned out really well. They took a regular stump of a tree, drilled a hole and put their tree inside it. I think this works only with fake trees as they have a thin end to them, which makes it easy to put inside the thick stump.

This is a great way to elevate a smaller tree if you don't have a lot of space. Sometimes if you want a taller tree, it has to be wider too, but if you put it in a bucket or on top of a cute box like this, you can show off your bucket and give some height to the tree. From Lisa Fern Creek.

Here is another bucket tree stand but this time in galvanized metal. I love how old fashioned this looks with apples hanging from the tree. From HERE--cute blog!.

If you have a crate, that also makes a great tree stand. Or an old flower box--just leave it natural or paint it white like this one from Homes and Gardens UK.

I adore this wide galvanized metal bucket tree stand from Country Living. This probably makes watering it really easy because you don't need to worry about protecting the stand or having leaks!

I know we'll just have a traditional stand with a skirt around it which will look beautiful, but do any of you, my lovely readers, have creative stands like these? A basket? A bucket? I'm sure everyone is traveling today so be safe and enjoy yourselves. Don't put too much brandy in your eggnog!

Alicia B.

Brick-tastic

This kitchen/entryway reminds me of a certain loft from a tv show--any guesses? By William Duff Interiors. I adore that big industrial door.

Ever since I posted that magnificent bedroom from Country Living last Friday (and got a great response from it!), I've been thinking about brick walls. I don't have any in my current apartment but I think the look is charming. Bricks can be so many things in design: industrial, vintage, organic, or sleek.

By Tom Scheerer. This brick wall was painted a creamy white and adds to the soft textures in this room: wood, fur.

The contrast of the treatment on the bricks with the sleek furnishings and glossy white ceiling is so beautiful. By Studio Isle.

A common issue with fireplaces is that they are made of brick yet don't coordinate with the rest of the room. In this living room, they did a white wash over the bricks to have a rustic country look. From Southern Living by Jennifer Spak.

From Veranda, brick floor that you might see out on a terrace is well suited for this entry way and ads an air of openness. The open double height ceiling doesn't hurt.

Living Etc. I love this look; as if someone moved into an old factory and converted it to a home. I wish they'd make their bed though.

Hillary Wallace created this adorable feminine bedroom for her client. Again, I just adore the look of the lace and soft fabrics against the rough old bricks.

This looks like a cozy little converted space from Canadian House and Home though I'm not sure what is happening in the little niche above the bed. Hmm.

Being eternally in love with everything old/vintage it is only natural that I love the look of brick in an interior wall. Why cover it up when you can do so much with it. Leaving the deep brown red tones or treating it with a white wash or painting it a completely different color are some amazing options you have for brick that could transform the look of the room super easily. In other news, I bought a romper today. Please don't judge me. And please don't stop reading this blog.

Alicia B.