Behind the Scenes: HomeSense x She Does the City Holiday Shoot

When my mom married my dad, she converted to Judaism, leaving behind a slew of Christmas traditions but gaining a lifetime of happiness with a man from North York named Les. We didn’t grow up with a Christmas tree in our living room or tinsel decking the halls. In fact, I distinctly remember the Christmas morning my brother and I flew from our beds, only discover there would be no token presents for us that year, or any year to follow. I was eight by the way.

As a person with an outrageous flair for decorating, I surprisingly didn’t catch the holiday decor bug until last year. A Jack Daniels rep was coming to my loft to lead a whiskey tasting for my friends. With pine and cedar and glittery things in hand, I got busy transforming my loft into tinsel town. It was the festive dream I never knew I wanted. The decorations stayed up well into January.

So, I flipped my shit when Jen McNeely from She Does the City asked if I wanted to collaborate with HomeSense for a holiday decorating story this year. The answer was a resounding “YES!”

Everyone knows the heart of the home during the holidays is in the kitchen. This was the perfect opportunity to transform my space from cold to cozy.

I bought a 7 foot wood shelf from Home Depot and hung it with the cheapest brackets I could find. Then I decked it out with cedar purchased from Home Depot and accessories from HomeSense to achieve a holiday glam meets rustic cabin in the woods look.

The holidays are stressful, busy and expensive enough, without the added pressure of a full-coursed feast. So I decided to focus on appetizers. My trick is to tell my friends to eat before they come but save room for “snackies” like a cheese board, olives and baguette with spreads. Even if the menu isn’t ornate and complicated, you can still wow your guests with the presentation. I was very impressed with the options at HomeSense like beautiful table linens, ornate cutlery, unique serving platters and candles that went a long way to deliver the holiday vibes but can be used any time of year.

The story is live on She Does the City and I’m in great company–one of my favourite bloggers Tiny House Mama will be part of the story sharing their version of holiday decorating. I’m so excited to see the holiday magic she brings to the table. The photos were shot my Lizzie O’Donnell who is not only talented but a total soul sister. After our shoot, we ended up hanging out, eating the cheese board and talking about life. Spoiler alert: it was super tasty.