Christmas at the river...

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I've always loved decorating for the holidays. 

When I lived in South Carolina we lived in a very rural setting in the middle of several acres of woods and right by a fast flowing river.  The setting was perfect for the kind of decorating I enjoy.....sort of casual-natural, I guess I would call it....

Through the years I have found that the simpler the decorating, the better I like it and to that effect I love using natural things from the world around me.....lots of greenery, berries, flowers when available...even Spanish moss for wrapping straw wreaths.

Pine, wild holly, pyracantha berries, the large, beautiful, glossy leaves and seed pods of the magnolias were all abundantly growing around our place.

On years that we didn't have very cold weather around Christmas, I would wrap layers of Spanish moss over straw wreaths and then decorate them with fresh red or pink camelias, which are usually blooming at that time of year in the south.  To keep the camelias fresh, I would insert the stems in small water filled orchid tubes which I bought from a local florist and then hide in the moss.

For years, I collected red candles of all sizes and brought them out year after year.  Candles are wonderful for decorating during the holidays.  A few red candles of different heights and diameter grouped together sitting on a nest of greenery with some berries scattered around will perk up any setting.

Our kitchen window had a nice wide ledge, which I would line with kitchen foil, then group an assortment of candles on it and fill in between with greenery and berries.... Voila...! instant decorating which took no more than 5 minutes time to put together, yet looked spectacular.

My Christmas tablecloth was one I made using a Black Watch Scottish plaid pattern.  A collection of old pewter chargers, white china, red napkins and lots of candles, greenery and even a collection I used to have of toy rocking horses prancing up and down the middle of the table was a favorite table setting of my kids.

Our living room was quite large and the wall facing the river was almost all windows.  The stairway was always decorated with garlands we would weave with greenery and form clusters of big pinecones and ribbons where the garland was attached to the bannisters.

With such a huge living room, our trees were always tall and cut right on the property.  If the tree had a side that was not too full or aestherically pleasing, we would tie smaller branches to the main trunk to fill it out where it was needed.

If you notice, there are yet more candles sitting on the coffee table in the living room.  A basket sitting on the table held the Christmas cards received from family and friends.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best decorations.

Instead of spending lots of money on fake decorations, look around you.  You would be surprised at the beautiful things you can find in your own yard....and if you start collecting a few candles here and there every year, I can guarantee you too can have an impressive collection in just a couple of year's time.

(c) Sonia Martinez  -  Christmas at the river, Bamberg Co. SC 1977

Photos taken and shared by my daughter Knight Mathis