Christmas At 3 Friends' Homes

What is so wonderful about blogging is to have the opportunity to be treated to the unique individual styles of all the women who open their doors to us. I am so grateful to all of you who have been so generous in sharing your decorating ideas and your homes - but most of all, your friendship. I appreciate each and every comment and email that you left at my Cottage Christmas post. You are all so very sweet and kind! ((a hug for you))

Today I am sharing three homes of my friends - Geri, Sonia and Wave. Each friend has their own personal style and are so creative and artistic in putting the final touches that make their homes so very special and beautiful. It is a real treat to be invited over to experience all of the wonderful decorating and to see, first hand, all of the amazing touches - from a gorgeous ornate swag to a simple bowl of pine cones with a snippet of fresh holly and berries.

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First stop! Welcome to Geri's English Cottage Style Home! Geri is an artist, gardener and floral designer. Her home is reflective of her colorful and loving personality. Geri and her husband were also featured on HGTV last year on the show "What You Get For The Money."

Come on in to this sweet home.....

Her front parlor....
...and her back den ~ a cozy little English style retreat with a definite feminine and whimsical flare.

One of Geri's Christmas trees that sits on a little table in her den.
eri painted the roses over the buffet.

Such a sweet village atop yet another buffet in her parlor.

I wonder what he is thinking?

Jeri created the swag over the dining room mirror. Warm gold walls really make this room rich and cozy.

Table for 8, please!

What makes her home so special are her sweet paintings that adorn the walls in each of her rooms. This one is my favorite and perfect for the Holidays! I could not quite sneak this one out without her knowing. She also has a vast collection of adorable stitched cottage samplers.

The afternoon light streams softly through the windows casting light onto the charming floral bouquets on the sofa.

Gorgeous Spode dinner plates.

And you guessed it...Geri painted the ceiling, too. Amazing...

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Now welcome to Sonia's darling Hansel and Gretel cottage! Sonia's style is French Country and is so very classy with beautiful touches all throughout. Sonia is a sweet and soft spoken woman and her home is reflective of her elegance and grace.

The front room is inviting and so elegantly decorated. Sonia makes the most amazing needlepoint pillows. Each one takes her over a hundred hours to stitch. She is also an accomplished seamstress and has about five seasonal changes for her bedrooms.

I love this room! It is like wrapping yourself in a favorite warm sweater - it just feels great! The 13 foot ceilings really draw your eye up to her wonderful collections of European artwork.

Her sofas showcase her needlepoint pillows.

A sweet corner in her formal dining room. Sonia has lovely Majolica pieces and quite a menagerie of Roosters in her home.

This sweet tree is in her living room with a few of her sheep figurines that she collects. Sonia lived on a dairy as a child and she is fond of sheep and cattle - figurines and artwork are found throughout her home.

Aren't these old pajama bags fabulous!?

Sadly, the photo of her large tree did not turn out, however these

of her ornaments did. Her husband hand carved these ornaments and Sonia painted them. Aren't they fantastic?

It is the sweet and personal touches that make a house a home.

An All American Santa bids you adieu and wishes you a Merry Christmas!!

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Next stop is to my friend Wave's wonderful Scottish Cottage home. As soon as your step foot into this classically styled Scottish Hunting cottage, you will feel a sense of ease creep into your inner being. Her hospitality and warm heart makes you feel as though you could sink into an easy chair and read a good book all day by the fire.

Sweet old vintage stockings add a pop of color to her cabinet.

Care for a spot of tea?

Happy Birthday to our Lord Jesus Christ. A lovely nativity scene is simply displayed on an on English sideboard.

Her Christmas tree is full of wonderful ornaments and a 20 year old swag of popcorn - and it is still intact..yes indeedy.

There are two adorable Scottish Terriers, Bonny and Maude, who occupy the home as well - along with the loving and gentle Golden Retriever, Hank. Wave made the Scotty ornaments for her tree. She also gives them to friends...ahem...I am now a lucky recipient of one.

Old Scotty toys attempt a risky maneuver to seek out what is atop the table.

But wait, there are more! I do believe that the race is on.

Below the table she has arranged antique toys, books and other Christmas pieces for a nostalgic display.

An old silver tray provides a base to display her antique celluloid deer collection. She added some ground up sea salt for the snow and some old bottle brush trees.

Plaid ribbons, feathers and pine garlands are used throughout...

....over pictures...

...and tucked in with the old squirrel nutcrackers.

(...oh no! a mouse!.....)

An antique Dresden piece atop a small tree on the breakfast nook table.

Old Christmas postcards are displayed by tucking them inside ribbon that wraps around a topiary tree that have little red cardinals perched at the top.

The little feather tree graces the center of the table with old German figures, dogs and old metal fence.

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Thank you Geri, Sonia and Wave (and to their wonderful husbands) for allowing me to capture glimpses of your lovely homes. They are truely remarkable and filled to the rafters with love and grace.