Instead of taking a look back at our favorite posts from November, today we’re traveling to the past, reveling in the present and looking forward to the future. I started this blog in 2010, and by 2011, I was definitely ready to get festive when the holidays rolled around. So let’s see how Mirror80 has celebrated seasonal style throughout the years, starting with Christmas past. My apologies for any photos that are less than excellent. I had a lot to learn about photography in the early days of Mirror80, and I’m still learning! Let’s start with 2011…
2011
Ah, 2011: the year I started making little design montages for imaginary rooms! And that December, it was all about ’80s modern Christmas style. There’s no movie that brings it home quite like Less Than Zero (1987). I know…a film about family dysfunction and addiction doesn’t exactly put one in the holiday spirit, but I’ll just say that because the film was set in the privileged neighborhoods of Los Angeles, there are some pretty fabulous interiors. And equally fabulous modern Christmas decor, which inspired the montage above (left). See the full post here, and check out this post for more screen shots from the film.
2012
In 2012, I was a bit more adventurous with original photography on the blog, so I was ready to decorate when the holidays rolled around! I explored some top ’80s Christmas design trends (from metallic planters to crystal accents), and I turned to flagging tape and neon tissue paper for some vibrant gift wrap ideas. And apparently I over-used the “saturate” feature in the photo editing department. But you won’t hold that against me, will you?!… Bonus points if you check out this little Christmas luncheon I hosted. My obsession with food styling had to start somewhere!
2013
In 2013, I experimented with some new retro-style Christmas decor at home, and I decided to step it up in the gift wrap department, using marble contact paper to embellish packages and bags. Check out the full post here. Side note: my love affair with marble contact paper is still going strong! Decorating and immersing myself in creative projects was just what I needed that holiday, because I had minor surgery (which I was terrified of at the time). So I distracted myself by concocting holiday recipes, like these two mocktails!
2014
2014 was the year I really started having fun with styling and photography, so when the holidays arrived, I fully celebrated the design possibilities of the season. I created a series of retro-modern DIY projects (like the Deco-style centerpiece above, which was the focal point of my New Year’s Eve shoot), and I took my Christmas decor in a more colorful direction at home. I also returned to neon for some colorful gift wrap ideas, which you can see more of here.
2015
And how about the present?! I’m deep in holiday blogging endeavors and loving every minute of it! Determined to be more present (and organized) this year, I’m getting an early start and celebrating color. Above you can see an image from a centerpiece shoot that I recently styled for Decoist (full post here), and today I had fun creating a Memphis-style gift wrap concept that I’ll be sharing with you tomorrow. I’m loving the current trend of using unconventional colors throughout the holidays, and you’ll be seeing more of that in photo shoots to come.
I promise to share some snapshots of my holiday decorations, and I’ll also be featuring an easy DIY gift idea, as well as a new Retro Foodie post that’s filled with seasonal style. Wishing you and yours a glorious Holiday Season! XOXO, Kate
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