A White Christmas

This year I was able to host Christmas and it could not have been any more fun. We spent the morning watching the kiddos open gifts, relaxing, and cooking the main course. Christmas eve day Ellie and I began the festivities with quite a bit of baking. One of my favorite traditions is baking Jesus a birthday cake and this year we went with the Sprinkles mix, so good. Ellie then was sure to let Jesus know she was going to save the best one for Him, but He would have to multiply it if He wanted to share with everyone in Heaven. I set the table using my late grandmothers dishes and it made my day when my father walked in and said it looked like a table my grandmother would have done. Oh, and the best part? It snowed for the first time on Christmas day since I have lived here.  That's 14 years! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas also.

Table Settings

Today I am over on Mrs. French sharing a few table setting ideas that the ladies and I from the shop put together. We had so much fun although I am sure they pulled out the Lysol after I left, I could not stop coughing to save my life. Hope to see you there. I would love to know which one is your favorite too. For today this one is mine.

A Tree

Today I am over on Mrs. French where I am sharing our advent calendar for this Christmas season. I can easily see it becoming a Christmas tradition. 

Also I would like to say a huge thank you for all your kind words on yesterday's post. I really wish every one of you could come over for a cup of tea and some cookies.

A Happy Table

Something holy happens at a dinner table. In a sanctuary you see backs of heads; at the table you see expressions of faces. - Max Lucado

Over on my other blog Mrs. French today! Hope you will join me there!

{photo via here}

Lanterns, Pinecones, and Such

Today I am over on Mrs. French sharing my love for large pinecones. You can also get a look at my new lantern that hangs in my dining room. I adore it!

Blog Love

Have you seen the newish blog of a stay at home mom of Bijou and Boheme? Well, I must say it had me at hello. Yesterday she featured the first floor of her home and I am beyond smitten. Her style is beyond fabulous. If you haven't seen her blog yet then I must tell you it's a must. To see more of her home be sure to go, here.

A New Look

You haven't heard me hum and haw over my dining room in quite sometime because I finally found my table match. Oh, and a new side table. I found them at a local antique shop. They are made out of reclaimed wood and I am smitten. My savvy smooth talking husband managed to get us both pieces for about a grand which was much cheaper than any other table that I remotely liked. My french antique chairs are finally back from the reupholsters and I could not be any more happy. I found them as a set of six on Craigslist for $250, Ellie broke one right after I got them and the break was in such a way that was not fixable. For now one of our stools will do and KJ has already deemed it his seat so all's good. We kept the old tables bench in the room for extra seating. I slipped covered it in a Robert Allen faux leather that I bought from the Designer's Attic. I wanted something big and more modern over the sideboard to balance out the furniture so I painted a piece completely inspired (copied) from Lindsey Bond's home in this months House Beautiful. Now the only thing left is to find the perfect lighting. Right now there is a fan, I know ugh, but I hope to find a big old lantern for cheap. I think I will be hunting for awhile though and I am okay with that. If you actually read all this then I am rather impressed. Today I am in a rambling mood I guess.

This & That

The other night Kellen did a photo shoot for a dear friend who is about to have a baby. We had fun and all played around. Kellen happened to get a few shots of me. Fast forward a bit and while doing a bit of blog browsing on Splendid Willow I came across a home that I had once featured before and am still completely smitten with. What does this have to do with that? Well, my odd self quickly realized that my outfit fits ever so perfectly with this home, especially the dining room. You might just say it was meant to be...


dining room via Style at Home
outfit: Scarf Banana Republic, Top J.Crew

Cottage Living

Do you all happen to remember Lindsay Bierman's kitchen from the January/ February 2008 Cottage Living issue {second image}? Well I do and came across it again while doing my weekly real estate browsing. I know I am a complete nut, but then again at least I share my nuttiness with all of you right? It is one of my favorite kitchens and seems to have stayed mostly the same except for recovering the settee and maybe an art change. Still adore it and the rest of the home.

Remember I am always happy to put you in touch with the listing agent if you want more info. I will not in any way send out the actual listing and therefore will not share location. Thanks for understanding.

Dining Bliss

Remember last week when I mentioned revamping my dining table? Well the Mr. said I could just get a new one. Still not 100% sure this is the route I want to go. I rather like the money sitting in savings and my taste is rather expensive, but we are budget people so it will have to be quite the find. Besides I haven't met the "one" yet. These are both zinc which I love, but I know are out of price range. I still love the idea of something more farmhouse like. Well, for now I will just ogle over these two rooms. The first is from Sally Wheats residence which is always a source of inspiration and the second although twice the size of our dining space has me smitten.

Having Seen Better Days...

This is my dining room, although at the moment it is in complete disarray due to our new found love for legos. They have officially taken over. The dining chairs are still at the reupholsters and have been since March, ugh. That's what I get for going to someone who is a bargain. Anyhow, my dining table which is a square fits the room perfectly and seats 8+, but it has seen better days. I would love a long dining table, but in reality it just won't fit. We enjoy entertaining so many seats are a must. so I am thinking of giving it a face lift.


Over on Vanessa's blog I saw a link to a DIY project that left me speechless. It seems the lady from Freckled Laundry gave an ordinary wooden dresser a faux zinc finish. I personally think its gorgeous and wonder if it would hold up as a dining table top. Does anyone know if a coat of poly would make it last? I think chipping or paint transfer would be worse than my ugly table top.


I also thought about leaving the top to ruin and keep the aged look and then paint the legs and apron giving it a more farm house feel.

{Let me know if you know where this image is from, I have had it saved before I made it a point to site every image, sorry}


Or my favorite and won't ever happen option is just take off the top and add a slab of marble! Although I am thinking for that price I could just buy a new fabulous table which is something I want to avoid right now. I am thinking cheap.

{again I have this sited as David Jimenez, but could not find it on his site when I went to link, any ideas?}


So what would be your pick?

My Style in One Image

From the Right Bank is at it again with her your style in one image challenge. I loved it the first time and am having trouble with a post for today so I thought I would join in, ha! I think I could have a different image for everyday, but today mine comes from Cote De Texas. This is the home of Sally Wheat and I am quite obsessed with it. I love the neutral palette, new mixed with old, unique art, industrial pieces, the linen slipcovers, the simple window panels, the antlers, I even have the same trough on the table, really I could go on and on. I want to live her, I really do. Anytime I am in in a design slump I come back to this home, I truly am in love.

A Bit of Charm

While browsing the ever fabulous Design Sponge I came across the home tour of Laura Nelson, prop stylist and interior designer. I instantly became smitten with her home. Her mix of new and old is right up my alley. This eating nook is now housed in my inspiration folder. The discounted Anthropologie table paired with craigslist chairs that have been reworked is my idea of perfection. I also love the shelf filled with vintage bottles which has inspired me to display mine. I just love attainable design.

A Place in the Hamptons

This may be my favorite issue of Elle Decor yet and I have been receiving this magazine for years. I absolutely adored the sneak peek into Meg Ryan's summer home on all my favorite blogs, but once I actually received the issue I was elated with Timothy Whealons summer home in the Hamptons. He made the purchase on a snap decision and had to redo the whole place. I think he did a mighty fine job, so much so that I keep on rereading the article and keep on studying all the pretty pictures. I simply can not put it down.