In many parts of the world, Christmas is the one occasion that is much anticipated and prepared well in advance. Christmas is a joyful part of the year and is almost always synonymous with excitement. You could be surprised that in other homes, Christmas home décor are not pulled down to be a reminder of the spirit of the season year round.

In other countries Christmas preparation in many homes could be started at the outset of the -ber months and that is often a distance away from December and is prolonged until the first weeks of January.

All these goes to show that Christmas home décor has been a very important part of the Christian tradition.

If you are like most people however, Christmas home decoration and preparation are done during December. That one month could well be a stressful-joyful month because of the so many activities though you would want your home to look festive and catch on the holiday atmosphere. Here then are tips to a Christmas décor that you could do fast enough to give you much time left for your other Christmas activities.

Have a generous amount of Bows handy. Bows immediately remind us of festivities particularly so of Christmas. Tie bows/ribbons to stair railings, the back of chairs, throw pillows, candlesticks, doorknobs, drapery tie backs, plants etc. While the popular colors are green and red the patterns should be coordinated well with the general idea of your interior design. Do not be tied down with just the plain reds and the greens, floral and plaid designs could also be applied. Give it a good sprinkling of gold, silver and greens and reds, but use also other colors. Drape garlands on railings, on top of armoires, mirrors and the mantle. Get also a good quality ribbon. When packed right you could reuse that next year and save money.
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Few plants evoke more attention than an orchid; once so rare and costly, their exclusive reputation still renders them precious. Orchids in a living room immediately seem to lift the area into another dimension of luxury and ease of living.

Many orchids will only have one bloom open at a time, yet people can gaze and appear mesmerized for several minutes whilst absorbing the intricate details of the bloom.

It is only fairly recently that people have thought about growing their own orchids, yet already ‘orchid societies’ have grown up all over North America to give advice, to offer orchid ‘swaps’ and encourage the growth of them.

If you have ever thought of growing and displaying your own orchids, then it is advisable to put them in an east or north window as they prefer bright, filtered sunlight. South windows are best shaded for orchids.

Orchids do not grow in soil, but rather in charcoal, fir bark, cork or stones. In the Tropics where they are quite common, it is not unusual to see an orchid growing proudly out of a tree trunk! Most of the mixes (i.e. stones, cork etc) for growing orchids are available in garden centers.

The room temperatures for the best orchid growth are 59F to 81F during the day and dropping to around 52F to 59F at night. (This is 15 C-27 C and 11C-16 Centigrade).

Some orchids will bloom and last for weeks and others will bloom twice a year. Although orchids usually only need watering once a week, they are humid plants and like a spray spritz every day.

Many of the orchid societies run a newsletter andsome have monthly meetings with guest speakers, a yearly show and many will offer tips on how to obtain, and grow, orchids.

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Featured as Home Renovation Guide’s October Renovation of the month,  has been selected as a finalist for the SAM Awards. Held annually by the Calgary Region of the Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA), originally the “Sales and Marketing” Awards, the competition expanded over the years to honour all segments of the Calgary housing industry. Celebrating excellence in renovation design, innovative technology and construction techniques, this year’s entrants exemplify local talent as noted by CHBA President Gary Friend, “The competition is fierce and the quality of the entries received from across Canada is truly outstanding. The finalists indeed are making their mark on the home building industry.” Judges are chosen from strict criteria per specific category and there are over 150 volunteers who fill the position. An independent accounting firm, which audits the judging process insures accuracy.

Pioneer’s finalist entry is a cathedral ceiling conservatory that is a breath-taking work of home architecture. Incorporating natural clear cedar, a unique window arrangement, skylights and a fireplace, the structure certainly has award-winning qualities such as innovative construction and stellar design. Founded in 1953 by Ken Adam, Pioneer Craftsman Ltd was steered to residential renovations by son Gary Adam in the seventies. Third generation and current president, Jamie Adam, is naturally proud. “We are thrilled to have been chosen as a finalist again this year. We believe our team is one of the best in the country, from our designers through to our site staff. Receiving recognition of this caliber means a lot to us.”

source blog.homerenovationguide.com