Holiday Greenery - Where It All Began

It's that time of year - the post Thanksgiving decorating binge! Our decorations are decidedly Christmas, but most likely the process is much the same if you are decorating for Hanukkah, or generic "holidays". Pull out all the boxes, look through the items that bring memories of special times and family members that have passed, decide where to put things and see if you "need" anything new.  As I (Stacy) was reflecting on our (MANY) boxes of decor, looking at some vintage ornaments that haven't been on display since pre-kids, I began to think about how all of this decorating got started. Is it an "American" thing, did our forbearers bring things from Europe when they emigrated, and is any of this related to the Christian Christmas we celebrate? Being the history nerd I am, I of course started googling... in the pre internet ages I would have lived at the library I'm sure!

After reading a variety of sources- books, websites, articles and the like - I came to the general conclusion that's there's nothing new under the sun. Most of our Christmas decorating originated in Northern Europe, where they were borrowed and adapted from the Druids and other pagan groups that resided in the area. As Christianity spread, local converts wants to keep some of their festive traditions - so they assigned Christian meanings to them. For example, holly and ivy were used to celebrate the winter solstice - they were believed to ward off evil spirits and promote new growth. In Christian cultures the Holly has been said to represent the crown of thorns worn by Christ on the cross, while the Ivy (growing only with a support structure) reminds people to cling to God for support.

Window wreaths

Wreaths have been used since ancient Roman times to celebrate victory - in wars and in sport. They were both worn on the head of the victor and hung as decoration by the victorious side in a conflict. This tradition was adapted to represent Christ's victory over death and sin.  Wreaths of many styles are now commonly found hanging throughout homes at the holidays.

Mistletoe on the other hand, draws its story from ancient Norse mythology where it became associated with romance. In England it was traditional to bring mistletoe into the house to ward off evil spirits. As the Norse stories of romance spread, the strict English social customs were relaxed to allow the servants "a kiss under the mistletoe" as long as the berries lasted... 

Tree Lighting at The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond VA

The Christmas tree itself seems to have the most history/legend surrounding it.  From ancient times, the evergreen symbolized life in midwinter. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches to celebrate the New Year, and pagans of Northern Europe brought cut evergreens into their houses. Early Christians were vehemently against such practices. It seems as though, by the time Germanic areas were converted to Christianity, missionaries began trying to convert pagan traditions as well.   Some stories credit German reformer Martin Luther with originating  the Christmas tree as we know it, while others tie it to "paradise trees" in medieval morality plays. What seems more certain is that the tradition was brought to the US by early German immigrants. The first family Christmas tree in Williamsburg, VA was introduced by a German scholar boarding with a local judge in 1842. They did not have access to European style ornaments, so they decorated with paper ornaments and nuts.  The family trees eventually expanded to the idea of a community tree in the early 20th Century - this tradition continues today with elaborate tree lighting celebration.

Whichever of these holiday traditions you embrace....

Happy Decorating!
-Stacy & Christine

Hydrangeas...Pass it on!

Today we're talking about plants, specifically hydrangeas; and the idea of "heirloom" plants, passing pieces of gardens on from one place to another and one person to another, or through generations of a family.  We've all heard of heirloom roses, but in my family, the tradition developing appears to be
heirloom hydrangeas.

If you've ever seen the old mop-head hydrangeas, huge bushes bursting with enormous round clusters of blue, pink, purple, or white blooms, you know what I'm talking about!  These plants are Gorgeous!  And here in the south, they are an absolute classic.

Hydrangea bush starting to bloom

Growing up in North Carolina, our house had a whole side of it lined with big blue mop-head hydrangeas.  They were stunning!  Hydrangeas are rather large bushes and they do spread and fill in an area over time.  When our family moved to Maryland in my teens, my parents dug up some of the hydrangea shoots/clusters and took them along.  They were planted at our new home where they continued to grow, thrive, and spread.  Many years later, the process was again repeated as my parents retired back to North Carolina, and brought some of those original hydrangeas with them.  Their yard is currently full of numerous varieties of hydrangea, including those original mop-heads from my growing up home.

The newly planted Hydrangea Row (as we're calling it)

This past summer, my husband and I started doing a lot of overdue renovation to our yard.  We decided we needed some large bushes (that could tolerate some shade) to line our back porch, and naturally my thoughts turned to hydrangeas.  Upon mentioning this to my family, they offered to thin some of theirs.  Free Plants?  Yes Please!!

We thinned mop-head hydrangeas from various parts of their yard, but I must admit I was most excited to get some "sticks" my father cut off those old original hydrangeas.  Now, when I say "sticks", that is exactly what they were!  Some of the hydrangeas we received were small clusters with roots, but these were literally sticks, cut off the plants.  I had heard that you can propagate hydrangeas that way, but never having tried it, was a little skeptical about their future growth and development.  I am certainly not a garden wizard.

Planted hydrangea shoots (sticks)

Never-the-less, I brought the plants, (and sticks) home, and set about getting them into their new location.  The plants with roots were immediately planted in the ground.  As for the "heirloom sticks" (as we now referred to them), I first trimmed or freshly cut the bottom parts.  Then they were wet with water, and dipped into rooting powder (or had powder (rather liberally) sprinkled on them depending how big the stem was).  After that, all the "sticks" were planted in the ground in a large cluster and watered - a lot.  Hydrangeas need lots of water, especially when new. 

For the next couple weeks I diligently checked my sticks - somewhat unconvinced of their survival, as I saw their sad, wilted leaves curl up and turn brown.

Then suddenly a few weeks (and some hurricane rains) later - buds!  

And a few weeks after that?
Leaves!! They grew Leaves!!

The heirloom hydran- geas might just make it to carry on; and maybe someday once they've grown and spread, I can continue the tradition and pass them on again! 

In the mean time, I can't wait to see them grow and fill in.  And maybe one day, my children will remember those large mop-head hydrangeas all along their back porch growing up.  Pass it on!


Cheers!
Christine

Out 2 Lunch Thanksgiving - A Tale of Two Tables

Thanksgiving is coming, and we here at Out 2 Lunch are prepping our tables for dinners and gatherings.  So, what are we decorating with?


Common Themes: Pumpkins, Berries, Acorns, other Natural Elements (leaves, seed pods).  But how we each use those elements?  And what tones/colors they are?....

milk glass, mercury glass, vintage glam table

Christine:  My table mixes my love of vintage elements with my love of glam.  One of my favorite decorating looks mixes white vintage milk glass with mercury glass for lots of sparkle and shine.  With all that shiny metallic, what better to soften the look and add more glam texture than this fabulous table runner edged in white feathers!  I just recently came across this shopping, and absolutely could not resist it!  Keep watch, this one will show up in various places throughout the holidays.  

My center bowl I filled with "natural" pieces, with a bit of a twist.  I have two small handmade fabric pumpkins, as well as a handful of handmade matching acorns.  The shiny and matte silver fabrics tie in with all the mercury glass.  Under the pumpkins and acorns are my gold magnolia seed pods.  These are a favorite decorating item for me, always located somewhere about my house.  Growing up in the south, I had a couple of huge, old magnolia trees in my yard as a child.  These were my climbing trees.  I could frequently be found 20+ feet up in the air, lounging on branches, reading or day dreaming.  Needless to say, magnolia's have always held a special place in my heart. 

hand made pumpkins, magnolia seed pods - c/o Out 2 Lunch

A couple years ago on a hike, I happened to find a number of fallen magnolia seed pods in good condition.  I brought them home, dried them and then spray painted them antique gold.  I absolutely love the shape and intriguing look of the pods, and rotate them around regularly between bowls and centerpieces.  The antique gold gives them a lovely shine and really brings out the spiky texture in them.  So my table incorporates a lot of sparkle and shine, glam textures, and vintage and handmade items which are special to me, allowing me to share those pieces with the special people in my life.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Stacy:  To me, fall, and Thanksgiving in particular, has a very warm and organic vibe. It is about the changing of the seasons, the colors of the leaves and the nip of cold in the air. I combat the chill (with which I have a love/hate relationship) by creating a tablescape filled with rich, warm colors.  I picked up these cornucopia years ago, when I was newly married, and they have been featured in various locations of our fall décor over time. This year, as we adjust to our move, they needed a new home. I chose to make them the focal point, and build my centerpiece around them. They are filled with fall fruits and vegetables, and provide a great opportunity to discuss early American life with my children (who are studying the complicated relationship between the Jamestown Settlers and the Powhatan Indians in Virginia Studies). 

Did you notice some of those small fabric pumpkins we made this fall managed to transition into both of our centerpiece designs? My pumpkins were a beach color scheme, but this one just happened to work - the fabric had a rustic organic feel, that was the perfect compliment to my design!  Completely unplanned, but talk about a versatile little decor piece!  Follow THIS TUTORIAL to make your own.  

Wishing a Wonderful, Joyful Thanksgiving for all! 

Cheers,
Christine & Stacy