The Hip Mom’s Holiday Decorating Hacks
These Tulsa stores can help you spruce up your home for the holidays even if you no nothing about decor.
I don’t know about you, but the thought of decorating for the holidays gives me a mild case of hives. It’s already a crazy time of year: the big kids have lots of projects and tests, the little kids have these adorable winter programs and shows that you have to attend, there’s presents to buy, parties to attend (if you have a social life – there are some years I do, some years I don’t), you have to figure out what big holiday dinners you have to endure with your charming relatives – yikes! While some women seem to relish transforming their entire homes into temples of holiday glory a la Martha Stewart, alas, I am not one of them. Luckily, PVT sets up the tree and throws up some outdoor lights; all that’s left for me is setting up a nativity scene, which I love to do. But surely there are a few easy things I could do to up my holiday mojo that won’t force me to turn to prescription drugs or start on the spiked eggnog at 10 a.m., right?!
The Garden Trug
Fortunately, there are a few local stores that are real treasures for sprucing up your home even if you don’t know a thing about decor. The Garden Trug down south off 101st and Riverside is owned by two lovely Tulsa ladies, Sue Welch and Marcy Smith. They always have plenty of easy, seasonal decor: for fall, there are pumpkins and gourds and lots of fall landscaping color such as beautiful chrysanthemums, and other pretty orange and gold flowers whose names remain a mystery to me. For Christmas and the winter season, there are poinsettias, wreaths, ornaments, and oodles of seasonal trinkets. The Garden Trug also offers classes like Fairy Gardens and Terrariums, and they have plenty of practical gardening and landscaping advice for people like me whose thumbs are decidedly black. And their Holiday Open House is Thursday, November 12 — comfort foods to nosh on and hot apple cider while you shop.
The Garden Trug
Home Goods
Another store new-ish to Tulsa is Home Goods, right around from Costco at 101st and Memorial. Home Goods is chock full of inexpensive seasonal fixes: vases, florals, table runners — and even seasonal snacks! Everything is really quite reasonably priced, so you can go a little nuts and get something perfect for every corner of your house should you so desire. There’s also a nice selection of bedding and furniture and — be forewarned — a darling toy section for little kids.
Home Goods
Cost Plus World Market
And if you haven’t yet been to Cost Plus World Market in a larger city like Dallas or Houston, you are in for a treat. It finally landed in Tulsa over the summer and is a veritable bazaar of inexpensive, fun home decor with an international flare. You’ll find art, pillows galore, furniture, and all kinds of interesting delicacies from around the globe. There are teas from Asia to Europe, candies from China to Norway, Japanese seaweeds, cookware, tableware and furniture! If you’re craving Turkish figs, Lebkuchen gingerbread and German Snibbles Sausages, AND you need some throw pillows, art work and a new side table, you can get ALL of these things in one trip to Cost Plus World Market. As of this printing, the holiday displays were not out yet (thank goodness; who wants to look at Christmas in September?), but a gander at their website suggests their holiday offerings will be plentiful. From latkes to stockings, Advent calendars to wreaths, gingersnaps to peppermint bark, every holiday whim your heart holds can be fulfilled.
Cost Plus World Market
Luxe Furniture & Design
Finally, I talk to Tamara Noel, owner of Luxe Furniture & Design at 96th and Riverside, just off the turnpike. She says, “One easy way to spread the holiday cheer in your home is by switching out your throw pillows. Pillows like these available at Luxe are simple, yet elegant and perfect for holiday decorating without necessarily succumbing to red and green.” I love this idea – everyone loves a pillow, and I really do get a bit burned out on the traditional red and green. Surely we can celebrate the holidays without feeling like we’re all living in Appalachia in the 1970s!
Another suggestion from Tamara? “For something more DIY, fill up a vase, bowl, or platter with something seasonal, such as pine cones or ornaments. Try incorporating sprigs of evergreen to add more color and the element of something living.” What a great – and cheap! – idea! Plus, you can bundle those kids up and send them outside to look for seasonal greenery – maybe while you mix yourself up some eggnog. Luxe also has some fun blingy things in their showroom — I love their golden antlers, and a regal reindeer watercolor looks particularly festive.
Luxe Furniture & Design
Tamara suggests another creative way to decorate is to use items you already have such as hanging those holiday cards you will get. String them with twine or even hang them from an evergreen branch with ribbon at varying lengths to create visual interest. So much better than just shoving all those beautiful faces in the drawer!
So don’t go crazy with decorating this holiday season unless it’s your thing. String up some cards, grab a few new pillows and then snuggle up on the couch where you belong after your crazy week!
