Merry & Bright

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Text by Chris Christen

A coffee chat with Lorrie Williams, Joy Johnson and Jill Pietrocini from Fluff Your Stuff Interior Redesign turned into a holiday idea fest. Here are a few favorites you just might want to copy!

Deck the Halls

Lorrie and Joy have a lot of fun teaming up to decorate each other's homes for the holidays. The husbands are in for the tree and then disappear, along with the kids, leaving the women to dive into their boxes of decorations and play. "The mess gets worse before it gets better," Lorrie quips. The women especially enjoy the fresh approaches that come from collaboration. Their houses look different every year.

Card Party

Lorrie turns the chore of writing greeting cards into a social event. Her 15-year tradition involves anywhere from five to 30 friends who come to her house the day after Thanksgiving with their cards, address labels and stamps. The group can count on a cleverly worded invitation, plus Whoopie Pie, a chocolate fountain and a signature beverage.

Slumber Party!

Lorrie and Joy and their families have spent Christmas Eve together for years. With five children between them (ages 10 to 23), they celebrate with a slumber party around the Christmas tree, usually at Lorrie's home. They put on their Christmas jammies, eat breakfast for dinner, pile into the family van for a holiday light tour and watch "Elf" the movie. "We also do a service project together," Joy says. "Something quick and simple" that brings a smile and warms a heart.

Quick Decor

Make a statement with groupings.
When you see something you like, buy in bulk. Don't just buy three or five pieces. Buy as many as you can get your hands on in the largest versions available for dramatic impact.

Mix organic and artificial greenery.

It's hard to get naturals to do what you want them to do, especially around banisters and columns. Laced-in artificial greenery gives you the ability to shape.

Show off vintage ornaments.

Fill glass or crystal jars, bowls and vases with glass ornaments from Christmases gone by. Hang several balls in a window using irregular lengths of ribbon or cording and non-damaging tape, tacks or straight pins. Ornaments also look pretty reflecting in a large mirror above the fireplace. Suspend the balls on ribbon from the ceiling with white eye hooks or tacks.

Upside-Down Tree

Ann Etienne of Voila! Blooms and Decor in Dundee displayed an upside-down tree at her 2010 holiday open house. We love this technique for corners where floor space is tight but ceiling height isn't an issue. If you try this at home, an artificial tree works best. Find step-by-step instructions at www.associatedcontent.com. Upside-down trees are also commercially available. That's the route Ann took.