Today

Today is the last day of 2009

Today is my best friend's 40th birthday

Today is the one year anniversary of my father's death

Today I will toast with my family to the difficult year now behind us

Today I will celebrate life

Today I will not look too far behind or too far ahead, but will just be.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Walt Emerson

Today I wish that 2010 brings you peace, love, good health and happiness~

Out with the old....

....in with the new.

While many of you are looking for snazzy outfits for your New Years celebrations...I'm checking out the after holiday home decor sales.

Once I pack up the Christmas decor this weekend I'll likely be doing a major re haul on my house {especially now that the new Wii system has taken over the main living room- yikes!}.

Wisteria is one of my favorite places to drool shop and the following things {ALL UNDER $100!!} would go into my online cart in a heartbeat {that is if my resolution wasn't to declutter AND I wasn't in the market for an antique wine tasting table for the living room.}.

This Italian candelabra is only $33:

Mexican crown $77:

Funky rooster $69:

Set of 3 botanical paintings $69:

Max would look so sweet in his own linen covered doggie bed for $98:

White linen fleur de lis napkin set of 4 for $33:

Armillary garden sphere $99:

Iron plant stand $71:

Rustic teak chair $87:

Spanish cross $87:

N would be such a happy little princess lounging in this Swedish inspired small bench $76 and set of 2 chairs for $99:

This is the most tempting to me right now, a 4 piece set of white stoneware dishes for $28!:

Happy shopping, prepping, primping, partying or just relaxing with family and friends this upcoming long weekend.

:It's about time:

For Morning T to have her own personalized clock of course.

Santa brought me this huge, personalized, French antique {replica of course} wall clock for Christmas.

After several inquiries {and way too much badgering}, Santa finally divulged his source for this cool clock.

Klocktime ~ check out their way cool and way reasonable clocks!

Time to pack it up?

Have you already packed up the Christmas decorations....

or are you waiting until after the new year?

My sister packed hers up yesterday and I usually leave mine up until the 1st.

How about you?

image via Country Living

Welcome Christmas

{Welcome Christmas}

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.

Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp

Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome, welcome Christmas
Welcome, welcome Christmas
Day

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Merry Christmas to all....
and to all a good night.

The day before

Like most of you....

...I'm taking a short vacation from the blog to spend time with this precious little one.

{P.S.- I think she has something on her face but don't tell her, she'll be embarrassed.}

Merry Christmas to you!

Here's to health and happiness~
Laughter and love ~
Family and friends ~
Fattening food and lots of wine ~

::Enjoy the holiday::

joy.....

....is having a husband who purchased most all of the little one's gifts,

AND is staying home with her during winter break so mommy can work,

AND has taken her to see The Princess and the Frog,

AND a basketball game,

AND for a much needed haircut ~

....is having a mom who hosts the best Christmas Eve dinner with baked spaghetti,

AND our special family toast with 80 year old Irish Whiskey,

AND she doesn't expect me to bring a thing~ (but I will)

....is having a 'do it all and don't stop til you drop' little sister who hosts Christmas morning brunch so the cousins can swap gifts,

AND she makes our traditional Christmas morning brandy milkshakes,

AND she doesn't expect me to bring a thing~ (but I will)

....is having an older sister who makes me laugh like nobody else

AND although I don't get to see her at the holidays, we'll talk on the phone

AND laugh til we cry~

....is having a precious little princess in my life to watch Christmas movies with,

AND play games with,

AND sleep in (fat chance) and snuggle with~

::JOY::

doesn't come wrapped in a box....{well, unless it's a large, bright orange box}

it's all around us.

Happy day before, the day before.

images via Country Living

Branching out

If you've seen my posts here and here, then you're well aware of my tendency to bring the outdoors inside. The trend to decorate using branches is everywhere.

Flying branches with hanging baubles as seen in the lounge of the W Hotel in NYC:

Some companies even specialize in branches:

Silver branches with hanging crystals as a dramatic centerpiece for an elegant event:

Branches with LED lighted glass ornaments hanging for a grand soiree:


Branches with colorful moss to add some zest:



And natural branches with hanging greens for everyday appeal:

Nettleton Hollow

last image Restoration hardware

A loft in London

Ah, London. Perhaps my favorite city in Europe.

Check out this gorgeous 1,500 square foot apartment right off the Thames.

The owner bought this loft back in 2002 and has furnished it with items from his own store in London. Built in the 17th century, it was originally a tapestry building where tapestries were made for British royalty.

He gutted the place after buying it and removed the sheet rock from the ceiling to expose the beams, which he had treated and waxed. Most of the spaces I find drool-worthy and blog-post worthy typically have exposed ceiling beams, I am instantly drawn to them.

He had to have a staircase built as there was just a ladder connecting the floors when he first moved in.

The floors appear to be painted wood.

Look at the natural light streaming in.
He had the dining table specially made to hold wine bottles right under the table top.
This must be a guest room right up in the tippy top of the loft. I wonder if that ladder is his original staircase, now stored up in the highest beams of this old and beautiful loft? I love the old luggage he has stored up here and the exposed brick painted white.

The living room gets a lot of natural light and the clean, white walls help brighten the space.

The bathroom was remodeled with travertine tiles:

This must be the master bedroom.
This is one of my favorite images. All of the exposed and waxed wood highlighting the detail of the window. The owner is an avid rider, hence the saddled beam. The zebra rug helps balance the detail of the ceiling.

Such a cool, historic space in such an amazing city. It looks like he has a terrace up there on the second floor. Look at the curved chimney to the right, such charm.

New York Times

Manic Monday

Would you think of me as way too crazy to consider going to the post office today to mail packages?

Packages that really don't need to be anywhere, anytime soon?

Well I just might do it....

Happy Monday before.

image via hermes

Shimmery and bright

mercury glass

pewter

silver

gold

Reflecting sunlight and holiday lights~

Capturing your attention~

Reminding you of the 'shine of the season'

Happy one week before Christmas.

images via Country Living

Recession-proof gift wrap

Call me lazy.....

call me thrifty.

We always order custom wine~labels for our close friends for Christmas. This year I was too lazy to go to the store and buy wine gift bags so I decided to make my own using paper lunch sacks.

I printed name tags {the font and scroll insert idea came from here}.

Then I simply glued cut out wrapping paper pieces to the front of the bag. My little one and her friend helped to trace the tree shape using a cookie cutter. I added a little paper ornament from IKEA on each bag and tied some with twine and some with large plaid ribbon. I used frayed burlap underneath some of the name tags~ they're all a bit different.

Easy, cheap, and most importantly DONE and ready to be gifted.

Here's a pic of the {alcohol free} gift bags I threw together late last night for my staff at work:

Happy wrapping everyone.