Christmas DIY: Burlap Trees

I love the look of burlap when it comes to decorating for anything- weddings, fall, Christmas, etc.  I saw a few burlap trees at Home Goods a few months back and decided they would make a perfect DIY project.  I got a medium and a large cardboard cone from Michaels and a yard of burlap from JoAnns.  I cut the the burlap into 3/4" wide strips about 5" long, looped them, and hot-glued them one by one onto the cones.  It took an hour or so to do both trees and I am so happy with how they turned out.  I apologize for not taking more pictures during the process but hot glue sure makes it difficult to! I love the rustic, frayed look the trees have and I can't wait to use them for many Christmases to come.

Christmas Cards 2012: Antler Style

I'm seriously debating about whether or not to make 'Antlers' its own post category on the side of my blog.  Lately I've been posting about them so often because they are the perfect cross between my style and my husband's style.  Trendy yet classic, masculine but feminine.  I decided to watercolor our Christmas cards this year and thought that deer would be the perfect subject matter.  Below are a few snapshots courtesy of Instagram of the cards we sent out.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they turned out!

DIY: Changing Wreath from Season to Season

A few weeks ago I posted this DIY for a Christmas Wreath.  I've taken that same wreath, pulled off the "joy" letters and winter berries, and redecorated it to make it appropriate for all year. Using the same concept of wooden letters and fake flowers, it has now become a Virginia Tech wreath. I simply painted the letters maroon and orange, hot-glued some rustic colored daisies and petals, and tied a ribbon on the wreath hook.  The look and color scheme could easily be done for any team or school.  I love it, but I'm not 100% sold on the ribbon.  Thoughts- ribbon or no ribbon?

[Wreath from Big Lots, Silk Flowers, Ribbon, and Wooden Letters from Michaels]

Snug and Cozy

It makes me so sad to see Christmas trees on the side of the road for the garbage man to come pick up! I hate saying goodbye to the Christmas season- just when everyone was becoming so jolly and cheery it seems like it was gone in a blink.  I'm hanging on to the last few days of the scent of pine filling our house, the last twinkles of the lights, and the last few leftover cookies.  I'm looking forward to a New Year filled with rustic details, snowy days, cozy blankets, and warm lit fires.

[Kinfolk Magazine, Pennyweight, The Cherry Blossom Girl, We Heart It ]

New Christmas Traditions

Our Christmas this year was filled with the challenges and excitement of blending old traditions with new.  Between trying to coordinate schedules, getting time off from work, and being 5 hours away from family, we had to let go of some of the traditions we had while growing up and create new traditions of our own.  I will never forget the night Chris and I went to pick out our Christmas tree. After singing Country Christmas carols on the way there, strapping it to the roof & digging out the ornament boxes, we restrung the lights and star garland until they were just right and hung ornaments that our parents had given us from childhood.  The tree was snowman themed, complete with a top hat and red bulbs.  Almost every ornament was a snowman that my mom and I had painted or collected while I was growing up.

I've always wanted to be one of those people whose packages are all wrapped in coordinating paper.  I'm proud to say that I was- each gift was wrapped in either brown kraft paper or navy snowman paper with twine and red ribbon.  Our stockings were also Snowmen, hung on reindeer hooks.  They looked so nice glowing by the multiple fires that Chris has made this season.  

Both of our families came to our apartment a few days before Christmas so that we could all be together to celebrate. Setting the table and cooking together was so fun, and afterwards we opened gifts and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (a tradition of both of our families that we could share together).  Dad made the neatest wooden shelf tray from rustic bard board and a snowman from light blocks to add to my snowman collection. And I had to include a picture of my first Kate from Chris :)

Our first Christmas together was different from anything we could have imagined- but it was perfect.  I look forward to many more Christmases together and can't wait for traditions to be made for the first time and celebrated for years to come.

[Photo editing courtesy of Instagram]

Merry Christmas 2011

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and friends.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is wrapping gifts- my family would ask me to wrap all their gifts for other people, and I would happily say yes.  I hope the presents under your tree are as pretty on the outside as these stunning images.  But most importantly, I hope the best gift you receive is the time spent with your family. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[Images courtesy of Brunch at Saks, Coco & Kelley, 79 Ideas, & Tumblr]

Gift Guide: For Her

Pardon me while I'm being selfish...but here are a few gift ideas that any girl would like (not just me!) The neutral tones these items have make them transitional from one season to the next.  Except for that Anthro Christmas tree.  I'll just take that now and put it right on the mantle :)

a.  Anthropologie Printed Paper Tree

b.  Lia Sophia Cabana Necklace

c.  Pottery Barn Emmett Medium Jewelry Box

d.  Anthropologie Prospector's Prize Dangles

e.  Butter London Nail Lacquer

Gift Guide: For the Couple

I am thankful for a productive weekend of Christmas shopping.  For me, one of the best things about gift giving (besides watching the person open it) is taking time to wrap it just right.  Brown craft paper and white paper doilies have been my go-to wrapping supplies this Christmas.  As for the gifts themselves- sometimes I think the hardest people to buy for is a couple.  Here are some simple gifts that both mr. and mrs. can enjoy.

a.  Garden & Gun Antler Note Cards
b.  Fifteen/Eleven Holiday Gift Tags
c.  Rocky Mountain Hardware
d.  Merry Christmas Burlap Pillow

DIY: Holiday Wreath

A few weeks ago I posted a montage of wreaths to inspire me to create a wreath of my own for the holidays.  I found a twig wreath base at Big Lots on clearance for $5...so I decided to start there.  I began to build off of the rustic style wreath and bought some berry springs and frosty branches from Michaels fake floral section. I also got some unfinished wooden letters to paint.  I simply cut the fake branches and twigs into smaller pieces and tucked them into the wreath using brown wire.  I painted the letters burgundy and hot glued them on top of the fake branches.  So easy! What do ya think?

a.  Twig Wreath
b.  Unfinished Wooden Letters
c.  Berry Spray
d.  Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint
e.  Brown Craft Wire
f.  Natural Birch Branch with Glitter

[All my supplies came from Michaels and Big Lots, but above are links to similar items to help you build your own]

Winter Wonderland

Now that December is almost here, I'm getting so excited for Christmas music, pretty wrapping, snow, and twinkle lights.  What are your favorite holiday staples?

[Images courtesy of Sterling Reflections Photography, Dress Design Decor, Deliciously Organized, Dreaming of a White Christmas Tumblr, & Leslie Thomson on Flickr]

Monochromatic Tablescape

As soon as I saw this HGTV tablescape, I knew I had to recreate it.  I love the black and white monochromatic color scheme with accents of metallics.  Natural pumpkins and glittery gourds look so chic when paired with whites and blacks.  This table has such a festive look and could easily transfer from Thanksgiving to Christmas by simply switching out the pumpkins and gourds for ornaments and bulbs. I've found some pieces below to help recreate this look but have tailored it for Christmas by using ball shaped ornaments instead of gourds.  I'd love to hear what you think about this look!

a.  Chilewich Cubic Gunmetal Runner, Crate & Barrel, $27.95
b.  Gold Jingle Jungle Ornament, Pier 1 Imports, $4.95
c.  Antique Glass Silver Origami Ball Ornament, Crate & Barrel, $3.50
d.  London Small Clear Hurricanes, Crate & Barrel, $24.95
e.  Dansk Bistro Cafe Stainless Flatware, Macy's, $29.99 for 5-piece setting
f.  Nora Wine Glasses, Crate & Barrel, $8.21
g.  Grasscloth Pewter Placemat & Napkin, Crate & Barrel,
h.  Gold & Silver Luster Glass Onion Ornaments, Pier 1 Imports, $2.95
i.  Silk Ribbon Slate Setting, Lauren Ralph Lauren at Macy's, $80 for 5-piece setting
j.  Set of 3 Antique Glass Polka Dot Ornaments, Crate & Barrel, $8.85
k.  Set of 4 Glitter Pine Metallic Ornaments, Crate & Barrel, $27.50

Mantle Findings

 I'm so blessed to have a wood-burning fire place in our apartment.  Lately I've been looking for mantle decorating inspiration and here are some of the favorites I've found.

I decided to combine some of my favorite ideas in photoshop so I could share my visual ideas with you guys.  So here's my photoshop rendering of a Christmas mantle.  I think the fresh lime green accents is a contemporary twist on a classic Christmas color.  Filling apothecary jars with ornaments is a simple way to add color and could easily be filled with mini pumpkins, wine corks, sand & shells, etc. depending on the season.  Hanging letters in front of small mirrors is another versatile option that can be changed for different occasions.

[Items used in mantle rendering: a. Covered Jars, b. Found pinecones, c. Noelle Mirrors, d. Burlap Ribbon, e. Antique Glass Textured Ball Ornaments, f.  Zinc Letters, g.  Set of 4 Glitter Stripe Ball Ornaments,  h.  3-piece Astoria Candleholders,   i. Pale Lime chinois Silk Ribbon]

Autumn Wreaths

I'm currently on the hunt for a festive autumn wreath for our front door.  I'm looking for a neutral base made from either burlap or twigs that could be dressed up for multiple seasons.  After looking for wreaths online, I'm creatively overwhelmed by all the options! From berries, rosettes, leaves, ribbons, and paper it seems like the possibilities are endless.  Here are some of my favorites I found during my hunt that I wanted to share with you.  And of course I had to throw in the Virginia Tech wreath!  I'll keep you updated on the wreath scavenger hunt for our door and who knows...maybe have a DIY to go with it!

 

[Rebecca Williams on Pinterest, Pinterest, Sarah Gonzales on Pinterest, The Chic Line, Two Inspire You on Etsy, My Home Ideas, Karascakery on Etsy]

The Feel of Autumn

Even though summer is certainly my favorite season, lately I'm really looking forward to fall.  That brisk feeling in the air, chunky layers, plum polish, and of course anything pumpkin has me craving the upcoming season. But one thing will definitely be missing this fall....college.  It's going to take a while to get used to not seeing best friends everyday, working late nights in studio, and not having long walks to get hazelnut coffee.  I miss you already VT.  But oh how I'm hoping to come back for a game.  Tailgating and pumpkin spice lattes here I come!

[Images courtesy of The Chic Line, The Steward, Unknown]

Valentine's Day Flowers for You

For all of us gals who didn't get flowers today, or even for those of you that did, here are some pretty petals to share with you.  I wish I could give someone flowers everyday, even if it was a single daisy, just to brighten their spirits a bit.  And how pretty would your home be if you had fresh flowers everyday?

{Images courtesy of unknown, Live Creating Yourself, Freckled and Free, & Mary Ruffle}

Image Board: Confetti Cheers

Here's a cheery image board to add some dazzle to your New Year's Eve.  Happy 2011 everyone!

{Images courtesy of Ritzy Bee, Decorology, Snippet & Ink, Quack the Wooley Duck on Flickr, Elina Nilsson on Flickr, & Jackie Weisburg on Flickr}

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

Wishing you peace and joy on this Christmas Day.  I'll leave you with these simple wishes and a few holiday photos.

{Images courtesy of Walking Around, Bottom of the Ironing Basket, and Mary Ruffle}

Inspiring Christmas Eve Tablescape

A little bit of last minute inspiration for your Christmas Day table.  Pearly blues with brilliant reds make this tablescape festive and fresh.

{Images courtesy of Snippet & Ink}

Black & White Christmas

Here are some Scandinavian Christmas decorating ideas for your home as featured on Emma's Design Blog.  Beautiful contrasts and rich textures make these snapshots cozy, not cold.

Image Board: Frosted Warmth

A little sparkle, a little twinkle, a little festiveness to get you in the holiday spirit...

{Images courtesy of Bottom of the Ironing Basket, Sacramento Street, Mary Ruffle,  A Room Somewhere, & Delight by Design}