Holiday Fireplace and a DIY Garland

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Simply Styled

Are you guys ready for some holiday house updates?????????

Let’s dive right in!

The fireplace is the center of our living room, and an obvious focal point to decorate for the holidays. I was so excited to be able to string up garlands, and doll it up this year since our old apartment didn’t have a central focal point in the living room. Everything was centered around our TV which was practical, but not the most attractive option.

As stoked as I was to decorate the fireplace, I REALLLLLLYYYYYYY wish that it had a mantle. If you look closely, you’ll notice that it’s a flat facade, surrounded by a piece of crown molding, so there’s no spot for long beautiful taper candles, leaning art, or cool decorative accents like that on top of it.

I’ve spent many hours scheming about how to create a mantle here, but with the fireplace being completely surrounded on all sides by a slab of mirror, it just won’t work… unless I dare risk 7 years bad luck by breaking it… which I’m not down for. Sometimes we just have to make do with what we’ve got…. right?? Kind of the story of my life, but let’s be honest – I’m just happy to have a fireplace to decorate this year!

When I lived here before, I always loved how we strung a pre-lighted garland across the fireplace, but after digging that garland out of storage it was looking pretty sad. It was all smushed, and had little (if any) resemblance to real greenery. Imagine something like this… but faded, and flattened after being stored in a box for several years….

It was time to find a new game plan for our mantle – I loved the idea of a garland, but wanted it to be super full, and really eye-catching. And what would be more eye-catching than a bunch of gold ornaments strung together and wound up with fairy lights and greenery?? This garland DIY is super easy to pull together, so for anyone looking for a fun holiday project, this is the one for you! In fact, the more wine you drink while working on it, the better.

May I present to you our Gold and Green(ery) Garland. It’s two separate garlands woven together to make one massive, awesome, holiday focal point. It’s sparkly – especially once the garland is plugged in at night – and a little over the top but I’m totally in love with it.

The ornament garland was a DIY project I worked on one afternoon while catching up on bad reality TV. Nothing to get you in the holiday spirit than watching the Kardashian’s bicker.

I actually tested it out last year on a smaller garland that we now have hanging in the kitchen (yep, even the kitchen got a little holiday love in 2014), and making it is soooo easy. Look back at this post for the original instructions, but there isn’t much to explain.

Basically you need to start with a TON of ornaments – do not use glass. They WILL shatter. I used 4 boxes of plastic balls in assorted gold tones from Ikea… LOVE the Ikea holiday section this year. They win the award for “best everything”. More on them later… back to the DIY.

Start with tons of balls {insert joke here}.

Get your hands on a long strand of thick wire. Ribbon might work but I like that the wire forms to the shape you want.

Sting balls onto wire while accidentally drinking the better part of a bottle of wine and watching trashy TV.

Here’s what you’ll end up with:

Super technical DIY project *wink wink*

Once I had all the ornaments strung on the wire, it was time to hunt down a pretty green garland to replace our sad looking one.

I wanted one that was hefty, and that looked natural (at least somewhat). I looked into ordering a fresh garland for about two-seconds until realizing fresh garlands in SF ran about $160. Um, no thanks.

Off to Michael’s I went (with my coupon of course) and scored this beauty for something like $25. I think without the 40% off coupon it was in the high $30 range. Still, not bad for a lighted green 9′ garland with pine cones interspersed and several types of faux greens in the mix.

Once I got the green garland home, I wound the two garlands around one another, and secured them to the wood molding around the fireplace with two small nails, and more of the wire that I’d used to string the ornaments.

The nails will leave the smallest of holes, and will be easy to conceal with wood putty, and a coat of white paint.

Another new addition to our holiday fireplace, is this starburst mirror.

I love a good starburst – we have one hanging over our bed as well – but this is one of the best finds of my shopping career… EVER.

Such a score!

I consider myself to be a pretty serious bargain hunter – not on the same level as those crazy extreme couponers, but I take the sale sections seriously. As I was at the Home Depot over the weekend, wandering the aisles in search of a ceiling medallion (another story for another day), I found myself in the aisle with decorative moldings, hollow core doors, and what else… mirrors!

Easily distracted, I ventured over to the mirrors, and there, hanging on the wall was a mirror very similar to this one that I’ve been trying to hunt down!! It was a bit smaller than I’d wanted, but I was intrigued. I picked up the box below the sample mirror, and guess what? It a box for a completely different mirror. A sunburst mirror.

A sunburst mirror that was marked down to $6.

SIX DOLLARS.

I cannot make this stuff up.

I grabbed that box so fast, and was out of there before anyone could fight me for my $6 mirror.

Not only was it SIX DOLLARS (which I still cannot wrap my mind around), but it was bigger than the octagonal mirror I was originally admiring, and it fills out this space above the fireplace so well.

Here she is close-up – isn’t she pretty??

I also love that the center of the sunburst is convex, so it sort of distorts the reflection. Very cool.

It was a Christmas miracle actually. I’ve been agonizing over what to hang here for a while. The empty expanse of mirrors above and on the sides of the fireplace felt really 80’s to me.

On the one hand, all these mirrors make the room feel larger, but with no mantle above the fireplace to lean art on, place picture frames, flowers, branches… basically anything to draw the eye up, and compliment the spot above the fireplace, it was just so empty. It needed something.

I toyed with the idea of trying to hang a large piece of art here, but wasn’t loving that idea. Every time I had Kris hold something up there it just felt odd. I also toyed with the idea of hanging a mirror over here, but never found the right thing

I am so thrilled with how this looks but I’m not completely sold on the ribbon that secures it to a nail above the mirror. For now, with the holidays, it’s fine, but I’m not sure if the ribbon will stay – perhaps a string of clear fishing wire or something similar would be best, so it looks more like it’s mounted to the mirror, and less like it’s dangling from above.

Surprisingly enough, Kris is on board with the ribbon, so if we do keep it, I won’t have to worry about his complaints.

Also in the living room are several wrapped presents – I like to get them wrapped and under the tree as early as possible since they just add to the festive feel. I’m liking the simple feel of this brown paper, and bold ribbon, and a sprig of douglas fir finishes it off so nicely! And guess what… the branches were free! I may or may not have been scavenging the discard bins at the Christmas Tree Tent at Home Depot, but it’s fair game! The guys working the saws at the tree lot confirmed that these branches that get stripped from the bottoms of the trees are headed to the chipper at the end of the day, so I see it more as rescuing them.

And how awesome is that red cardinal ribbon?? Michaels was having 60% off their ribbon over the weekend, so 25 yards of this stuff was $3. Yes please!! Red cardinals and festive tartan ribbon for everyone!!!

I’ve been spoiling myself this year with fresh flowers only in the house, and have found that I can make hydrangeas last for a solid month, if I take care of them JUST right. I made this arrangement feel a bit more holiday-like with the addition of woodsy greenery, and some cool burgundy branches.

Apparently hydrangeas like HOT water, with a little bleach. Cut the stems vertically so they can soak up as much water through their woody stem, and they are good to go. I learned this little trick from an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, and I never forgot it! Just change the water out once a week, they tend to last and last and last.

I think my record was 7 weeks of keeping a cut hydrangea alive. #impressive

So that’s our holiday mantle fireplace! More festive updates coming your way soon, but the whole house got decked out – there’s a tree, an inappropriate Santa, and a really festive dining room still to share!

A Green and Gold Christmas

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Simply Styled

I’m in the process of photographing and posting some of the holiday decor we’ve got up in our house, but wanted to share where I was pulling my inspiration from this year…

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Green and gold baby!

I’m loving the look of the overabundance of greens in the forms of wreaths, greenery in vases, swags of greens and garlands on stairwells (which we don’t have), across fireplaces (which we DO have), and everywhere in-between.

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If it’s crusted in gold, or glitter, or both, chances are I want it.

I just think that the combination of the greenery with all the gold is just so pretty with all the twinkle lights, and I think it adds a bit of glam to what could otherwise really be a rustic, woodsy look.

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I mean how amazing is that tree, and that entryway, and that staircase, and that garland?!?! My future house in the Hamptons will look JUST like this at the holidays 🙂

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THAT DOG!!!!

What a muffin, although, clearly this is the most well behaved dog in the world. All those leftovers on the table, and he’s not even trying to touch them?

Yeah right.

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How pretty are these trees by the way?? There are so many gold ornaments and gold lights, they take over the branches, and it looks like something straight out of Kind Midas’ palace.

That said, I’m a sentimentalist, and so every year our tree gets decorated with the ornaments I’ve collected over the years. It is such a fun tradition, remembering where each ornament came from. One of my favorites is a pair of ceramic ballet slippers that miraculously have not yet broken. They are HEAVY but so pretty, and remind me of all the Decembers I’d play with them (carefully) as a little girl.

That said, I did go a little wild this year, and we have a few trees in our house……..

Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Simply Styled

Let me preface this post by saying, I’m not a big Valentine’s day girl – the hoopla of it all is overwhelming, and the pricey set menu’s at every single restaurant make me want to stay in… which is what we do every year. We make dinner together, and cozy up with some wine. The one thing I do like about this day though is the conscious effort everyone makes to say I love you.

With everything going on I haven’t given much thought to Valentine’s day this year – no fun crafts, and I haven’t even gotten my cards in the mail (sorry mom and dad!)… but for whatever reason, I woke up today in the celebrating mood.

And what better way to feel a little festive for perhaps the most over-hyped, over-rated holiday than to dress a little special??

I have a little bounce in my step after putting on a VERY similar outfit to the one below… a full red skirt (with pockets… LOVE), a silky floral blouse, some fun kick-y booties and my beloved pink coat. Mine is from Jcrew, and I get complimented on it every single time I wear it – it’s so pretty (and surprisingly versatile)!

Vday by beckyc1923 featuring kate spade earrings

Mango blouse, $28 / Alice Olivia skater skirt, $375 / Rachel Roy open toe ankle boots / Gogo Philip necklace / Kate spade earrings

Red and Pink are also allowed together now the same way navy and black are. It’s a fun color combination, and especially festive for a day like today.

I mean if SJP says it’s ok, then you know it’s no longer a fashion faux pas.

Anyway, I’m off to drop some V-day goodies off with some clients, but wanted to pop in to share a little V-day love and style inspiration with you all.

xoxo

Three Cocktails to Liven up your Holidays

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Simply Styled

It’s 5:00 somewhere… am I right?? Today I’m participating in the link up party at The Lovely Cupboard, where there is bound to be quite a few yummy cocktail recipes abound!

After getting our new bar cart, I went wild at BevMo, so we are stocked to the gills with delicious holiday beverage accouterments…. everything from brandied cherries (these are just AMAZING in a manhattan), to flavored syrups, whiskey, vodka, mixers, and LOTS of champagne…

To keep things feeling festive, I’ve devised three holiday cocktails to perpetuate that warm feeling of holiday cheer (or is that warm feeling from taste-testing three different cocktails in the afternoon…)

The hard part about this post wasn’t coming up with three cocktails, but, actually limiting myself to just three!! I had a little too much fun with this one!

The first cocktail up, is the Rose “merry” and Cranberry Cooler… ya like that name??

I, for one, LOVE mixing savory and sweet flavors, and the rosemary in this recipe gives this cocktail a nice earthy balance.

It also could not be easier to concoct this bad boy, and it’s as delicious as it is pretty! I mean come on… red and green?? It doesn’t get more festive!

Ingredients:
– Vodka
– Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
– Simple Syrup
– Rosemary
– Ice
– Campari

Directions:
Muddle Rosemary in your cocktail shaker. Pour in one part vodka, two parts unsweetened cranberry juice, one part simple syrup, and 1/2 part Campari. Add 4 large ice cubes, and stir 30 seconds. Strain into martini class (or here, I used a pretty crystal coupe from my mama).

This drink is sweet, but also bitter (from the campari) and a bit sour from the cranberry juice, and earthy from the rosemary. It’s a little TOO good…

If you’re not a fan of Campari, just leave it out – I made a second version without it, and it was also absolutely delish!

Next up, is the Orange & Mango Fizz… This is a bit of a twist on the classic mimosa, but the bitters and the mango spice it up a bit…

Ingredients

– 1 orange wedge

– 2 1/2 cups sparkling wine, prosecco or champagne

– 3/4 cup mango nectar

– 1 teaspoon orange bitters

– orange zest twists, for garnish

Directions

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, mango nectar, and bitters. Serve in a champagne flutes, and garnish with an orange zest twist.

It literally could not be easier, and this serves four! Perfect for Christmas morning if you ask me, and aside from the mango, most people have everything else on hand already! If you don’t usually keep bitters on hand, you should start! Great in food (mainly sauces, soups and broths as an aromatic) and drinks.

Finally, onto dessert…. err… I mean dessert drinks.

The Snowy White Russian is so sweet and yummy, you’ll want to skip the fig pudding… or yule log… or grandma’s fudge, or whatever traditional Christmas dessert you have!

Ingredients

– Vodka

– Kahlua

– Milk (I’ve used non-fat before, but 2% is better)

– Chocolate Syrup

– Whipped Cream

Directions

Combine one part vodka, one part kahlua, and one part milk in a glass, stir. Add three large ice cubes, and top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

You can thank me later.

Making this one totally took me back to my college days – my girlfriends and I would make these on a regular basis, regardless of season, and now I remember why. They are SO GOOD.

I mean… YUM!! Can we get a close-up glamour shot here??

Ohhh yeahhhh… nom nom…

And how cute are these glasses?

Kris got them from his sister as a birthday present, and I’m kind of obsessed (they originally came from Restoration Hardware although I can’t find them online anymore). They are labeled to measure out how much “medicine” you might need after a grueling day of caroling, or an especially brutal snowball fight…

Super cute, right??

So that’s it!! Do you have any favorite holiday beverages?? Mulled cider? Mulled wine? Some sort of yummy whiskey cocktail?? A hot toddy??? I could go all day people!

May your holiday’s be merry and bright(er) with these fun cocktail recipes!

xoxo

Give Thanks

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Simply Styled

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With all the planning that goes into the production of today, it’s so easy to forget what Thanksgiving is all about – it’s about giving thanks.

Simple.

There are so many blessings in my life to be thankful for, but at the top of that list is family, friends, and our good health. To another healthful, happy year.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.
xoxo

We’re calling it "Pre-Christmas" Decor

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Simply Styled

Let me preface this post by saying, yes, I am fully aware that we haven’t celebrated Thanksgiving yet…

But let me also just say, Thanksgiving is the latest it’s ever been… EVER… so since Thanksgiving is so excruciatingly late, I figured it couldn’t hurt anyone to hang a few harmless wreaths in our living room over the weekend….

I LOVE boxwood wreaths. Possibly more than any other wreath. They are fresh and simple, and need no adornment, which around the holiday season – when the motto is “the more lights, tinsel, and general bedazzlement, the better” – a simple wreath is subtly festive.

In my case, I went with four subtly festive boxwood wreaths… for $10 each, how could I say no?!

I decided to hang them in each of the windows of our living room…

I absolutely LOVE LOOVVEEE LOOOVVVVVEEEEEE them.

The best part about boxwoods is that they dry so well. These windows get direct sunlight all day long – pretty much from about 9am until 4pm, but boxwoods keep the bright green color even after they’ve dried! Last year, I kept our wreath from the holidays, and hung it on our front door through the summer.

Now, I never normally take photographs at night in low light like this, but, with the wreaths in the window, I found it nearly impossible to photograph them during the day. They were completely blacked out with the sun behind them in every shot , but I guess it’s nice to document our house with the cozy lamp light too… this is actually how I like our house the best, even though it doesn’t turn out in photographs so well.

God… we really need to do something about the coffee table – the bane of my existence. Its SO scratched up on top, and the storage below is just not attractive. Functional… yes, but I’m sure we could get rid of half that crap and not miss a thing.

Perhaps that’s something tackle next weekend… the decrapification of our coffee table… and then the selling of the coffee table and buying of a new one……….

Anyway… enough talk of my hoarding ways… let’s get back to my pretty wreaths. Don’t you just love how they get a little up-lighting from the side lamps?

And notice my new lampshades… $5 on clearance! Woot woot!!

Gotta love a good deal – ok last glamour shot of the wreath….

Hope you all had a lovely, productive weekend too!!

xoxo

Glitter Guide: Holiday Decor

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Simply Styled

Gold is in, in a big way – gold jewelery, watches, brass hardware, and gilded picture frames – it’s everywhere! Gold is the perfect transitional color for the holidays, and can take you from Thanksgiving seamlessly into Christmas (and beyond if you ask me).

I’m a big fan of transitional decor – things that feel like the season… not specifically the holiday, so I’ve pulled together some of my favorite gold accessories to incorporate into your seasonal decor, for a little glitz and glam that doesn’t scream “Santa Claus”

Enjoy!

Stag Head: Ok… so he’s not gold… but I couldn’t resist!! How cute would he be with a boxwood wreath around his neck… OR… a gold ornament wreath (in keeping with the gold theme here)… post holidays he could transition into a jaunty scarf… Right?!

Jewelry Box: I need this. My jewelry has taken over an entire dresser drawer and it’s just mayhem. I can never find anything, so this jewelry box (or a set of several) would be amazing… and simply gorgeous to keep out on a dresser or nightstand to hold the pieces I wear the most.

Honeycomb Ice Bucket: A super stylish way to keep drinks chilled at a holiday party…

Confetti Martini Shaker: Um… I love this. It’s a party even before the drinks get poured!!

Gold Ikat Coasters: Another favorite of mine on here – to jazz up a coffee table and protect your furniture! So cute, people will actually WANT to use them!

Gold Swirl Art: This is seasonally agnostic if you ask me! I mean… this would look equally great in the summer as it would next to the glinting lights of the Christmas tree.

Cheers Bitches Banner: And…. perhaps my favorite item on the list. How funny and awesome is this little banner?? Hanging over the drink table?? Love.

Glitz and Glam: Holiday Dresses

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Simply Styled

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Christmas commercials started running before Halloween, and everyone wants to get into the holiday spirit already, but I’m still actually in Thanksgiving mode. It’s feeling like fall and I’m absolutely loving it, BUT like it or not… this is the time when you need to start thinking about holiday dresses.

It’s like Murphy’s law – when you go shopping the day before an event for a party dress, you’ll have a hard time finding anything… so by being prepared, and keeping an eye out for pretty dresses when you’re out and about in November means that you’ll find THE perfect dress, with plenty of time to spare.

What I really want this year is sparkle. I said it last year and ended up in a black dress… this year, I’m on the hunt for glitz and glam. Here are a few that I’ve rounded up online…

New Years Eve Sparkle by beckyc1923 featuring a vintage sequin dress

Roberto Cavalli strapless dress, $3,975 / Party dress, $105 / Tokyo Doll baby doll dress, $24 / French Connection blue sparkly dress / Steffen Schraut evening dress / Boohoo sequin body con dress / DP Collection gold dress / Sequin one shoulder cocktail dress / Jigsaw vintage sequin dress, $520 / 2b sleeveless dress

Sparkle comes in so many different forms, I had to break these finds into a few separate categories – geometric beading, all over sequins, and Gatsby inspired sparkle.

The geometric beaded dresses were so “cool girl” – they skimmed the body with shift style silhouettes, and in my mind seem a little more transitional… even though they have head to toe sparkle, they seem like something that you could wear even in warmer months…

The all over sequin dresses are so classic for the holiday… the black or deep blue would be amazing for a corporate Christmas party, and the one shoulder and gold sequin dress would be amazing on NYE.

And perhaps my favorite… the Gatsby inspired dresses – so fun! I LOVE the beaded tassles on the short black strapless number (how fun would that be to dance in??), and the copper beading that has the look of flames is sexy and fun while still being ladylike.

What do you think?? Any favorite dresses in the bunch??

DIY Paper Mache Pumpkins

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Simply Styled

Happy Friday you guys! Are you as excited for the weekend as I am??

So I saw this fabulous little Esty shop that sells these charming pumpkins, and not to derail her business (at ALL), but I was just thinking of what a fun DIY project these Paper Mache pumpkins would make.

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I’m thinking that it could be as easy as this…

Supplies:
– Small Pumpkins
– Glue
– Craft Brush / Foam Brush
– Small Container
– Old Books
– Moss

1. Buy some small irregularly shaped pumpkins from the grocery store (look for ones with long stems)
2. Mix one parts glue (Elmer’s white glue) and one parts water in a small container
3. Rip book pages out of an old book you’ll never read again (hey, I just gave you a use for the copy of Twilight hiding in the bookcase!)
4. Tear pages into small pieces
5. Adhere pieces of the book pages to the sides of the pumpkin
6. Glue a bit of moss around the stem of the pumpkin
7. You’re done!

You could mix it up like the pumpkin on the far right, and use plain creme colored paper and finish it off with a cool stamp…

You could take things a step further and use a little gold leaf on a few of these…

Like the above pumpkins, you could hang small jewels, brooches, or name tags off of these – how cute would these be as a name card for a place setting at a spooky Halloween dinner??

I might have to give this DIY a go!

Happy weekend 🙂

Christmas House

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Simply Styled

I cleaned our house today, finally putting away all the Christmas gifts, recycling all the boxes we don’t have storage for, and dusting off all the crumbs that have accumulated over the last few days. We’ve got cookies, candies, and sweets up the wazoo, and it seems we’ve made it a personal mission to finish every last treat… thus the crumbs!

Anyway, the light was so pretty, I decided to get out the good camera, and snap some shots of our Christmas house this year…

This photo was taken from the archway between the living room and the dining room. As much as these two love seats have bugged me since we moved in, they don’t grate on my nerves nearly so much with a few pretty throw pillows. For winter, we’ve got some white faux fur in the mix, along with the navy and gold floral pattern, and some neutral linen.

Taking these pictures, I realized that I haven’t documented our house much since we got this rug. One of my new years resolutions will to be better about that, and this is the start.

Notice how the faux fur throw I got from Cost Plus has made a home for itself on the wicker chair? This chair bugs me to no end, so I guess I figured covering it up with cozy blankets would solve that? No idea, but we now refer to this chair as the abominable snowman, since it looms in that corner fairly ominously…

For all it’s modern lines, Kris’ black love seat somehow blends in more to me with that snazzy striped throw blanket – $30 from Ikea – heck yeah!!

And here is our pretty tree. Kris keeps saying it’s the prettiest tree in the world. He’s a keeper.

It really does look nice with a mix of new and old. I have my favorite old ornamants I’ve collected over the years, with some bright colorful balls from Target (I am loving those hot pink and lime green ones), along with our new tree topper (which is crooked in this picture… dang it!)

So, it’s clear to me that I need to figure how to work our camera in manual, since this shot above is way overexposed. I could not figure out how to capture the tree, and the room, at the same time since the sunlight was streaming through the windows.

Ohh well – possibly another resolution for 2013… figure out how to take better pictures.

Now don’t make fun of me, those presents are not actually presents… I wrapped the boxes our ornaments get stored in. Yup – we have ZERO storage for these, so since they were in plain sight, I wrapped them to camouflage their function. I don’t know about you, but I thought I was pretty clever!

And I couldn’t resist a close shot of my pretty white roses. We had some deep red roses here a few weeks back, but I am loving the white just as much. Also, I am loving how I was able to get a little bokeh effect going on with the lights on the tree. Holla!

Target is seriously my favorite place on earth. The faux amaryllis bulb AND that feather tray were both huge scores from Target – the feather tray was on sale for $9.99 last week, and a quick note on the fake flowers… they look so real in person, I’ve had several people ask how I was able to grow them. Kind of amazing…

Finally, our desk got a few small additions – these birch wrapped bark candles are pretty and wintery, and I plan on keeping them around through February.

Pottery barn sells them for an arm and a leg, but Cost Plus has them for cheap! Run and get them before they are gone!

Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh….

Also, this candle got a little greenery from a tree that blew down during a storm earlier this month. Luckily, the branches and leaves dried out perfectly, and retained their green color.

This tray had lived on the coffee table for a long time, but moved over to the side table next to the TV – it got a little snowflake wrapping paper on the bottom to Christmasify it (new word?), and the vase on it was stuffed with faux berry branches.

I was never fully happy with this little area, but it does the trick. I still want a taller table to go here – perhaps that’s why I think it looks odd…

I took this photo standing in front of the tree looking back at the gallery wall that never happened (remember this ambitious post??). I was gung ho about the gallery wall for about a week, and then I chickened out! We still have all the art and frames I’d assembled sitting in a little stack, but I just can’t pull the trigger.

I’ve been toying with the idea of hanging two larger frames here, so it’s less manic and crowded. First I’ll need to find some frames, and then some art that I love…

For now, these three black and white (and crooked) frames will have to stay. It’s not THAT bad… right?

This little guy is one of my favorite holiday additions to our space – he is jaunty, and so cute, just chilling below some mistletoe that hangs from the inside of a lamp.

God that crackle finish kills me on the lamp… the faux finish is just gross, but it stays for now. Perhaps some rubbed bronze spray paint is in that lamp base’s future? Or should we get crazy and throw some navy in the mix there??

And finally the Christmas card display… I really debated not adding this picture since it’s not the best execution of an idea. I was trying to make a tree shape out of the cards we received… a glorious idea I saw on Pinterest. Whelp… I’d pretty much call this a Pinterest fail.

I’ll still give myself an A for effort, but we’ll have to find a different way to display the cards next year…

So that’s it – a quick recap of all the simple Christmas Decorations we had this year in the living room – and don’t forget the pretty boxwood wreath we have hanging in the dining room, or the Christmas ornament garland I made for our hallway.

Cheers to the last few days of Christmas decorations!!