2.12.08

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

This week I decorated a Christmas tree in the Lobby of the Sutton Place Hotel, for a very worthwhile fundraising initiative benefiting Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Canuck Place is a story of courage and vision and offers a continuum of care to over 350 children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout British Columbia. I am very honored to be a small part of making a difference in the lives of these children and teens. The trees (9 in all) will be on show in the Lobby of the Sutton Place Hotel through January 2, 2009.

It all started in August of this year when I teamed up with my buddy and fellow Interior Designer, Linda Sale, to collaborate in the decorating of this tree. What happens when two creative minds, and two 'Type A' personalities come together? 

We decided to make the decorations, with the theme being 'Home for the Holidays', represented by Children of the World made of gingerbread, dressed in their native costumes and holding the flag of their Country. Our first batch of gingerbread in September crumbled and we then tried a Martha Stewart recipe and it was a success.  The holes to hang the gingerbread were formed with a straw and we put an egg white glaze on the cookies.  After they were baked they were cured in a 200 degree oven for hours. That Sunday we were well under way with 7 dozen cookies prepared. We then spent the next three months creating costumes and the flags for these little treasures, as well as Jerseys for the entire Canuck team. (Insider Scoop: 7 of the Canucks are currently living at the Sutton Place Hotel, so if you are a fan, you might by chance see one of them walking through the Lobby as we did the day we were decorating the tree.)

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Before decorating - Linda & me                                   After decorating

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The presents were wrapped with the greatest of care....

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Canuck Jerseys were hand made to hang on the tree.....                           

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Opening night and the unveiling of the tree.......

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Alexa, Linda & I standing in front of the decorated tree

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                                                                         My nephew Sean

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Fellow Blogger Maria Killam, who I officially met for the first time that evening

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                                                                                  Interior Designer Colleen Jamieson

Every vote for the best tree costs $5.00 and all proceeds go to Canuck Place so if you are downtown, be sure to drop in and place your vote!
Or go
on-line to get your ballot.......we are tree #3.

 

Patricia Gray writes about emerging trends, her inspirations, and "What's HOT" in the world of Design. 
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37 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/12/08

    Congratulations!! That is an immensely creative effort put into each and every cookie. You both have my vote.

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  2. Tree #3...you are fantastic!!! Amazing work and it looks so great.

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  3. I am afraid you are crazy!!! This looks like it was such hard work!! all the details on the ornaments are incredible!!! omg - I am exhausted just looking at this. seriously. I need to go relax in the hospital!!!!!

    I hope you win!!! YOu deserve it. It's beautiful.

    bTW - you look so freaking cute in your boots and scarf!!!!

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  4. Wow you really did make all those decorations, very impressive! Thanks for including me in your post!

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  5. Patricia~
    Your tree is beyond lovely and you look fabulous as well! Thanks for your comment - so nice to hear from you.

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  6. WoW Tree #3 has my vote!

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  7. Wow! What great ornaments for the tree! Merry SITSmas to you!

    ~Annie

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  8. Oh my gosh you are a busy lady. Everything looked great! Merry SITSmas!

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  9. Anonymous2/12/08

    What a wonderful contribution and creative endeavor! I applaud all that shared in the time and effort it took to create the decorations and decorate the tree, especially in such a thoughtful way

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  10. I LOVE those gingerbread man! Fabulous! Merry Christmas to you!

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  11. Merry Xmas Patricia,

    This is a great project and a great cause. It must be so gartiyfing being part of such a cause and I really respect the amount of hard work that went into it.

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  12. the tree looks great! Merry Sitsmas may the day be filled with love!

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  13. Beautiful!
    Merry SITSmas!

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  14. What great ornaments. I made mine also and the gingerbread people were so fun. Your tree is beautiful

    Merry SITSmas

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  15. Merry SITSmas to You and Yours!

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  16. Wow--I give you permission to take off the rest of December. You've done your decorating time!

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  17. I LOVE the international gingerbread men! Especially the Scottish one. What a lot of work! Beautiful!

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  18. Such a dedicated work Patricia, I am amazed with all the work you have achieve and it looks wonderful.
    Lovely hearing from you.
    Have a great December.....Ingela

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  19. Will you adopt me?

    I LOVE cookies!

    Merry Christa-mas, ooops, SITSmas to you.

    Have a Gigglicious Christmas.

    HO HO HO

    Christa @ www.giggleon.com

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  20. I love the gingerbread men!!! What a great project - I hope you win!

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  21. everything looks so wonderful :)

    i'm visiting from SITS merry SITSmas :)

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  22. Merry SITSmas! Have a very, happy December!

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  23. Wow, what a wonderful tree! I love all the little gingerbread people. You did such a great job for a equally great cause.

    Merry Christmas! :)

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  24. What a wonderful way to spend the day, and for such a great cause! And the cookies turned out beautifully.

    Happy holidays, Patricia!
    xo

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  25. Patricia - what a monumental and beautiful effort. I love it all - the little jerseys, the creative costumes on all the gingerbread (I like the wee Scotsman) - how clever and what a ton of time it must have taken! You have my vote!

    Hope business is good in Vancouver - the outlook is appearing a bit bleak in Calgary!

    Happy Holidays to you and yours and thanks for stopping by. Terri xo

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  26. Merry SITSmas!!

    Beautiful tree! LOVE the gingerbread from around the world, great idea!

    The packages are very cool. And the hockey jersey ornaments...fantastic!

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  27. Great pictures!!

    Merry SITSmas!

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  28. Wow, you've inspired me to at least put up a wreath this year

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  29. that's amazing! Love the cookies!!

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  30. The Mexican Cookie is the best :) Great work! Patricia

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  31. What an amazing effort and for such a great cause! The gingerbread men are wonderful and so intricate. I hope you win!

    It was so lovely to hear from you. Thanks for your comment:-)

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  32. Anonymous5/12/08

    Hi Patricia

    I enjoy your blog as I am doing an Interior Design course here in Dublin at present.

    My daughter and family live in Vancouver on Nelson Street and I was staying at the Sutton Place in September! I love your tree and impressed with all the detail on the decorations. I am back in Vancouver for Xmas and will visit the hotel and vote for your tree! We are going to Big White for Xmas and looking forward to a white one (although at present there is no snow there)

    Thanks again for the interesting stuff.

    Best regards
    Pamela

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  33. Anonymous6/12/08

    Great information. Great post. Thank you....

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  34. Anonymous9/12/08

    These trees are amazing! I am loving the gingerbread men.

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  35. it's all so wonderful! the gingerbread men are amazing! the trees are gorgeous!

    happy christmas, patricia!

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Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

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