my glowy and snowy flocked tree...

happy December everyone! this is my favorite time of year! i just love everything Christmas! i am so happy to have finished decorating the "big house" (my client's 10,000 sq. ft. home)...this is the 9th year for me to do this project and although i love doing it, it is LOTS of physical work that wears me out...and creative work too...phew.....but it is done, and this year when i attend the Christmas party at the "big house", my parents will be going too...... that will be a lot of fun, to show them where i work....and they will be able to meet the "bun lady" for the first time.....the "bun lady" is who i work for.....you can read about her here..... i have never spoken of her here on my blog.... but i will soon.

so now....it is smooth sailing for me until Christmas....
one of the prettiest and glowiest Christmas trees i have ever seen, belonged to my girlfriend Shacina.... it was about 7 or 8 years ago (i think)....anyhoo, she had flocked her tree using Ivory Snow flakes!! so that year, i was so inspired by her tree, i went to all of the neighborhood stores, hunting down boxes of this elusive Ivory Snow....i could only find three boxes in all of Nashville....but i chickened out on trying the snow effect that year and those 3 boxes, of Ivory Snow, have sat in my cupboard for all this time.

until this year, when i had a real hankering (that's a fun word, especially if you use a southern accent whilst saying it) for a live flocked tree....i love flocked trees...i love SNOW...i live in the south and snow is more of a novelty around here.... and i LOVE it.

i had to research (don't you love using that term "research" like you are some kinda researcher or something...but really you just "google" it) i had to RESEARCH the recipe for the snow flocking...and i quickly found out that my 3 boxes of Ivory Snow that have been sitting in the cupboard for all these years well, they discontinued making that stuff in 1978!? so, NO WONDER it was so hard to find!

I mixed 2 cups of Ivory Snow with 1/4 cup of hot water and beat with a blender on high....until the soap became thick, like frosting.....and then i just spread it on the branches... in places where you think snow would actually fall onto a branch....out in nature.

i spread it thickly... even right over the twinkle lights...it hardens almost immediately and looks just like

SNOW.

right, miss daisy?

and boy does it smell good!

that is, if you like the smell of soap.

a simple white ribbon....no ornaments needed on this tree.

my kitchen all

SNOWY and GLOWY.

sorry to say, this stuff is a thing of the past....but the good news is (found after some "researching") is that you can substitute the flakes with Ivory Soap bars that you grate up....if you are so inclined....sounds like a lot of work....the grating, that is...

the Christmas season is here and i will be tweaking and decorating my own home right up until the big day...because i dearly love doing so. my parents will be here from Arizona, this week for, long over due family fun.

creating a cozy, glowy, snowy and festive home for my family is important to me....it is part of the tradition of Christmas and the honor we place on the celebration for the real

reason for the season.

i am joining these fun parties...won't you too?

debra at common ground for vintage inspiration friday

laurieannas farmhouse friday