The Oak Leaf - December 2015 By Lynn Gastineau President of Gastineau Log Homes, Inc. Welcome to the December 2015 issue of The Oak Leaf! For new r

 
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The Oak Leaf - December 2015

By Lynn Gastineau
President of Gastineau Log Homes, Inc.

Welcome to the December 2015 issue of The Oak Leaf! For new readers, this is a monthly newsletter that is sent by e-mail to those that have expressed an interest in Gastineau Log Homes. We use this as a way of communicating technical, design and industry information. For more information, check out our web site at www.oakloghome.com.

Please "Like" Gastineau Log Homes on Facebook! There are LOTS of photographs of our homes in the Photo section!

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Your decorating starts at your front door. This home has a front porch that is the perfect place for lights and/or evergreens. The dog is optional....

HOLIDAY HOURS FOR MODEL HOME CENTER: The Model Home Center on I 70 in central MO will be closed at noon on December 24th and reopen on Saturday December 26th. We will also close at noon on December 31 and reopen on Saturday January 2, 2016. Sundays we will be closed until Jan 15.
HOLIDAY HOURS FOR GLH OFFICES AND SHIPPING: Our offices and shipping departments will be closed from noon December 24th until Monday morning January 4th to allow most of our employees to enjoy the holidays with their family.

Trivia Question: What does Alvin the Chipmunk want for Christmas?

Focus on Christmas decorations: A log home and Christmas decorations are the perfect fit. Tall cathedral ceilings allow for huge trees. The wood is a perfect compliment to Christmas colors. The warm, snuggly feeling you want for the holiday season is easy to achieve in a log home. So I thought I would give you some ideas of ways to decorate your log home this year... or plan for how you will decorate next year after you build your log home in 2016!

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A ladder Christmas tree? Perfect if you are still building OR if you want something to remind you of when you were building!

What is the best way to decorate my log home for the holidays?:
The answer: However you want! The natural beauty of the wood is like a blank, neutral pallet to work from. You can go traditional, all natural, rustic or flashy. Maybe all you want is a beautiful tree. Maybe you want to decorate every aspect of your home. Be confident that the log home will make it look good, no matter what you choose.

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Design elements to consider: Most log homes have some unique design elements that will give you some unusual locations to decorate. For example, the open top of the cabinets in the photo above are a perfect place for a winter scene. The deep window sill provides another spot. The landing at the top of the stairs has a small Christmas tree. The round posts are wrapped in ribbons. You don't find these opportunities in most "regular" houses!

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When you are designing your home, think about where you may want to put your Christmas tree. I am not saying you design your home around the tree, but you do want to have electrical plugs close to where you will be putting the tree! Also, if you are going to have a fireplace, remember the tree needs to be far enough away that it does not create a fire hazard.

Decorating the fireplace: Ok, admit it. The main reason you put in a fireplace was to decorate it for Christmas. Who doesn't picture stockings hanging off the mantle? You can add other decorative accents too, like the snowshoes shown above. Need some inspiration? Check out the Christmas Mantels on Pinterest. Don't have a lot of money to spend? Go out in the woods and gather some branches. A can of off white spray paint to the branches and it looks like something from Pier One. Put them on the mantle with some pine cones. Take some pieces of wood and spray paint them with chalkboard paint so you can write holiday notes. Your fireplace is an open canvas!

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Have a beam ceiling? Use it as a prop for your favorite bear. Or pheasant. Or Santa Claus. Or maybe hang your Christmas tree from the beam?

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I usually only decorate my main living space because I think it is too much work to do the rest of the house. But this photo shows how easy you can incorporate small touches into a bedroom and have a festive feel. Some holly on the beams and a small wreath with some touches of red make this an inviting holiday bedroom.

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Want to make your own snow? Buying a flocked tree is very expensive. And maybe you want some "snow" for you window sills or fireplace mantle? Try making faux snow with salt and baby powder. Mix equal parts kosher salt and baby powder together in a bowl. Instant snow that you can sprinkle or place wherever you want snow. And clean up is a snap - just vacuum it up!

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Who says you have to spend a lot of money to decorate for Christmas?

How about some inexpensive and creative stockings? Use simple and inexpensive burlap fabric from the fabric store. Stick together along with edges with twine. Use any kind of letter you can find; wood, steel, metal. Paint if needed. You won't find these in a catalog!

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Put your tree in a basket: Continuing with the natural theme, how about a basket for your tree vs the traditional stand and skirt? This really dresses up a smaller tree. Note the slices of wooden "limb" ornaments which could be made very easily too.

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How many Christmas trees do you want? This one is in the dormer of a loft. A beautiful, elegant tree that can be seen from the main level. Almost like a "topping" on the tree/house!

Enjoy.... We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and thank all of our customers from 2015 and prior years. As always, it has been our pleasure to help you achieve your dream log home. Thank you for allowing us that opportunity.,

Construction Seminar Schedule for 2016:

Click here for information on our one day construction seminars.

To be announced in December 2015

Open Houses:
The Halls are Decked at Pennsylvania Oak Log Homes! Come to their Open House on December 5th from 10 AM to 4 PM. For more information, and directions, click here.

Remember that the GLH Model Home Center on I 70 in central MO is open 6 days a week! We have three houses there that you can tour! We open again on Sundays in late January.

Answer to the Trivia Question: A Hoola-Hoop! Want to play a Christmas trivia game? I found a good one at Christmas Trivia. And you will be one step ahead of the competition because you know this one!

Quote of the Month: “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live." - George Carlin

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