It may be Summertime & hot outside,

but “Christmas in July” is becoming an increasingly more popular event every year!

My guess is that people are looking for more “happy thoughts” these days, so why not?

Personally, I can totally handle thinking about Christmas in this hot Summer weather

because nothing cools me down more (on my daily walks) than dreaming about a little snowy magic!

Sometimes, I even listen to a holiday music channel.  😉 LOL

O.k, I admit that I’m an incurable Christmas-aholic, but

for someone like me (who decorates for clients during the holidays),

it just makes sense to plan early (when I actually have a few extra minutes to think) rather than wait

until I’m right in the middle of that very busy time of year.

So, with that thought in mind, I’d like to wish you a

HAPPY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!

exactly five months before Christmas.

And while we are (temporarily) in the spirit of the season,

I’m also taking the time to share the theme I’m using this year to inspire my own decorating…

I’m hoping this idea will inspire you to try a different approach, to your decorating, this year too!

{Plus, I have some BONUS fun to share with you, which I’ll cover later in this blog post.}

COLOR ME CHRISTMAS translates to…

using color as the theme to re-use what decorations you already have!

{You know I love to recycle}

 If you’ve checked out my YouTube video showing how I’ve organized my holiday storage by color-

you’ll better understand where I got my inspiration!

Do you think you have to purchase a collection of Santas, Snowmen, Angels, etc. to create a holiday theme?

Well, this idea should save you some money & show you how you may already have a “theme” brewing in your boxes of decorations.

When you’re pulling out your holiday treasures this year, gather together “like-color” decorations and see what you think.

If it looks surprisingly good to you to group all of those same tonal shades of one color together,

then use those items, as a collection, to create a different “COLOR” story in each room of your home –

Mixed Metals, Red, Green, Blue, White, Multi-color, etc.

And if it fits…. throw in an accent color with each, but the primary color should be predominant throughout the room.

Examples….

Using my holiday dishes as inspiration, I’m gathering all of my red decorations, including Santa, using the white snowflake (on the dishes) as inspiration for accents in the room.

And I haven’t used my shiny metal, multi-color, green or blue tones in a long time because I’ve been such a red & green traditionalist lately.

So this year, they will all SHINE too!

You may be surprised at how easy your decorating will be, using color as a theme, and at the compliments you receive too!

Why?  People naturally enjoy looking at a large volume of color because it commands attention & – on the flip side – also gives their eyes a place to rest, in between the high amount of details on display at Christmas.

And if you find that you need several “same color or tone” ornament balls to complete your look,

check yard sales & thrift shops… especially now… because you will probably find a container-full for around $5

So I hope this early Christmas inspiration will inspire you to look at your holiday decorations in a slightly different way this year.

And as always, I’ll also be creating some inexpensive & unique decorating ideas for you to try with this theme in mind.

I can’t WAIT to share all these ideas along with this year’s video with all of my Seasonal Home friends!!!!

Now, back to the BONUS items I promised you…

FIRST – Check out my SHOP because I’ve added a few new items, including some gently used ones I featured (The Seasonal Home) in previous years.

And as I find things that have to go to make room for new, I’ll add those to my SHOP as well… giving you, my friends, first dibs!

SECOND – it’s GIVE-A-WAY TIME!!!

Contest has ended. Congrats to our Winner – Dolores S

Stay tuned for more Contests & Prizes coming soon!

You know how much I love to share when I find a top notch home decor item (and possible GIFT!),

especially when it’s something that has been meticulously handcrafted by a talented, local artist.

I’m talking about the very cool & customized piece I treated myself to this year and featured above my Summer mantle.

I’m so excited because it will be a perfect match to the mixed metal color theme, part of this year’s Christmas!

After the holidays, I’ll probably move it to the middle of my family photo wall,

but I have many MORE ideas & ways to use this so it will be making the rounds at The Seasonal Home!

Personalized items made from natural or industrial materials are really trending because they fit today’s look and are such a keepsake,

so I also plan to give one as an Anniversary gift, Wedding gift and a Christmas gift.

I can just imagine how my loved ones will feel to receive this unique & customized (with their name, monogram & wedding date)

work of art… it’s definitely my latest & favorite “go to” gift!

A little background about the Artist….

this wonderfully talented artisan has created customized pieces for years that have been featured everywhere –

from farmers markets to art festivals, and for companies as large as the NFL!

He works tirelessly to add new products so his one-of-a-kind pieces are always evolving for you or your loved ones to enjoy.

Bradley Evans runs his Orlando Area-based business “Iron Wolf Metalworking” with integrity and Christian values

alongside his wife Monique and their adorable & newest family member… baby Paislee (awww).

 It is truly my pleasure to support and spotlight him, but I never expected him to agree to give away one of his gorgeous designs

to one lucky friend of The Seasonal Home… but he is doing just that, and I am super excited!

(No Purchase Necessary)

And here’s the prize:

It will be 22″ in diameter and created (with the Name, Monogram and Established Date of your choosing)

out of 15 gauge American Steel with a natural finish and Free Shipping will be included in the prize

$100.00 Value

[other finishes available for a slight, additional fee]

Think about this  for Your Own Home, or use it as a WEDDING, ANNIVERSARY, CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY, ENGAGEMENT, etc. Gift!

THERE are 4 WAYS YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN and show us some LOVE, so why not ENTER 4 TIMES?!!!! 🙂

 ♥ Leave a COMMENT here, at the bottom of this blog post

♥ LIKE this blog post announcement on The Seasonal Home’s FACEBOOK Community Page

♥ From The Seasonal Home’s FACEBOOK Community Page, SHARE this blog post announcement on your personal Facebook Page

 ♥ LIKE this blog post announcement on The Seasonal Home’s INSTAGRAM Page, 

{Contest ends at 12:00 midnight EDT, July 28th, 2016. The winning name drawn will be announced & added to this blog post, so be sure to check back!}

And if you are not the lucky winner, The Evans family has a gift for you too, as a friend of The Seasonal Home…

CLICK ON THE COUPON above to enjoy exploring The Iron Wolf Metalworking Shop & wait until you see the unique variety in their product line.

GOOD LUCK!