I Bough To You

 I usually wait until December 1, which is the day after Henri's birthday, before I start my Christmas decorating.   But that was before I read this article written by the talented Sharon Lovejoy, for Lowe's Creative Ideas for Home and Garden.  Sharon, who I have gotten to know through her blog, divides up her time between living on an island off the coast of Maine in the warmer months and then as cooler weather approaches heads back to California to enjoy the winter!  The article she wrote inspired me to simply shop my own backyard to decorate for the holiday season. 

I don't know how, but Henri recently moved this heavy wrought iron birdcage from where it was sitting in our backyard, up onto our small deck all by himself.   He also attached 3 birdhouses to the top of the rail for me.  (My steadily growing collection of birdhouses that I still hadn't figured out what to do with yet.)   He did this as a surpise for me and waited for me to discover it by myself.  I was thrilled and Sharon's tips of how to decorate for the season using nature's bounty were all I could think of! 

My favorite of the 3 birdhouses is this red one. 

A diagonal sweep of pine boughs is all this cage really needed with a few rose hips tucked here and there. 

The yellow are fruit that were scattered around all over the ground right below my Japanese Quince bush. 

This birdhouse cried out for a few pine cones, the only ones I found right near the quince bush. 

The most rustic and weathered of the birdhouses. 

The metal trim on the roof and entry add to its rustic charm.   

From inside looking out, a geranium in the foreground that Henri brought inside for the winter. 

As evening approaches, a decision to add a strand of icicle lights had me getting a little carried away.  When it got too dark to do any more gathering I decided it was good enough.

See what happens when you get a little blog inspiration.  Next thing you know, I'll be inside baking Christmas cookies!