Nell Hill's O Christmas Tree

I have all of Garrity's books, and have enjoyed them to varying degrees. I liked this one very much, although I would like to see photographs taken from more homes. (The photos included were very pretty, although a greater variety of angles or settings might have improved it for my taste.) I tagged a lot of pages for future reference/inspiration. Being a Kansas City native, I recognized and have worked with two of the floral designers, am familiar with at least one of the homeowners, and patronize the retail shops listed as resources. That made it that much more interesting, although non-Kansas Citians would be just as satisfied. I always gather great inspiration after a Mary Carol Garrity read, and this time I am definitely in the mood for putting on the Nat King Cole holiday CD and starting the long but loving process of creating a winter wonderland for friends and family to enjoy throughout the season!

I purchased this book a few years ago, and was just going to write a post on my blog on how much I enjoyed the wonderful images and tips in this book. I was surprised it did not get very good reviews. If you have small children and are decorating with Santa in mind and you like a lot of color, then this book would not be for you. On the other hand, if you do not have small children and have a great appreciation for natural greens. simple arrangements, and do not like a lot of color including too much red, I think you would really enjoy this book. It is understated elegance. My only complaint was that there were some items repeated several times in the section "A Candy Store Christmas".

I couldn't wait for this book to come out. I have a collection of all of Nell Hill's other books, and couldn't wait to add it. I have to be honest. I am disappointed. It is a large book with beautiful photos. The problem is, it is boring! The decorations are too simple for my tastes. Mostly just a bunch of greens decorated without any imagination. I was expecting Mary Carol Garrity's usual over-the-top fantastic natural decorations with that extra kick. If you love plain, simple, and natural, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for something more, then I would suggest buying the first Christmas book "Nell Hill's Christmas At Home". Or, look to buy this book heavily discounted because it's not worth paying the full $30 price.

I too had happily anticipated Mary Carol Garrity's new volume, but was almost dismayed by the book. There are editing errors - holy water fountain, Belles of Ireland (how many pretty Irish girls can one stuff in a vase) and styling redundancies - the same mirror on 4 pages in 3 homes. But finally, if one throws both split infinitives and ladies' desks to the wind, what remains is a certain meagerness of imagination or cleverness in arranging the vignettes. Perhaps a combination of a dependence on a loyal fan base, the escalating costs of printing books such as this, a rush to get this volume to the market and a touch - or more than a touch - of hubris combined to produce a disappointing result.

Would recomended this book for everyone!! I love Mary Carols taste--they are so much like my own............Her ideas have really made my house look so "professionally done" Would love to go to her stores but that is too far away---so her ideas will have to do! Thanks!

As always, Nell Hill comes through again. I received the book in fine condition, on time, and as described. Many thanks. A+

Mary Carol Garrity has a fantastic sense of putting together beautiful objects and has scored once again with this book. I have to admit that I did wish for more "stuff" added to some of the arrangements. But, in her defense, she did state that in the spirit of thrift, her house was not as decorated as elaboratly as in past years. I think it just goes to show how beautiful a house can be with mostly greenery alone. I still enjoyed each page and hope she is already writing her next book!

item as described, thanks!