can’t help it, I just love the color RED. No matter what time of year. I have it all over the house…so all I need is a tree and I’m done!

hink "magic" as you decorate your house. Shine up all your glass, brass, and silver to reflect the light, use sparkling things on the tree. Clean windows, mirrors, and glass on pictures for more twinkle power. Think "fairyland" while cleaning, it makes it a lot easier!

ry a bit of whimsy, hang a decoration in a window or on cupboard door knobs; put a little string of lights somewhere unexpected, in a guest bath, or around a kitchen window, or in the sewing room, or across the canopy of a four-poster.

hether decorating in a clean, modern style (gold and white, pink and silver, turquoise and pink), or an old-fashioned Country Christmas, for a party or Christmas Eve, light the house with all kinds of candles in colored and clear glass holders. Use thin champagne glasses that ring like clear bells. For a party, remember to appeal to the five senses, you want your house to look good, smell good, sound good, taste good, and feel good.

dated ornament every year brings back memories.

atural decorations make everything smell good; bowls of oranges studded with cloves, paper whites, garlands of pine, cinnamon bundles, simmering spices. Wooden bowls or baskets of cranberries, apples, lemons, red pears, and sugared fruit (dip plums, pears and red grapes in egg white and roll in sugar, allow to dry; pile into a crystal bowl). Pillows stuffed with pine needles smell wonderful, and candy houses, cinnamon hearts, plates of cookies, candy canes, ribbon candy add homey charm.

n the table, try an old quilt, a beautifully ironed damask tablecloth, or even a nice white bedspread. For the kitchen use holiday dishtowels, throw rugs, guest towels, potholders, tea cozies. Nothing has to match, not matching makes things cozier. And put out all your red things. My mantle is lined in old red Christmas books. Even if you decorate in turquoise, red still looks good!

nd now that it’s so beautiful, invite someone to dinner. Make (red) CRANBERRY CHICKEN AND (red) PEARS…pretty and delicious!

ou know I’m a list person. I could drive you crazy with my lists of ideas of things to do this month…but I’m trying not to, as I realize the outside world is probably doing a good enough job at it already. But this is a Happy List of wonderful old movies that will take you into Escapesville, a place we all need to go sometimes, especially when we’re busy; so take a deep breath, put on your slippers, get your nap blanket and a cup of tea, and settle in on a stormy day for one of these soul-feeding vintage movies… enjoy that wonderful old-fashioned concept “…and they lived happily ever after!” These aren’t necessarily Christmas movies, but they’re definitely the kind of movies that put “Christmas in the heart.”

THE LIST

The Major and the Minor, Ginger Rogers
(Sue-Sue Applegate )

The Bishop’s Wife, David Niven, Cary Grant, and Loretta Young

It Happened One Night, Myrna Loy and Clark Gable

It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed

Miracle on 34th Street, Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood as the child

Bachelor Mother, with Ginger Rogers and David Niven

Christmas in Connecticut, Barbara Stanwyck

The Apartment, Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine

Top Hat, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

Carefree, Fred & Ginger

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Shirley Temple
(check out the roses on “Tony’s Porch.”)

could go on all day. Even if you’re too busy to sit down and watch, these movies are perfect background noise for cookie baking; wonderful to wrap gifts by…If a girlfriend shows up, pop one in, and you will have trapped her for the afternoon.

ne other thing, I belong to Netflix and I love it so much I have no words for it. Go there and explore and see how great it is, you will then have an uninterrupted flow of movies to watch anytime you want. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!

(I’d love to know what movies have made your Best Ever list!)