Oh the holidays!

I absolutely love this time of year. It is one of my favorites, not because of Christmas, per se, but because of the spirit that takes over - that need for lights and decorations, when the whole world is paying attention to the how and the what and the where of their home decor. And even though I'm not sure I buy into all the Hallmark sentiments that are pawned off on us, I still look forward to it every year - from the gorgeous flowers everywhere, the wonderful lights (hopefully mostly LEDs!), the ornaments and accessories, even the gift giving! And there is something that I always love receiving (well - there are a lot of things I'd like to receive!!), my December magazine issues. Sadly it seems with each passing year, the quantities are decreasing rapidly, but thanks to the Internet, we are never at a loss for image of the amazing and intriguing, delightful and dreadful, traditional and imaginative holiday decorations. Thanks to two wonderful blogs, Desire to Inspire and House of Turquoise, I have a plethora of inspirational images for you!

True to their name, Kim & Jo of Desire to Inspire have found some fun and whimsical images from Flickr showing that oh so joyous side of the holiday season - the one that gets everyone to just express themselves through color, lights, and holiday spirit!

I can't help but love this blog because it is based on a fundamental principle with which I am wholeheartedly in agreement - that turquoise is fabulous! And to demonstrate that wonderful fact are some images that House of Turquoise pulled together to show how a color that is often associated with sun, funk and fab can be every bit as perfect for the holidays as red & green.