Life in Pictures

Time is flying these days . Life has been busy trying to fit in Christmas activities with friends, weekends filled with birthday parties for Riley's classmates, a husband that has been traveling way too much and the beginnings of a huge new project with a client that is going to be so much fun ! Somehow the house is mostly decorated . I think my favorite item is the felted ball garland by Roost . So pretty and not overly Christmasy . I am definitely going to keep it out year round . (Here is a link to buy some felted ball garland of your own . I bought mine locally and didn't pay this much but this is the only place I found online .) I've also been gathering mounds of magnolia leaves with hopes of making some of my own garland . Paul brought the kids Advent calendars from Germany (one of his many recent trips) . Riley's is filled with jewelry and Hayes' is filled with chocolate so they are both happy . Our santa snow globe and all of our Christmas books have reappeared along with Howie, the elf . (Can you find him hiding in one of these pictures ? ) It is fun having them around the house again . A new addition to the house decor is a preserved boxwood . I've had my eye on them since spotting one in a Restoration Hardware catalog but I never got around to making the purchase . While out shopping the other day I came across one in a local shop and now I am kicking myself for not buying one sooner . I love having it on the kitchen counter and it is so low maintenance that even I can keep it looking good . And finally more progress in the barn ! The exterior and interior lights are hung and today I am working on the shelving . All that is left is organizing and unpacking which is the fun part, right ? Happy Monday !

Decking the Halls

Since this is our first Christmas in our new house I don't really have my holiday decor completely figured out yet and I've been searching the internet for some new ideas. We are actually spending Christmas day in our house for the first time ever so I feel like putting more effort into the decor this year . Below are a couple of ideas I am considering . 

( Didn't save the source . . . . if you know it, leave it in the comments! )

Martha Stewart

Merriment Events

I've posted this one before but I still love it . . .

Country Living

How do you decorate ? Do you do the same thing every year or do you like to switch it up ? 

Dear Santa

I am trying to get a jump start on my Christmas shopping this year and, as always, while shopping for others I came across several items that have made it onto my wish list. Santa, if you are listening, I would be thrilled to find any of these items under the tree this year!

1. Pot Scrubbing Brush

I keep a scouring pad in a bowl next to the kitchen sink and I can't believe how often I use it . A couple of these cute little brushes would look much prettier while still getting the job done . They actually sell a vegetable brush that could come in handy too. 

2. Cord Wrap

Everytime I step on the treadmill at the gym I spend the first few minutes untangling my ear buds before I can start my workout . With this niftly little cord wrap I'll be able to use that time to burn a few extra calories .

3. Skinny Mini Bow Studs

I love these little gold bows . Simple and classic .

4. Leather Colorblock Pouch

Most of the time I carry a big bag out of neccessity, but every once in a while I get out of the house without my kids. At times like that it would be a luxury to carry something small, lightweight and cute .

5. Anthropologie Woven Rhythms Tablecloth

I already own this tablecloth and used it at Thanksgiving this year but the pattern is so great and the fabric is so soft and light weight that I actually want another one . Picnic blanket, throw, bed spread...the possiblilities are endless !

6. Color-Fade Felted Basket

Pretty storage is always a win-win situation in my opinion .

7. Mini Wooden IPhone Speaker

I like to listen to music when I work but for some reason I don't like the sound to come out of my laptop speakers . I have no idea why but it really distracts me . A little mini speaker will allow me to have some distance from the sound without taking up much space in my office . The reviews of this speaker say it has impressive sound despite it's little size . 

What is on your Christmas list this year ?

Big and Little

Now that a lot of the big projects (like our kitchen !) are wrapping up, I have started to work on little projects around the house .

The little projects are the ones that make our home feel more personal to me . 

 Yesterday I spent some time in Riley's room working on a vanity area for her to display her jewelry . 

 She LOVES jewelry of any kind and has amassed quite a collection of plastic, beaded, sparkly baubles along with a huge pile of Silly Bands . 

Her poor jewelry box was stuffed so full that the lid no longer closed . 

In an effort to save the jewelry box I decided to display some of her necklaces and bracelets by hanging them on a pair of antlers that I attached to the wall . 

The remaining jewelry is stored in easy to reach containers on her desk . I like the way it looks because the colors add some punch to the room and you can get a sense of her personality by seeing the items that mean so much to her . She loves to sort the bracelets and rearrange the necklaces, etc . It is fun to see her have so much pride in her room . Plus it makes it easier to convince her to clean it up because she wants it to look "pretty" at all times . Ha .

And, back to the big projects, here is a sneak peek of our kitchen :

 We just had our backsplash installed this week . It is so close to being completely finished just in time for the holidays !

Exterior Colors

I have a few days left before I have to make a decision on the exterior colors for the barn . Exteriors are so much harder for me than interiors . Just when I was totally exasperated and starting to panic I came across this beautiful potting shed . 

 

I had already decided to stain the big sliding doors on the outside of the barn but I was stuck on the rest of the colors and just couldn't visualize everything together . The paint colors on this shed are warmer than my usual taste but they work well with the existing colors of our house so I think they are definitely the front runner for now . I love it when the internet comes to my rescue !

Agates

It's no secret that I tend to collect things and lately agate slices have been on my radar .

Once I had a decent amount I decided to frame them and cover the walls of our powder bath .  

There are 10 framed agates and once you are in the bathroom with the door closed it looks really pretty . 

It is so much better in person than in these pictures . Unfortunately I don't own a wide angle lens and this bathroom does not receive ANY natural light which makes for rather underwhelming pictures . You will just have to trust me that it looks pretty . 

 This room is the only room in our house that isn't painted white . For the most part I am loving the white walls but dark walls were needed in this space to contrast with the white frames and jewel-toned agates . 

Other changes to this bathroom are the light fixture and mirror  - the light fixture was in the guest bathroom at our old house and the gold mirror is a thrifting find . 

I like this sort of project because it is high impact and comes together quickly :) 

Pimlico Magazine

Pimlico Magazine was kind enough to ask me to participate in a table setting feature in their latest issue .

Click here to see my ideas and be sure to check out the other participants' beautiful settings as well !

Another trip to IKEA

We don't live close to an IKEA so it is an all day affair when we decide to visit one . Last weekend we made the trip to pick up a bunch of RIBBA frames for a project I am working on in our half bathroom .

IKEA is like Target in that we had very little on our list of items to buy and yet by the time we left we some how spent a ridiculous amount of money and had items such as this in our cart :

?

I have no idea how the kids convinced us to buy a giant stuffed elephant . 

At any rate I hope to finish the bathroom project today so I will do my best to have photos to share by the end of the week . Below is a photo of the bathroom in the listing before we moved in .

The sink and toilet did not change but pretty much everything else is different . Check back soon for the updates !

Happy Halloween

Our Halloween was pretty great this year - one party, two parades and trick or treating on the Lawn at UVa . This year's costumes consisted of a fairy princess for Riley and a repeat of Riley's clown costume from two years ago for Hayes . I think they both had a good time . Now if I can just make myself stay away from that Halloween candy ! 

Wired

I have never met a vintage wire basket I didn't like and I have them all over the house to prove it . Below are a few new additons I recently added to my collection .

 They are my favorite source for storage because they work in every room - office, kitchen, bathroom, playroom, etc . 

DesignSponge

Country Living

Rob & Jill Sharp Brinson via DesignSponge

Unknown

Country Living

I love their versatility and I think they are much more interesting than most of the other storage options out there . They come in so many different shapes, sizes and colors and are often pretty affordable . I always keep them on my radar when I am thrifting because I know I will eventually find somewhere to use them .