
I finished decorating my Christmas Trees. And while some gave up on the LEDs, I persevered (begrudgingly) and I’m really pleased that I did. (See more photos of my trees decorated, lit up at night and naked here.)
All my designer friends say my big tree looks very Scandinavian in design. I say… “err… yeah… that’s what I was going for!” We all know that’s not true; I was just trying to make the best of my new LED lights that decrease energy use by 90% but have a slight blue tint. I learned that if you decorate the tree with all white and silver ornaments along with white glass beads, the lights look far less blue and much more bright white. I love my big tree.
My little tree is a tribute to Ikea and my new brown kitchen. It’s dressed with dark brown ornaments, tinsel and a brown star tied to the tree with a brown satin ribbon. There’s no bow up there; bows are very 2006. I’m all about loose-hanging ribbon that waves in the breeze. I did the same on my front and back door wreaths.



Maggie, is chief tasting officer and founder of Eat Boutique. She started the site in 2007 as a way to highlight and celebrate the best pure, local and comforting handmade foods, and now sells unique and delicious handmade food in monthly tasting subscriptions and seasonal gift boxes. Fostering vibrant real world communities around food, Maggie now hosts Eat Boutique’s Local Markets, where she spotlights cookbook authors and undiscovered food makers. Maggie is a community evangelist with more than 15 years of Web community building and outreach experience, connecting millions via sites like Lycos, Tripod and TripAdvisor. She’s written for Time Out New York, the former I.D. magazine and Hip Paris, and created retail experiences for the largest floral and event design company in New England. Maggie regularly visits Paris and travels far distances to find the next great chef, farmer, food maker or host. You can follow her worldwide - and homemade - gastronomic adventures on Twitter at @mizmaggieb or @eatboutique.