Favorite Christmas Find of the Year

My Favorite Room of the Year

My Favorite Holiday Find of the Year- Jill Garber's exquisite one of a kind eggs

Exquisite little delightful works of art

this one went home for the Christmas with one of our special customers

so special in a compote or nest

ready for breakfast

can't you just see this  silver tower filled with the jeweled eggs?

the silver and white feather bird add just the right touch to the display

gold tumbleweed nests add the organic touch to the gorgeous eggs.

My final thoughts on the Schweppe Mansion Christmas decorations   -  my favorite room was the breakfast conservatory.  Filled with morning light, it overlooks Lake Michigan and I could spend forever there.  Can you just imagine watching snow fall from those windows???    Linda D. helped Candy and I decorate this space in an ethereal feminine way - the special tulle and burlap tablecloth, the floating garlands from the  simple chandelier and the sweet Old Paris Porcelain china on the table.  But the crowning touch of the room was the  beaded tree of Jill Garber's exquisite eggs.  I was so honored to have them for this Christmas walk. They added that element of surprise- the Christmas find of the year.  Exquisitely handcrafted from old rhinestone jewelry and hand dyed trims, each one is an heirloom piece of art.  We will be joining www.stonegableblog.com for Homespun Christmas tablescapes and recipes.

Christmas at the Schweppe Mansion

view from reception hall to library

large view of living room

bar in reception hall with "roll up' panels to indicate when the bar is open!



incredible carving in the library

large round table in reception hall filled with Romancing the Home Entertains books

grand fireplaces in every room

Our signature angel is going home to George and Betty's for Christmas1

so elegant and pretty

view from the morning room conservatory

View from the morning conservatory to the back of the residence.

dining room table

reception hall buffet

my favorite - the breakfast conservatory

jeweled fruit in the bed of rose petals on the breakfast table

Our incredible jeweled eggs on consignment from an artist in Michigan

 Is this a gorgeous room or not?

A token to this exquisite home - an architectural crown jewel of Chicago

Prince Charming's dining room table

one of the favorite parts of the tour - Penny's table in the kitchen!

Julie's idea-  use a book as a menu. We mod podged the book with plaid paper and then glued the menu on the cover;
Love the tartan stenciled sheep on the picture.

I am so exhausted, been going on fumes for a few days now. .. Just got home from taking the elves out to dinner.  What a fabulous job they did on the Schweppe Mansion.  Sorry these  pictures are not in a revelent order, but I am too tired to take the time to sort them and  to write a good story. But the pictures tell a lot! . I leave very early in the morning for a short trip with my girl friends to seek new retail inspirations. I will  let you know what  I find in a couple of days!  Meanwhile, thanks so much to the many people that follow my blog and came to the Holiday Walk today.   I especially enjoyed talking to you .It's rewarding to know that someone is really reading this crazy blog and actually made plans to come see this incredible residence- hope you all enjoyed it!  Thank you so much! And to my 6 little elves- you guys rock!

Schweppe Mansion- Final Touches and Promises of Magic

Formal dining room table - gold lace runner with Cinderella swans filled with different varieties of ferns, white and gold mis-matched china with fresh red roses crushed under the glass Arte Italica plates. 

silver croco pattern chargers with vintage wide band gold plates

Crown on a fresh rose "presentation pillow" with rhinestone and silk tassels on corners

a collection of vintage tea pots were filled with ming fern, peonies, and fresh roses

These peonies are so intricately formed, tightly closed. Wonder if they will open by the morning?

View from the center reception hall table to the buffet filled with amaryllis, moss balls and white feather owls

Our little boutique is set up in the south conservatory!  Too bad this can't be a permanent installation!

Deer decked out with a rhinestone saddle and necklace.

Owl arrangement in a perfect spot- ready to watch it's prey through the incredibel lead and limestone windows.

Candy's creative juices at work - dressing up a simple brass chandelier over our fantasy breakfast table.
Can you believe that ceiling detail?

Penny set a darling kitchen table in the "kitchen" for the "help".  You would not believe this kitchen- a true
caterer's dream.  Walk in refrigerator, deep fryer,  a huge Wolf range and another cooktop, an ice cream station, and the list goes on. 

In today's retail environment, it is sometimes hard  for customers to get inspiration and get excited. Well I am here to tell you that this Christmas  home tour will get your creative juices flowing. If in the area, you must come see this extraordinary home. It simply gives you cold chill bumps.

Today was our last day of set up for the Woodlands Holiday Walk ( we thought it was our last day, but we got this little surprise Fed Ex box about 3 PM , opened it, and knew it was coming to the mansion!.)  All of our fresh flowers had to be placed, the inventory sheets finished and our final walk-thru for our last little details.  Julie met me at the residence to finish the inventory, while I completed the fresh floral details. Last night, a little elf created the  fresh rose pillow and many little tussie mussies to set through out the house. ( When I arrived at the house this morning and much to my delight, I learned that the  listing agent loved the decorations so much that she had hired a professional photographer to capture the holiday magic.  I can't wait to see the pictures. ) Today I am sharing bits and pieces of our set-up, as I have to save the big reveal for after the tour. For local folks,   if you haven't purchased tickets, they are available at the door at Woodlands Academy tomorrow morning.  The tour hours are from 10 am to 3 pm and as an added feature this year, all the decorations at the Schweppe Mansion  are available for purchase.  And for a exciting surprise final detail, we received a special box from an incredible artist today. Penny, Katha and I planned an exciting presentation for these special little treats.  For those of you that love old textiles, rhinestones, and whimsey, don't miss this extra treat. Hope to see lot's of familiar faces at the Holiday Walk tomorrow- this is one house you should not miss!