I have been in love with monograms for most of my life. I remember being so excited when i stumbled upon the perfect table linen (with my new monogram) in a Galveston antique shop for my wedding reception! Monograms are just special. Even in their new and sometimes “overdone” popularity, I still love a gorgeous monogram. So you can imagine my excitement when this arrived from my new sponsor, SOUTHERN PROPER MONOGRAMS.
It is made of wood and come in the naked/bare wood state so you paint it any color..and it was super easy to spray paint. I didn’t know if i was going to be able to make it through the Holidays without my red door but this is going to help! The white looks so pretty with the gray door (SW Urbane Bronze is the color btw)…I tried it with green ribbon, red and green and a few greens…a bit smaller size monogram would look great layered over a fresh wreath but this one is so huge and dramatic it doesn’t need much! in fact, i may hang it later with no ribbon if i can affix a little hanger on the back….should be easy….Souther Proper monograms also has different fonts and smaller sizes for ornaments, stockings or gift tags! The possibilities are endless!
Notice I did what i call a duogram (and yes i took the house numbers off my door, it was just too much with the post box and the idea of holiday decorations but i reserve the right to put another up later)…truly proper would be my husbands initials i guess, since he is the man of the house and all but since we are all modern couple i did “duo”..I put my initial first, not because I have subordination issues (no comments) but because its etiquette to put the woman’s name first, and not separate a man’s first name from his last name?? Y’all correct me if i am wrong, just my understanding..and frankly in today’s world, there are bigger tragedies than getting this right or wrong so I do it however you wish though I am sure the nice ladies at Southern Proper can help you decide..you could also just do a single intial.
Another item i just ran across that I am very excited to share are these amazing nutcrackers..unfinished and very inexpensive from….HOBBY LOBBY! I have a love hate thing with Hobby Lobby and i wasn’t thrilled with their colors, price and selection of shatter proof ornaments when i was in there on Friday! BUT they redeemed themselves when i rounded the corner of the craft Christmas aisle (near the decorations) and found shelves of unpainted items including the nutcrackers, big ones, little ones….with a son who is interested in soldiers, i knew this was Christmas gold..I think my mother thought i was nuts i bought so many. I could paint them solid white or red like West Elm but I think i will leave them natural.
I am sure the boys will want to decorate a few…and at that price ($1-3 on sale!) I can allow them craft and play and use some for decor too!
And just a few more faves I want to mention because it takes time to plan and order…first, the tree idea for teacher and other gifts..I love this.
You can either order them from Seeds of Life and add tag like i did 2 years ago (paper tag with GROW stamped on it and then i handwrote inside) or buy your own tree or even just a plant and package this way..i never get tired of this idea.
And on the note of packaging, I have a wrap and ribbon report. Maybe it is just me, y’all may have found something cute or new or different but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary at WalMart, World Market, Target or Hobby Lobby….last year i loved one from Target (looked like an Orla Keily print on kraft) BUT I am still loving the kraft paper from and bakers twine (and kraft tape) from Olive Manna, just fyi, the kraft paper is thin but not too thin..i don’t like the classic THICK kraft paper..just me.
I am also loving this wrap from Sundance and the french script wrap from Ballard. Sundance also has some great ribbon for you ribbon-aholics!
Sorry for the long post and i apologize for posting on so much Christmas before Thanksgiving, I am really not a fan of that but I also wanted to give some heads up so you have ordering time etc..last year i waited until Mid December to blog about Christmas!
Have a blessed week and give Thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endureth forever!
Hello Holly, Can you do me a favor and tell me what size your monogram is? I like this size for a door and want to order it as a Christmas gift for my sister. Thanks for sharing!!
mine is the 16″
I saw West Elm’s nutcrackers and was going to search for some inexpensive look-alikes when I got around to decorating for Christmas. Thanks for sharing the good find at Hobby Lobby 🙂 It looks like a nice assortment of nutcrackers. Have a great Monday.
good morning, love! this was the first image i saw as a opened google reader this morning. let me say, that monogram is to die for!!!! simply gorgeous!!! T
oh may it never be that monograms are overdone…i LOVE these holly!!
gorgeous
& lucky you and your front door 🙂
i too have a love hate with hobby lobby but having a ballerina in the house who danced several years in the atlanta nutcracker, i might just follow your lead & head over there today for a few of those cuties!
thanks for sharing
happy thanksgiving
I love all this. What I struggle with with monograms is that I kept my last name. But there are three of us in the family, so maybe I could bastardize it and do all first initials? But it’s gorgeous, and I like the nutcrackers, too.
1. LOVE that monogram!!! It’s different but classic all at the same time.(Is that possible?)
2. My big hang up with nutcrackers is all the different colors so seeing them “naked” (ha ha) like that gets my wheels spinning on using them. Thanks for the directive to get to Hobby Lobby.
3. Definitely a ribbon-aholic here, so Olive Manna may get my order today!
4. I share your craft paper love- big time! You might like it on my dining room table at Layla’s post(I don’t have a blog yet)https://theletteredcottage.net/christmas-cottages.
Thanks for all the inspiration today!
It is sooo hard to live in the moment this time of year. (But, I am convinced that it’s where God wants us to be…not always living in the future.) I have guests coming the day after Thanksgiving so I almost automatically jump into the Christmas mode. One of our weekend ‘highlights’ will be to walk down to the square in my new town and see the arrival of Santa and the lights being turned on. It’s old fashioned and quaint and I think we’re going to love it. Yesterday the temps here in PA hit 60 and the rain held off, so we decorated the outside of our house. But, we won’t light the lights until after we come back from the lighting in the square on Friday night. Doesn’t that sound fun? (My friends have kids 12 & 15…hope they don’t think it’s too hokey.)
I just wanted to comment about your door and the gorgeous monogram. I do like the way you’ve hung it with the green ribbon from the greens…you could use red ribbon instead if you wish for some red. But, I think the red streamers hanging behind are too busy and distract from the loveliness. Whatever you do, you are going to have tooo much fun with that monogram. Love. love. love it! I expect to see it crop up in other places in the future. 😀
Love the monogram!!! What a gorgeous door!
I love your blog. 🙂
I do not think we have met in “blogland”, but I just wanted to introduce myself and say, “Hi!”
My name is Traci and I have a blog called Beneath My Heart.
You have such great taste, and I want to thank you for all the inspiration I have gleaned from your blog.
Blessings!
Traci
I think your monogram is spectacular – I love your greens and green ribbon and your red ribbon!!! The red plays off of your post box just perfectly!!! It all looks like perfection!
Holly, your door is gorgeous!! Love the monogram!!! I love the way you decorated it w/ simple greens and ribbon. Love the liitle Boxwoods too!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Great post Holly- thanks for including links, I’m checking all of them out asap! Love your new monogram too.
xo~
T
oh, gorgeous! Love your front door monogram!
d e n i s e
My husbands name before mine in our monogram would be “TEA” and there is just something so wrong with that to me so in monogram instances only we always do “AET”
Living in the deep (deep deep deep) south, you would think I would be proud to have tea as a monogram, but I think it is so strange. Ha!
The monogram door….gorgeous!! and that wrapping paper is SO lovely!!
LOVIN the monogram!!! And those wooden nutcrackers! Not usually a fan but the red and white might be super fun projects for my boys (who do love army men and nutcrackers!) As usual, your post was full of beauty and inspiration!!
Love the monogram on the door!
I like the idea of the trees as gifts too. I’ve always thought those were great, but never thought of giving them.
Love your monogram – very cool! Did you see the monogram gift tags from Stacy Claire Boyd that were on Oprah’s Favorite things list. They are really cute – there are a few different ones – here is one of the links. https://www.stacyclaireboyd.com/view_product/28079/2484/Cranberry_Red_Gift_Tag/
xo
I really like the nutcrackers! Like you, I have a love/hate with hobby lobby. Once in awhile they have something nice though, and these look great!
Hi. Do you know the color of your front door? I’m looking for a charcoal gray right now and am undecided between a few!
I love it all! I have been thinking about those monograms, and now that I see that one on your door, I am convinced I need one. — Love the naked nutcrackers, and the seedling idea! — As for Hobby Lobby, I found a pair of mercury glass gourd lamps with burlap shades (50% off)… love ’em.
Holly, I’m afraid that I NEED to copy your red mailbox because it has overcome me with envy. Is it vintage or reproduction because I love it!!!
This was a terrific post. I’m so ready for Christmas this year. I’m needing inspiration for teacher gifts, so thanks! Wonderful verse. His love endures forever. Amen.
I love the monogram Holly. I definitely would do a duogram as well. So I had planned to wrap all our gifts in kraft paper this year, I found the thinner version at the $1 store. {score} I hadn’t thought about using twill tape but I love the idea! Heading to the fabric store this week to look for some.
great goodies!! I just love that monogram!
love it, thanks for sharing!!
Love, love, love this! your door is unique and beautiful for the holidays.
I saw this on Pinterest. LOVE it! I love the nutcrackers too. My boys really enjoy nutcrackers too, but sometimes they are too colorful for the simple colors I like to use at Christmas. I am so excited to see that there are some at Hobby Lobby (don’t get me started on the love/hate relationship mostly hate that I have with them) that I can paint a solid color. Fun! Thanks, Lisa~
Love the monogram and will be investing in a 16″ one ASAP. I wish their site allowed a preview though…but I did have a question. Our door is 90% glass…any recommendations on what color to paint our monogram? Our door is black cherry and tan siding with rustic ledgestone. Any advice from anyone would be welcome! 🙂
I took your suggestion and ordered kraft paper and bakers twine from Olive Manna to wrap my presents in. LOVE! I blogged about it today: https://www.delightingintoday.com/2011/12/brown-paper-packages-tied-up-with-string/
And I looooove the monogram!
Could you do the monogram with just one letter to represent your last name? What size would you recommend it to be? Yours is simply beautiful. Love love love it.
Hi,
Can you please share where the door is from? I think I tried emailing you a while back. We’re renovating our home right now and I absolutely love this door! thank you!
Absolutely LOVE your front door and, I would not change a thing! I’m in the process of painting my front door Magenta and the monogram will be the ” frosting” on my green wreath for the Holidays!
love that mono gram! to me, it can be a year-round feature
Where did you find the fabulous red mailbox? Thanks.
The mailbox looks like a vintage swedish one. Cute!
The mailbox looks like it’s a swedish – just looking from the royal crown, super cute!
Oh my goodness I have been trying to find a good grey for my home and your color caught my eye! I love it, could you tell me the color name for the house and door?
Love the monogram door hanger!
Holly-I am struggling with how to attach the monogram to my front door. I have the monogram & partial glass on my front door. Would I hammer a nail to the top & always use ribbons? I checked So Proper’s site but they do not give any advice. I am so clueless. I love your door!!
LOVE the monogram, but more importantly, I love the mailbox! Where can I find one? Thanks!
Do you ship to Canada
Love your products and ideas, very inspiring and beautiful.
Oh, I loved the Sundance ribbon and ordered their COTTON velour right up when I saw it. So gorgeous. Love the monogram as well! Lovely site.