On the 6th Day of Christmas my husband and I pull out all the tree trimmings from the attic. I have to confess, in recent years, I’d fallen into a rut as far as implementing new and creative tree decorating ideas. But then a few weeks ago, I went to the the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville, Tennessee for their annual Christmas Tour. Wow! Hellooo inspiration!

This year’s theme is Tennessee Landscapes and State Parks. The designer mixed natural elements from the state of Tennessee as well as some traditional ornaments. Result? Breathtaking!

So think about what’s unique about your home town or your state and incorporate some of those elements into your tree. Flora, fauna? Or wildlife? As you can see, bare tree twigs were beautifully implemented in his exquisite decorations. See, anything goes!

Or, simply chose a theme of something you love and decorate away! Here are some pictures from the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion Christmas Tour. As you can see the creativity of this artist/designer knew no bounds. By the way, this is the same designer that decorates the trees at The White House in Washington, DC. 🙂

Now, I’m pleased to introduce you to Debut author and my Soul Mate Sister, Sloane B. Collins! I have to tell you that I adore her hero’s name! It happens to be my son’s name, as well!

Love Redesigned by Sloane B. Collins

Give American cake artist Genevieve Haywood a picture of anything, and she’ll turn it into a sweet and decadent creation. She’s not going to let hard work or competition stop her from opening her dream business. But when she’s hired as the cake artist for her cousin’s wedding in France, she never expected to run into the French fashion designer who broke her heart fifteen years ago.

Roman Duchaine is done with living life in the fast lane. Tired of being in the haute couture spotlight, he’s moved back to the small French village where he was born and raised.

Roman’s ready to settle down and have a family until the lost love of his life arrives for his cousin’s wedding. Seeing her reminds him just how devastating falling in love can be.

Their fragile truce is meant to last through the wedding, yet every second together makes their attraction and long-buried feelings undeniable. But old habits and hurts die hard, and while Roman is ready to weave their lives together, Genevieve can’t afford to lose herself in his shadow.

Pick up your copy today from Amazon.

As part of The 12 Days of Christmas celebration, Sloane donated a Paris-scented shower gel/lotion/mist set to the prize list. Click HERE for this and many more random drawings. To follow the celebration, find a new recipe, pick up a holiday decorating or shopping tip, click HERE.

About the Author

Debut author, Sloane Burke Collins, is thrilled to be a Soul Mate author. Her novella Love Redesigned won 1st place in the Contemporary category of the 2013 Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors, and Contemporary Romance Writers.

Since Sloane and her husband love to travel, she has vowed to write a novel set in just about every place they visit. From the wilds of Maine, to the rocky coast of Oregon, to the lush paradise of Oahu, and the rolling hills of Ireland, all of it is fodder for Sloane to craft stories of love, intrigue, and perhaps a Paranormal or two.

Sloane is a fifth-generation Texan, and after a stint in Missouri and Florida, she is back home now and lives in the Dallas area with her husband of over twenty-six years, and their four rambunctious cats (all named after characters in her favorite Julia Quinn novel).

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What tree trimming tips do you use each year? Have you tried anything new and from where do you get your inspiration?