Getting Inspired to Decorate for the Holidays

Today's Agenda:  Trying to ignore it's going to rain all day -- 100% chance of rain!  Which doesn't bode well for my install today but we'll manage...I hope. 

But I am looking forward to the weekend!  It looks like it's going to be nice and cold and December like out there.  There will be some office rearranging as I am picking up a few painted barrister bookcases to reorganize my design books and binders.  And, lots of holiday decorating to be done. 

Check out these fun ideas for holiday decorating from Houzz.  I was scrolling down ooh-ing and aah-ing at the images and then ran across our tree from a couple years ago and it was a nice surprise :).  It's still funny seeing my design work out there in the world. 

30 Beautifully Inventive DIY Christmas Decorations

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A Thanksgiving Table Setting!

Today's Agenda:  A busy week but lots of fun stuff...that I'll let you know about next week!  

This week I'm FINALLY getting into the Thanksgiving planning mode.  Figured the week before was as good as time as any to start thinking about it :)  And, what is better to help me get started than a 'Mood Board Monday' party hosted by Sarah at Pewter and Sage -- thanks, Sarah!

I am in a decluttering mode these days in my own home and am really liking a couple bold colors standing out against a neutral palette with layers of interesting textures and patterns.  What's the best bold color to stand out for Thanksgiving?  The food!! 

So, against a beautiful turkey, luscious stuffing, an amazing squash soup and crisp green beans, I created a backdrop that compliments and is a bit whimsical. Starting with the David Stark plates, I layered in whites, creams, beige, blacks, other metallics, some woods for warmth and, literally, a splash of color with those great placemats.  And, with plenty of room for lots of personalities and storytelling at the table!

 

 1.  David Stark dinner plate
 2.  David Stark salad plate
 3.  Organic shaped, metallic rimmed bowls
 4.  Crate and Barrel Olivier Flatware
 5.  White wine glass
 6.  'Cheers' ice bucket
 7.  Opaque white water glass (an Ikea classic)
 8.  Splatter recycled placemat
 9.  Classic white napkins (use Oxiclean to whiten!)
10. Vintage napkin rings (lots of fun ones on Etsy and one more Sunday at more local antiques market -- and fun to mix and match!)
11. Scuplted platter
12. White drum chandelier (classic, great light!)
13. Bridge Extension Table, Walnut (perfect for lots of family and friends!)
14. Benjamin Moore, Cloud White (just enough pigment to balance the stark whites and off white colors in this color palette)
15. Frames wallpaper (fun for everyone to bring a photo of their favorite memory from the past year)
16. Paul Loebach dining chair
17. Ikea Stockholm Rand rug
18. Linen, metallic curtains (love the detail at the top!)


And, lots of stores are offering free shipping and other deals on dinnerware as we get into the holiday season!  Crate and Barrel right now has free shipping on purchases totalling $99 or more through Dec. 21. 

Sequins!

Today's Agenda:  I think I may have found THE rug for a dining room project I'm working on.  Stay tuned!

On a completely separate note, I really want to buy these but am resisting.  They are so sweet and would be perfect for next year's Christmas decorations...or Easter...or year round...plus I'm a sucker for sequins and glitter. 

 

Birds.Glitter.Yarn.Please.

Today's Agenda:  Enjoying the view of the snow from my office.  Ah. 

So, I thought about leaving my white christmas tree unadorned and simple with pretty white lights.  Our home has white walls and it just blended in so nicely.

Well, that lasted about a week.

Until I found these cards at Anthropologie. 

And imagined dozens of them on the tree...and proceeded to buy dozens (hello? sale!).  They had a bird on the cards, glitter too, in pink and wrapped in beautiful vellum with a red and white petit string of yarn.  It was fate.  {They have artwork by Parisian based artist Nathalie Lete and are beautiful -- her other work is beautiful too.  Check it out here.  And some work she has done for Anthropologie here.}

So what was once simple.

Is now adorned.  

 

 

 

 

I then felt compelled to create a whole holiday dining room nook. 

With comfy chairs and plush blankets, it's perfect to curl up with magazines by the tree with a glass of wine.  And I'm all ready for a dinner party. 

 

 

 

 {Yes, I did get a chuckle out of having the white elephant as the only thing under the tree so far...}

And everything went with my wreath from last year!

 Why not put it on the back of your door so we can enjoy it!  {and the star wreath hanger has a star on the front of the door to be festive for our neighbors but not annoying festive :)}

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Last Minute Gifts?

Today's Agenda:  Husband had surgery yesterday so am balancing making good healing food for him and doing work at the house.  It basically means a lot of running up and down the stairs. 

While at Whole Foods today, I took advantage of the absence of kamikaze carts and hungry zombies and went up and down a few more aisles than usual.  And, I'm glad I did -- I found a few great ideas for gifts this year!

I know, it sounds like last minute shopping at CVS for holiday gifts but I promise it isn't like that at all!  And gifts for all ages.  Let's see what I found...

They had a great selection of children's toys -- check out the wood blocks in the lower right corner.  And the little organic toys -- how sweet!  I'm actually thinking of stocking up for friends that are having babies...

Who doesn't need a new hat and gloves?? Even the fingerless gloves for Iphoners!  They were really soft materials too -- one was a little pricey at $50 but it was amazing/really amazing.  And, the hats looked like they would really fit all people -- why is it that so many are too small???

Okay, I myself would be in HEAVEN if I got a massive stack of magazines wrapped up in a huge bow!  They had these two classics -- Food and Wine and Dwell -- that you could just delight in all Christmas Day.

And, such sweet lip balms and bath stuff.  And things I would actually use -- not weird scented things that I wouldn't use.  

And, to prove that Whole Foods really thinks of everything -- wrapping!  In cute, modern patterns nonetheless.  And no more expensive than grabbing some at the CVS.

 

So, if you are tight on time, stressed to the max and can't even think about what to get people -- take a stroll through Whole Foods, pick up a few beautiful, well priced gifts, wrapping, a bottle of wine and rotisserie chicken and call it a day/week/season/year. 

Graphic Inspiration

Today's Agenda:  Staying warm -- it's COLD out there!! 

I'm still collecting lots of inspiration for my holiday decor and cards for this year.  And, fully realize that I know I don't have that much more time to keep gathering :).  But bear with me for a little bit longer...

Was flicking through my photos on Iphone (full on with oohs and ahs as I remembered I had all these great ideas closely guarded in my phone!) and remembered these shots I snapped of the Barney's and Saks' windows this year.

Loving the font in the Barney's windows and the natural colors in the Saks windows...Hmmm...how to incorporate with what I have -- goal is to just use what I have this year!   Stay tuned!

From Punchy to Obsessed...

Today's Agenda:  I've moved the furniture around.  Found an empty space.  Recovered from the shocke of finding that empty space ;)  Ready for Christmas tree! 

So, yesterday I was punchy...but today I am obsessed!  With the work of Chris Everard! 

I had found this photo of a party punchbowl setting of Chris'.  So lovely.

 

But there are so many more of Chris' to just lust after.  

A client has asked me to think about some Christmas decorations for their house that we've been working on -- how fun!  No tree but maybe a wreath or two, something easy to put up and take down that is festive but not over the top.  I'm on the hunt...

...and the work of Chris Everard is a great place to start.  

Thank you!

Today's Agenda:  Getting ready for a fun week ahead -- it's office installation time!  Most of my friends and family know that I can't get enough of a good home office project -- all the organizing of wires, finding awesome lamps for the desk, having everything at your fingertips -- so looking forward to this week!!!  I think this project will turn out pretty great -- it's a classic Brooklyn apartment with vintage touches.  We aren't doing anything too extreme (no new paint or wallpaper), but I think it's going to pull together so nicely and make the space so much more usable. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity, as I am with all of the opportunities that I have had in this career and my career as a lawyer.  I am amazed at the many interesting, impressive people I have had the chance to meet in my life and am thankful for every day I get to work on developing my career as a designer.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it really is a time to just hang out, eat good food and be thankful for everyone in your life.  Sure, there are lots of annoying things going on in life that sometimes add up to way too much but for a few days those annoying bits pretty much melt away.  We had a fun Thanksgiving -- filled with days of family and friends and great food!  Here are a few highlights captured on film (and photos of the tablesetting I blogged about on Wednesday put together!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Highlights include:  pre-dinner blind wine tasting + crostinis, dinner @ our house of salted cod, roasted root vegetables, stuffing, pear, apricot + persimmon tart,  annual game of post-Thanksgiving poker, lunch @ Evening Star Cafe in Del Ray, a great dose of culture @ Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens in Georgetown}