Being German means Christmas is almost sacred. It’s a rule that no work is to be done until the tree comes down in January and if we could be in Europe this time every year - we would. The markets, food, and atmosphere are like nothing you’ve ever likely experienced. So to compensate, our Euro-Canadian festivities are almost ritualistic, right down to the tree only being decorated the week before Christmas Eve. In fact, when we were kids the tree was only decorated on the eve, with real lit candles. There’s a very specific way I like to decorate the tree. First, I like to hog the experience all to myself. No co-decorating allowed. But this year when my sister asked me to guest blog for the holidays, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to share a D.I.Y of the cute fresh floral ornaments I make for my tree. And because I love my sister :)

FRESH FLORAL TREE ORNAMENTS

Materials:

12 Water Picks

1 Box of Dark Green Reindeer Moss

Green Craft Wire

12 Roses (any colour)

1 Bunch of Seeded Eucalyptus

Pruners

Glue Gun

Before you begin the project it’s always important that you re-cut and hydrate your roses in warm water, removing any bruised petals. I find Eucalyptus also dries out fast so be sure to make sure they're also in a nice vase of water.

Step 1:

Fill your water picks with water. Make sure their dried off and the cap is nice and snug so you don't have any leakage

Step 2:

With your glue gun, use bits of Mood Moss and adhere it to the water pick. Essentially this will help camouflage the water pick when you add your blooms to the tree. Feel free to use a bit of wire to secure the moss further

Step 3:

Take your rose bloom and re-cut the stem. Make sure you keep the stems long. I do this for a few reasons. It distributes the weight of the bloom over a larger area so that your branches don’t bend with weight. It also allows the water pick to be further inside the tree so that you don’t see it.

Step 4:

Cut a few sprigs of Eucalyptus and wire it together with the rose bloom.

Step 5:

Insert the tip of the Rose stem into the water pick making sure the tip goes right down to the base of the capsule.

Step 6:

Once your tree is fully decorated, insert the bloom into the tree with the water pick closest to the main stem of the tree. And voila! You’re done!

Once the Rose is finished blooming you can pop a new one in. Just make sure you add more water to the capsule ;) Flowers normally last about 3 days

It’s the perfect D.I.Y to wow your guests making your tree just a tad extra!

xoxox

Elise & Hugo

PROPS

Galvanized tree collar, Canadian Tire $39.99

White Herrnhuter Sterne Stars, Artistic Landscape Designs Boutique $134.95 (they're currently on sale!)

Wicker Basket, Home Sense $34.95

Fur Stockings, Home Sense $12.95

Fur Throw Pillow, Home Sense $26.95

Moroccan Pillow, Artistic Landscape Designs $165.95

Hugo, Chocolate Lab $ priceless

All ornaments are either form Germany or Artistic Landscape Designs Boutique

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Skin

Take extra care of your skin that tends to get more dry and flaky during the cold season. The other side effect of winter is the dreary light that deepens dark circles and red blemishes. Pick a foundation that is creamier, more moisturizing, has light-reflective particles to add luminosity to the skin and provides more coverage to hide flaws accentuated by the winter light.

We are also at our palest, and though I love me some fair-skinned beauties, if you are not a fan, an all over self-tanner is great to impart a gentle warm glow on the face and body. You can use a powder bronzer too, but be careful not to go too dark as the contrast between your face and the rest will stand out not in your favor.

Sparkle

It's the holiday season as well so many of us stock up an all sorts of sparkly and shimmery makeup goodies. Here is another great excuse other than holiday parties to use these products! To avoid looking like a Christmas decoration that wandered off to a wedding celebration, use sparkle sparingly and limit to one feature: eyes, or lips, but not both. The most elegant way to do this is to press a bit of silver or gold fine glitter on top of the eye-shadow concentrating in the middle of the lid and inner corner.

Bright Lips

This seasons biggest trend is dark lips, so take your inspiration from that but brighten or lighten them up a bit to avoid looking too serious. Choose bold and fun colors to male your face pop, like red, fuchsia or burgundy. Flawless untanned skin is a perfect canvas for this look. Complete your makeup by defining the eyes with mascara and strong brows. Using lip liner is a personal choice, but the look will be more modern without it. The important thing to consider when choosing a bright lipstick is its longevity, because a messy pout is more obvious. There are many great long-lasting formulations available these days like matte textures; liquid lipsticks and stains to choose from.

Smokey Eyes

Since days are shorter in the winter and wedding celebrations will most likely be happening when its dark outside, it's okay to go a bit darker with your makeup then you would for a summer wedding. This timeless look reinvents itself every couple of years and this season it's not overly done and more effortless. it can be as easy as doing a thick dark eyeliner all around the eyes and then smudging it with an eye shadow a few tones lighter for that faded effect on the edges.

Winter is a perfect time to experiment with more dramatic looks so don't be shy to give it a try, but remember who is the star at the event!

xoxo Klava

Credits: winter wedding Kristin Staal Photography, Sarah Freemark photos - Lindsey Gibeau Photography & makeup by Klava Zyakova