fresh take

Day two of my week with Denise began with a set-up at an upscale brownstone-style town home in Newtown. Denise dubbed this bit of mantle decor a Glitter Sputnik (a cute color, to-boot!).

This being the third year for this client's set-up, we had the routine down, and other than having to light the tree ourselves (we're spoiled, and are used to pre-lit trees) things went smoothly. The most interesting projects are the ones in which we are given creative license to work our magic, putting a new twist on even our repeat customers' traditions.

Day three found us at a darling cottage owned by the vice-president of the company that manufactures one of our well-used pain killers--something we've needed a fair bit of this week. We transformed their comfortable home, arranging an extensive collection of Santa's (many purchased over the years at Black-Eyed Susan). With a dinner party planned for this weekend, the house stands ready to welcome friends.

This project proved particularly rewarding because of the client's directive to make changes and/or additions at our discretion, even encouraging us to do so. Not wanting to disappoint, we took a quick trip back to the store, where I hand-picked a few personal favorites to add just the right finishing touch.

Stay tuned for Thursday's wrap-up--day four, where we found a treasure trove of cuttings in the client's own back yard--ready for the picking, and just the thing to create holiday style.