The wallpaper is finally going up. I really love it, and had a tough time deciding where it should go. I only have one roll, and though it is a double roll there was a lot of pressure to have it in a really special place. I was/am especially afraid of overdoing it and turning the house into an amusement park hall of mirrors. The color of the trees is actually closer to the install shot. The background is a true mirrored finish (Huggie Bear now spends a great deal of time on the stairs trying to figure out why the black cat in the wall won't come out and play.)

On the stairs it went; one wall is done, 2 more strips on the other. My mantra this week: I will wallpaper, I will paint the stairs. Repeating this oath as frequently as possible.

And just because everything is getting holidayified, I hung a garland from the ledge. This year I really have been Ga Ga for Garlands. I made this red and purple one for a swap, but loved it so much when I put it on the stairs to photograph, well, I really want to keep it there.

Tips to close the great wallpaper divide: I got this wallpaper off eBay. If you want a similar look, try searching using vintage wallpaper and foil, metallic, or mylar. You'll get some pretty interesting results. A little warning, Martha Stewart featured vintage wallpapers last year (I believe) and they have gone up significantly in price since then. Those high prices are for people not willing to thrift it out. Check out thrift stores, don't pay $30 for a roll of wallpaper. It may be hip, but you can find it cheap.

Garnishing with garlands: I made up this garland by bringing out all of the crafty materials I thought might be appropriate. I'm really in the mood to get rid of things by using them up (hence the now empty jar that used be packed to the brim with craft store pom poms) and either giving them as little gifts or decorating the house. I am definitely an "I'll use it someday" kind of person.
I haphazardly strung the craft store pom poms on about 8 feet of embroidery thread. There are also cut out circles and star shapes of felt strung on, bits of yarn knotted on (remember how to make friendship bracelets?), and sample spools of cream colored thread.
The thickness of the embroidery thread made the whole thing very sturdy and resilient to playful kitties. Leave loops of thread/yarn/cord on the end for easier hanging.