The staked plates deco is a very nice, however, I don't like the wreath at the bottom either. You could remove it and put the plate on a light-colored mat that would give to the first plate more value.
Otherwise, I love your plates!
Just my two cents.

Thank you for your "two cents". I thought I liked the wreath idea on the table, but when I saw how it looked in the pictures, I didn't like it. Weird. But I think it's going in the morning, LOL. Need to find a mat I like now.

hugs, Karen

Hi, I looked at all your pictures and the prettiest things I saw were two black and white cats. Pat

Karen - Your things are beautiful! What beautiful decorating you've done. I do good to get my one tree up - I love all your many trees. Was that a silver tree? I love those. I also spied the bunny in front of the fireplace - very cute.

Dawn

Wow Karen - you did some really nice Christmas display vignettes. Your whole place looks very festive.

That is too cool that you have a large carousel horse, what a great whimsical touch. Do your cats try to sit on the saddle? - mine would!

It's really nice seeing sombody else who really has fun w/their chandelier and goes for it.
In yrs past I was having so much fun decorating mine(more is more of course) that I completely oblierated the light source for the table. LOL

After seeing how much you've done, I got to get my backside moving! - so far I have my best quality decorating time when my "helpers" are asleep. LOL

Jim

I - for one - like the wreath at the bottom of the cakestand stack o' plate tree shape thingy. My suggestion would be to put something more IN the wreath itself - make it look as if it belongs to the composition. Go for some unity in the thing - you've created 5 very different little 'stories' in the one - I think I would mix them up a bit and make it all look like one longer 'story'. Create a separate kind of tree shaped thing and decorate it like a small tree.

Have fun!

Jim A.

Karen, I looked through your album twice. You have done an amazing job and have so many interesting collections. I thought the stacked plates looked good, but you know I am still learning to do them too, so not the right one to give advice. Love the Santa bunnies and the cookie jar collection. You are an amazing woman to do all this decorating while fighting the Fibro pain too! Great job. Luvs

Pat, if you like Oreo and Penguin a lot, there's more photos of them to see in my Photobucket album of Dogs and Cats. I have 4 cats in all. You can get to any of my albums from the Xmas one.

Dawn, my daughter got me the silver tinsel tree last year after Xmas sales cause I was buying purple ornaments and knew they wouldn't show up good on a green tree. But it sure didn't photograph well, everything too shiny. LOL.
I have quite a few rabbit statues, scattered among my Whippet ones. I love rabbit figurines, realistic ones mostly. Have a lot in my yard too.

Our Jim....thank you so much for the compliments. Your home takes my breath away so really appreciate what you said. My carousel horse, "Moon Dancer", luckily fit in that corner after I moved a china cabinet from it into my study.
One reason I never got my dream before, was WHERE do I put a full sized carousel horse. LOL. But when I turned 60 this year, suddenly it was now or never after I read a saying that "every person should try to realize a dream of theirs". During the weeks he was being painted in my choice of colors, the lady became a friend. She loves cats, has 8, and dogs. Has 3. And obviously loves horses, is my age. Funny how Life leads you to some people. Or maybe it's these computers who do that!!!! She's in Oklahoma but now we email regularly. As for your cat assistants, you might appreciate this. She told me she does a small tree just for her cats, it actually helps keep them away from her big tree. LOL.
I've never decorated chandeliers, bathrooms, or half what I did this time. And its all because of everyone here that's inspired me and become a friend and "enabler". LOL. I think the best Xmas advice I have ever gotten came from you, Jim. "One can never have too many picks". WOW, what a difference those make on trees, in garlands, etc. So thank you for that priceless tip. Its a great one!

Luvs, knew you'd go for the Santa bunny stuff. My favorite too. I used a lot of determination to work during the constant pain this year, but it was worth it to decorate as it makes me feel good to see it now. Next year may be another matter, LOL.

Jim A....thank you, thank you, thank you. From what I've seen, you've got a beautiful home and such talent for decorating it. Before I read emails and when I went in kitchen this morning, I had second thoughts about removing the wreath again. I was going for a uniform type look, I think. LOL. You see, I thought the wreath at the bottom balanced out the chandelier swagged above it. Greens and gold in both. And 'fullness'. I'm happy with the Xmas balls on the big plate. And the top plate matches in colors tho the berries look mostly red in the photo, but they are multicolored. I think the problem area is the center plate with the little Radko type houses. They fit well with the colors and the shiny look, but they need a LOT more filling in to catch up with the rest. Does this make sense? I do like them there, just not so sparse looking. Also top needs green picks too I think. ?? I didn't take a photo of chandelier and wreath together, but here's the two photos and maybe you can tell what I meant.
{{gwi:1456411}}
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hugs, chatty Karen

Wow, Karen you have done alot! I am way behind you, you have really been busy.
Actually I like the wreath under the stacking plates, I have done that myself, I think it adds to the look.
As Jim A. stated, you want to have a continuing theme going thru the stacked plates, otherwise it is a bit disjointed, you are going for "flow". You want to incorporate all the theme colors thru your "layers".

Your chandler is looking good too, and since you said the stacking plates are below it, you will still want to carry in theme and color to both areas for that "flow" that I was talking about. It looks like you are doing alot of red and silver from the picture, so try going with that theme, and you will get the unity and flow in your designs.

Everything is beautiful. I love the stacked plates and I think the wreath looks very nice, gives a nice firm foundation for the arrangement. I got very tired just looking at all of your work, think I need a nap!!

Karen you have done an amazing job! I can't imagine doing all that you have done with all the pain you have!
It looks great! I have to go back and look at it all again! I have yet to find a spot for my bad boy bunny,...he may have to stay in the basement, LOL!

Karen, you have every room decorated, they are all beautiful, the fireplaces look fabulous, the collections the chandeliers, wow, I can't imagine hauling out all those things and doing all that!

I think one big tree would have been easier! LOL! I have been having a lot of back problems, I think the arthristis I have in my back is just complicating all my other back problems, so looking at all you've done with your pain problems, I just can't imagine doing all that. Are you sore from all that work. I sure hope not, cause your house looks GREAT!

Hubby put up our big tree today, I'd prefer the 4 foot in the bay window, but with grandchild living here, he wanted the big tree up. I have gotten rid of so many of my decorations for the big tree that it looks rather sick to me, but he loves it & that is all that matters. I prefer doing some smaller themed trees.

The one year I was flat on my back & could not do a thing for 9 months with back problems, hubby put up a 4 ft tree, he bought me all sugared fruit, amber & burgundy & gold ornies, it turned out so pretty, that is what I wanted to do this year, but grandson over-ruled me.

Anyway, you sure did a great job, your whole house looks like Christmas!!!

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

Yach, back problems and decorating do not go well together do they? !!! Hope your DH will help you with your decorating.
As for me being "sore", LOL, that word left my vocabulary long ago. I've barely been able to move the last two days, my body apparently realized what I did and its payback time. Hopefully my back and rgt leg will ease up soon, still was worth it tho. LOL

Thanks for your input, Judith. Always love getting tips and advice from you.
Kathleen, get Spud out of the basement and let him enjoy the holidays. How much room can one little rabbit need?
Stick him UNDER the tree if nothing else, doesn't he have a little Santa Hat?

hugs, Karen

Karen, you are amazing...it's all been said your decorations are wonderful. I hope the pain doesn't stay long. Can't wait to see your CHRISTmas village.

It's only an idea...but I think Karen enjoys decorating..ha...You could be an Interior Decorator...I didn't see anything that I would change...everything looks like it "belongs" there...there's an old saying, "So clean you could eat off her floor"...that cliche could of been directed to my mother, and looks like, to Karen too.

Decorating that chandelier must have taken a LOT of effort!

-Jenn

Karen, everything is beautiful. I really like the wreath under the stacking plates. I think it adds the "finishing touch" to the plates.

What a nice tour of all your decorations. Everything looks so festive! Love your purple tree and all your other collectibles.

I like the wreath - just think it needs something to tie it into the plate decorations.

Diana