Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Holiday Decor For Cote De Texas

This month has not been fun for me.
I feel so left out!!! :(
Just like when I was a little girl and my best friend across the street was a Catholic with 6 kids in the family - on Christmas and Easter, it was so magical over there!! Joni Cote de Texas

Empire State Building decked out for Hanukkah

My dear friend Joni left the above comment at Style Court HERE
Hanukkah starts this weekend, so I thought I'd do a posting for Joni. I'd also like to wish you all a Happy Hanukkah!
Having been a designer in New York for many years, doing many wonderful Jewish weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, I was often called upon at Christmas time to decorate the homes of my Jewish clients for the winter holiday season. Also as a side note, my ex husband is Jewish.
Harry the Hanukkah Armadillo on Friends

Some of my clients asked for Christmas trees in their homes. They just considered it decoration and nothing more or less. I never made a judgement call, no matter how they envisioned their holiday decor. But for those who did not want Christmas decor, I looked to nature and the winter solstice, the season, and to the symbols and colors of Hanukkah.
Valorie Hart Designs
Holiday Party
at The Puck Building, NYC



I would start with the concept of light, since this is the most beloved festival of lights.
Blue and white (and silver and gold) are the "official" colors...
...so I would use the blue and white collections in the home, enhancing them with some winter plants and flowers. And why not serve a holiday punch in your blue and white tureen?!
Many families have the traditional menorah, but for stylish Joni I would use a collection of nine French style candlesticks. I would visually join them together with a length of beautiful French ribbon.
Of course beloved family traditions must be honored and practiced...
...and today designers like Martha Stewart have whole lines of beautiful Hanukkah decorations that expand on tradition in a very stylish way. The traditional blue has morphed into a very pretty pastel Tiffany style blue.
Martha even tells you how to make a dreidel out of home made marshmallows...
...and to hand make cute little bags for Hanukkah gelt (I love the coin shaped chocolate).
I would get some of this glam gelt from Canada and fill lots of pretty bowls with it.
I would use snowflakes as a nod to the season...
...and shells since Joni loves the beach so much.
I'd take a page from my own decor and gladly give it to her...
...using shells and the color blue...
...to spread a little Hanukkah cheer around the house. I'd tie her pillows with ribbon to make them look Hanukkah gifts. If you didn't know I had a Christmas tree in this room, this would pass for a very pretty Hanukkah holiday decorated room!
Or maybe we'd get some of these lovely Rebecca Vizard pillows (posted on Style Court) and toss them all around!
Joni's house would be filled with pretty topiary plants...
...in pretty French flower pots or urns.
I would use pale color wreaths in every window...they would look so good with Joni's white slip covers!
...maybe even some silver leaf ones...
...or some glam white feather wreaths!
The front door would get a wreath too, maybe using some twiggy natural elements.

I'd set her table with a vintage country French blue and white tablecloth...
...and maybe these numbered napkins from France, to signify the number of nights the candles are lighted.
I would use a pair of grand urns on her table...
...filled with blue spruce boughs.
Outside and flanking her front door, I think a pair of these boxwood and light covered containers filled with white branches would make a terrific holiday statement.
I would sprinkle around lots of paperwhite narcissus flowers, white amaryllis, and maybe even white poinsettia, always potted in beautiful French style urns...


Pottery confit style pots would be wonderful filled with most anything, boughs, branches, plants, shells, pinecones,
or maybe pale vintage ornaments.
Little winter birds could perch around Joni's house...
...vintage lights from France could be strung wherever the fancy takes us...
...glass jars filled with ornaments,
...or gelt, or gilded Jordan almonds are always a festive touch of color.
Antlers are such a big decorating trend now, so why not bring some woodland deer into Joni's mix?
Baskets of pinecones are always a nice nautral touch, and I especially like white ones.
Every night a little gift is given, and here's another opportunity for a festive hoiday decoration.
Joni could also use blue toile gift bags tied up with a beautiful French ribbon, to enhance her holiday home on Cote de Texas!
These little lavendar sachets are too perfect! I would tie them with a ribbon to look like little gift packages,
...and put them in a huge white ironstone punch bowl. Everyone who comes to visit Joni can take away a small holiday favor.
So Joni, I'm putting the chemises in the valises, and hopping in the toile-mobile with all the decorations to doll up your house for the holiday season, and every Catholic kid on the block will be drooling over your magical decorations ha ha!

21 comments:

  1. Those ideas are just gorgeous !
    love the blue and white oriental touch.
    Oh, and thanks for your very kind comment on my (ex) blog.
    Jan x

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  2. You have THE best collection of treasures here. Now whose jealous? Me! I hope the holiday is every bit as beautiful for you as your blog is for us.

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  3. wow, unbelieveable.

    JW will love this.

    * how kind, sweet and super duper talented you are.

    hug

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  4. HOW incredible! What a great tribute to Joni!

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  5. Whoa!!! You are unreal girl. What a huge fantastic surprise!!!!!! When are you coming over????? This is so gorgeous and you have given me some real food for thought! Actually Hanukkah doesn't start until Sunday and i'm having a family dinner party - sooooooo I'm thinking over what you've shown - my favorite is those candlesticks! Where is that picture from - it looks like it came from a web site - do you remember where? You are the most talented blogger out there!!! you are so talented and so incredibly generous and loving. Thank you soooo much!!! This means the world to me!!!!

    Thank you from the bottom of my pitiful heart!

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  6. Joni,
    You deserve this and so much more!
    I sent you the link to the web site for the candlesticks.
    I'll always be your Catholic BFF across the virtual street (and it's 7 kids BTW ha ha).
    And thanks for the clarification about the start of Hanukkah-I changed it on the posting.
    Have a wonderful dinner this weekend, and blog about your holiday decor!
    xo xo

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  7. Joni deserves this and much more. She is the most generous blogger...love that girl!!! This Catholic is already jealous. I wish she'd do a Hanukkah post for us to share her special season too.
    Thanks Visual Vamp for thinking of her.

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  8. I LOVE it...and soo Joni style (on and on and on....no offense Joni)

    But have to stop and say...I am kinda majorily creeped out by the life size Armadillo. They are half cute...small. But a six footer. NFW.

    I happened to have Latkes tonight...mainly cause I LOVE them with a tad of sourcream AND applesauce (such a rebel I am...)

    You ARE the best!! So is Joni!
    To Life!!!

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  9. VV --

    You outdid yourself! So generous. I'm partial to paper whites in urns -- just crazy about that look. And I also would go for all the Tiffany blue, snowflakes, lights.

    So glad you did this. Happy Hanukkah Joni!

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  10. All so pretty...I betcha Joni's house is amazingly decorated! She is so talented!

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  11. this post just rocks! love it, Joni is very blessed to have a BFF accross the virtual street to help with the decor for her Family Holiday Dinner and Hanukkah festivities. The candle stick idea with the blue ribbon is brilliant.

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  12. What a beautiful post! I love all your ideas, especially the urns :)
    Joni is most deserving!
    Now I want to celebrate Hanukkah!

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  13. What a lovely and thoughtful post, Valorie! You are so creative and I am glad you did this for Joni, cause she is such a sweetheart, as are you! Happy Hannukah, Joni!

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  14. What great ideas. I can say, this Catholic girl would be tres jealous of a house all dolled up like that for Hanukkah.

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  15. Hey ladies I'm with you...this post is touching and thoughtful. Love that Joni... she contributes so much to the blogesphere...By the way the urns are beautiful.Great post... Fay

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  16. Wow, I'm so impressed! What a beautiful post. I'm having a Chanukah party and always try and think of something beautiful and different than the store variety and you have great ideas. Thank you! And Happy Chanukah Joni! Lynn

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  17. God, you all are the SWEETEST people in the world. SERIOUSLY. I could freaking cry right now.

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  18. love the tiffany blue!!

    we never decorate much for chanuka but my roomate in university did insist on a chanuka bush in her room, haha

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  19. Valorie - How sweet is this! I love the narcissus in the birdbath and the twig ball in the urn, most of all. And Joni is the best!

    -Lana

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  20. You have perfected the spirit of the season and that is giving.
    May your wonderful heart be blessed.
    Peace on earth for everyone.

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