Let's just say I'm having a Shanghai moment. I'm mad for the city at night, its neon beauty a kind of pop art wonder in itself.
Meanwhile, in a city far, far away, here's our interpretation.
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, I like to try new things, mix it up, make something. That's why I love tabletop trees. I can change the look and feel of small tree from top to bottom without spending a lot of money. Last year's trees filled the house with fragrance, a fitting choice for A Country Living Christmas. This year, we're back in the city, so we decided to change things up with a glittering, gold tinsel tree and origami-inspired ornaments we made ourselves.
At Pearl River in Soho, we found festive origami papers in red, turqouise and green, then mixed them with gold to make stars, lanterns and pleated medallions. Traditional origaimi doesn't rely on glue or tape, but let's say I needed a little help.
We filled in with inexpensive candle and ball ornaments from Michael's to create a subtle, Chinoiserie feel without being overwhelming.
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At the Antiques Garage down in Chelsea, I even found a 1950s velvet tree-topper reminiscent of the Pearl Tower in Shanghai. I think I paid about eight bucks for it.
To wrap our gifts this year, we used Asian-inspired papers from Pearl River, mixed with solids from Michael's. We made most of the embellishments ourselves, together with satin ribbon in coordinating colors. By the way, if you want to know how to tie the perfect bow that unravels like a dream, check out this video. It's an oldie but a goodie.
Here's Liberace the Elf, hanging out under the tree.
I found him at the Antiques Garage, too, along with these three brass reindeer. Looks like they're having a Shanghai moment of their own.
From our families to yours, happy holidays, everyone!
