Hello Friends, it's Leslie with Color Me Pretty and this time around I am playing with jewel tones -- magenta, purple, turquoise and a little silver for some shimmer and shine. The winter holidays are upon us and why not add a little sparkle and glow to our surroundings? Winter decorating can be really fun for those who have long standing traditions, the boxes come out, the treasures go up and the magic happens. If you aren't a lover a tradition, it's still a beautiful time of year to mix things up and bring the outdoors in.

Today I want to inspire ways of decorating that could be more subtle and simple. Some shiny ornaments sprinkled around your home. Baked goods wrapped for a sweet gift. An orchid or two because they are so exotic and pretty. A homemade garland to hang because they almost always make a space feel more festive. It's interesting to think about what we may already have that could look special when paired with some candles, an ornament or two and possibly some flowers. All of a sudden the atmosphere can change and feel more celebratory, especially if we add in the scent of something baking - right? Winter holidays can be a great excuse to become more creative in are giving to others and to ourselves.

DIY Idea: A tiny "advent calender" inspired, gift bag garland (that is a mouth full -but you get the idea!). I pulled the handles of these tiny wedding gift bags and hole punched them to string along a ribbon and create a garland or a hanging advent calender. If used as an advent calender I like how it gets shorter as the days of December go by when snipping each treat bag off with a pair of scissors. If you do not have a lot of wall space for a traditional advent calender this is a way to create something that could be hung around a door or vertically in a corner.

I will see you back here in a few weeks -until then please take care. - Leslie

(images: leslie shewring)