In My Mind, I’m going to Carolina (and Georgia, and Virginia…)

Here's Guest Blogger Betsy with a few travel ideas!

The Christmas Season always brings with it a wealth of festivals and celebrations, whether you have snow or sun. Since my husband and I are heading south for a couple weeks to visit family, I’ve been investigating cities and towns along the way and wanted to share a few of our major stops with you. If you’re in the area, be sure to pop in and enjoy the following festivities! And if you know of any must-sees that I missed, comment below and let me know! We leave in 4 days (not that I’m counting…)

Philadelphia, PA
*Macy’s Light Show: For a half century, people have been venturing to the historic Wanamaker’s building to see this fantastic display of 100,000 LED lights twinkling above the Grand Court Atrium. Narrated by Julie Andrews, and accompanied by the Wanamaker Grand Organ, this fantastic light show displays snowflakes, ballerinas, and reindeer and is a holiday tradition not to be missed.
(November 28 – December 31)

*New Years Eve Fireworks Display: There’s no better way to ring in the New Year than fireworks and you can find them in Philly, right along the Delaware River.
(December 31, 12:00a)

*The Christmas Village at Dilworth Plaza: For the first time ever, Philly will host a real-life medieval Christmas Village. Among the delightful wooden structures, you’ll find gifts, food, live music and plenty of Christmas cheer.
(December 3 – December 24)

*The Blue Cross RiverRink: No winter visit to Philly is complete without a spin around this classic ice rink overlooking the Delaware River and Ben Franklin Bridge. Take a few spins to see the city lights, then scoot over to the warming hut for a cup of hot cocoa.
(November 15 – March 1)


Asheville, NC
*Christmas at Biltmore Estate: The Biltmore Estate is fabulous year-round, but especially delightful at Christmas. The estate features about 100 Christmas trees, more than 1000 wreaths and bows, 1450 poinsettias, thousands of ornaments and more garland than you’ve ever seen.
(November 7 – January 4)

*National Gingerbread House Competition: In addition to hosting its normal guests throughout the Holiday Season, the Grove Park Inn is also home to about 300 Gingerbread Houses from 20 different states. It’s a true feast for your eyes and your stomach. Below is the first place entry from 2007 created by Billie Mochow of Burns, Tennessee.
(November 19 – January 11)

Atlanta, GA
*Magical Nights of Lights at Lake Lanier Islands Resort: A stop here is a must – this is the world’s largest animated holiday light show. The Resort also features a Holiday Village with plenty of dining and shopping options and carnival rides.
(November 22 – December 30)

*The ‘Pink Pig’ at Macys: This life sized train takes parents and children under a 170 foot Pink Pig and through a storybook that includes the Pink Pig and her friends. Even if you don’t have kids, you might want to go just to see a large pink pig.
(November 1 – January 4)

*Ice Skating at Centennial Olympic Park: Atlanta rarely sees snow, and this outdoor rink is as close as you’re going to get, so get out there!
(November 15 – January 4)


Savannah, GA
*11th Annual Holly Jolly Holiday Trolley: Hop on and enjoy a two-hour ride through Savannah’s lighted and decorated historic district.
(December 16 – December 23)

*New Years Eve Celebration at City Market: Nothing is better than a huge street party with live music!
(December 31)


Charleston, SC (the birthplace of the poinsettia)
*Holiday Festival of Lights: In your car or in the train, the three mile tour around James Island County Park is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. Over 500,000 lights are on display at this winter wonderland.
(November 15 – January 1)

*The Charleston Christmas Special: If the Rockettes decided to come to North Carolina, they would come here. This two hour musical variety show has all the fixings for a great variety show: a live orchestra, a chorus line of dancers and live performances by some ex-Broadway superstars.
(December 12 – December 21)

*Christmas on King Street: The hippest street in town offers deals and specials strait through New Years Eve. While you stroll, also check out the eye-catching windows, decorated especially for Christmas.
(November 26 – December 31)

Richmond, VA

*Tacky Light Tour: Finally, someone has owned up to the tackiness of Christmas lights and lawn ornaments! Not all are “tacky”, but Richmond brings you all of the best. From large inflated Santa snow globes to an igloo filled with penguin, you’ll find it all here in Richmond. As if you needed any more motivation, here’s a sample of what you’ll see.
(December)

*100 Miles of Lights: Travel from Richmond to Virginia Beach through Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth and Norfolk to catch this light spectacular. Over 700,000 lights are used for this annual tradition. Additional events include live music, boat parades, visits with Santa and parades.
(Mid November – Early January)

Have a Happy Holiday, everyone!

**Bets

Happy Snowy Weekend!

This picture was featured a week ago on Boston.com after the awful ice storm. The forecasters are predicting 2, yes 2 lovely snow storms for this weekend! I guess, I best get use to it, winter has arrived. Though with pretty pictures like this, I could get learn to appreciate it a tad bit more!! Stay warm and stop back in on Monday, when Guest Blogger, Betsy takes us on a little road trip.
Enjoy the weekend
JUL

How to Thursday - Pretty Package Ideas

This "How To Thursday" we will focus on creative gift wrapping.
There is something really special about presenting a gift which is packaged beautifully! I love looking at all the pretty ribbons, papers and unique ideas on wrapping. At times it can be difficult for me to open the gift as I don't want to disrupt the presentation!! Here are a few beautifully presented presents and hopefully some great ideas for your own!



The first "how to" - remember a little embellishment can go a long way in creating an interesting package. With a simple solid paper, use a contrasting ribbon and add a few left over ornaments or bells and you are set to go!





If I am in a last minute rush to wrap a present I grab some colorful tissue paper (I always have a stash of it in the craft cabinet). It is quick, easy and something you can be creative with by folding and using multiple colored pieces. Tie it up with some ribbon, as seen above and you are set to go!




Martha Stewart over at MSN is offering these great black and white papers for wrapping. Just click here to print them out straight from our home printer!












Above are a few very sweet papers from Red Stamp!
Of course I am loving the trendy purple and the Tweet Paper is just adorable! A present wrapped in any of these would be truly difficult for me to rip open!









Think Eco-friendly when wrapping! What can be used again or reused? Gift boxes can play double duty for storage later on. The polka dot version above from Paper Source is a great option! I love to find a sweet napkin or tea towel to wrap gifts in. One of my all time favorites is the Petrol Kitchen Tea Towel from Feel More Human. It is just lovely especially if you are gifting a kitchen platter or cookbook! Also use left over newspaper or me tear out pages from your favorite interior magazine to wrap the present in! How fun would it be, to have beautiful rooms from magazines as wrapping paper! A present AND I am inspired!! FANTASTIC!

Hope you enjoyed these tips and may you get many ohhs and ahhs from your creatively wrapped holiday gifts!


(images from Redbook, MSN Martha Stewart, Paper Source, Red Stamp, Feel More Human, BHG)

Diary Entry - Design Books

Stylefeeder
Take a peak into my "Diary" for my favorite gift giving books!

Lather up the cupcake

These cupcakes look scrumptious but WAIT, STOP!! There's no eating these cupcakes (unless you are really naughty and need your mouth washed out....) they are actually luscious soaps. Created in all different "flavors" or fragrances. It's really amazing what can be found on Etsy, isn't it?!




(images from Lily Bay Soap and Verbena Custom Blends)

Last Minute Holiday Table Decorations

Running out of Time? Feeling the stress of pulling together a holiday table? No need to worry, here are a few quick ideas to instantly transform a table into Holiday Joy!
Ballard Design's Snowflake Chandelier Shade is perfect. The quickest way to change the look of a room is to switch out shades on a lamp or chandelier. The snowflake above is on sale for under $10 and would be perfect to use throughout the winter! Or these Argyle Tole Shades, a bit more at almost $20 but still a great quick addition to any holiday decor! Sweet!



Let's be honest, we all know there are naughty and nice people around the holiday table. Why not hop over to Delight and purchase a few of these name tag tiles, they even have a small bud vase attached to the back! Love it!





P.O.S.H. is a really fun and unique store in Chicago. You never know what you will discover in there as many items are flea market finds. The buyers have a great eye!
I am loving these retro napkins, how perfect would they be to dress up the table?





I saw these Crate and Barrel Copper Reindeers at the start of the season and just fell in love, I am not sure what it is about them but they are just adorable. It could be that they are just so simple and the antique copper finish just adds enough shine to make it feel even more festive. Now that they are on sale, I might just have to scoop them up. They would look so sweet on my dining table, mix in some greens and berries and I will be all set!




If time is really of the essence open the cabinets and pull out all of your clear vases. As seen above, filling them with left over ornaments can be quick and festive. The middle picture shows peppermint candies filling a tall vase. There is a small bud vase in the middle to keep the flowers in water than just surround with candy canes or whatever you have on hand!! No Stress!




If you completely run out of time a doormat like this one to greet guests is festive and they will feel the holiday spirit as soon as they step up to the door!!
Hope these tips have helped!


(images from Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Ballard Design, Delight, BHG, Home Ideas)

It was bound to happen...

...the "winter cold"! You know the one where the sniffles and that little cough turn into an all out attack on your body, which than tells you there is no place to be except bed? Well it happened to me over the last few days! Canceled plans and time on the sofa with large cups of warm tea and o.j were my only plans. Now I am on the mend and will be back with a few great last minute gift ideas for tomorrow. Here's hoping all of you outrun the "winter cold"
JUL

Creative Boston Events this Weekend!!

This weekend is a great time to be living in Boston or hopefully coming to the city for a visit. The Sowa Holiday Market is taking place on Saturday and Sunday. It is a fantastic display of local creative artists. Last year I was invited to a preview of this event and purchased many great gifts. There's everything from jewelry, tablewares, stationary, cute little handmade onesies, custom hats and to die for brownies! Another fabulous event is on Friday, the Buon Natale Holiday Stroll, you guessed it, in the North End. This section of the city has seen a transformation in the last few years. Meaghan Agnew wrote a great article for the Boston Globe on the latest store openings. This area is now filled with unique clothing and home good boutiques, most owned by local designers! So get out there and enjoy some of the local goods for sale, I know I will be doing some holiday shopping of my own.

Twilight - one of my favorite North End boutiques!

(images from Sowa and the Boston Globe)

How to Thursday - Decorating Holiday Mantels

I really like how these are grouped tightly together on the mantel. It's a simple, clean arrangement but one with a great impact!

While working as a visual at Ethan Allen one of my favorite areas to design was a mantel. Even to this day I absolutely love decorating a mantel. Maybe it is the small space and the challenge to make it all it can be or because it is usually the focal point of a room, you have the opportunity to WOW people. Regardless I love it! As it is "How to Thursday" I thought I might share some of my recent favorite mantels and give a few tips on making yours great! With a little twist, knowing this time of year can be expensive I put a "budget friendly" design to it!

The idea is to create a mantel scape that flows with the style of your room. It can be overflowing with pieces or be minimal, as long as it is grouped together in a cohesive way with a little balance it will turn out perfect.

To get started, look around your home for pieces you might already have frames, vases, candles preferably items of varying heights. First clear off the entire mantel except for the wall decor piece you will keep. Next look for the largest piece in your collection of items, where would you like to place this? The picture above starts from the left and works to the right. My first trick is to "connect" your biggest piece with the wall decor. See how the tallest cone is just about touching the mirror? This creates flow and a "unit" between the 2 pieces. Next our "story" continues with the smaller cone, across with the "NOEL" sign and than up again with the gold frame which connects you back to the wall decor and over again to the tall cone. Can you see how you easily move in a circular flow from one side of the mantel to the other? Your eye just breezes right over taking into account each piece. Lastly add your gold leaf garland. This pulls together all the mantel pieces into one cohesive unit. Remembering a few simple tricks like varying heights, grouping, connecting and flow will make the set up very easy. When I was a visual we used the term "Heaven, Man and Earth". Heaven is your highest point (the mirror), man is the middle point (cones/frames) and earth is the lowest point (the garland).

A romantic setting to the mantel. Again, notice the different heights of the candles. The twigs in little bud vases create height and add a new texture to the grouping.

I really enjoy pulling greens from outside and using a few of my favorite ornaments on the mantel. It's easy to nestle them into the greens and the bright pop of sparkling colors is a nice surprise! You can also use clear tacks to scatter a few just above the green to create height. Just place it so they connect and don't look out of place.

We all have clear vases or even white vases in our homes. Why not group them together like they have above? You can even spray a few pine cones with white glitter or add tiny white lights to the grouping. If you want to go more traditional pick some red berries and tuck them in the greens.

Looking around your home and using items in a new way can lead to an inexpensive mantel design and one you could possibly keep up throughout the winter! I hope these tips have helped! Leave a comment if you have inexpensive mantel tips.

(images from Better Homes and Garden, Living Etc, Home Ideas and Southern Living)

Twinkle Rooms

Scouting the web I came across a few silver and white decorated rooms for the Holidays and I have to admit I really like it. They feel modern but still cozy. I might just enjoy decorating for the holidays if this was the theme!!

A unique and effective idea is to hang ornaments with silver ribbon in front of a mirror as above. Try it in a window too, just string them up on the curtain rod and voile you're set

In both images you can see they have taken twigs and spray painted them silver, I love that idea. Again budget friendly, simple and quick! At night they have a twinkle, glimmering feel!

(images from Ideal Home)

Dining by Benjamin Moore

To continue with Boston's Dining By Design, this is one room (....really house) which blew me away. David Stark, the designer of this Benjamin Moore table took color swatches and created a wave of blue walls. The table was so vibrant and used bold colors in such a way, you wanted to dive right in and have party there! In the most fantastic way, it felt like a box of crayola crayons exploding! The gradual changes in color were extraordinary and I can only imagine how many hours it took to get it just so. Patience would be something to come in handy with this project! Take a peak at the images below, it is like being in an Alice in Wonderland Chapter, at least for a design/paint lover! Truly remarkable and creative work! I can't wait for next years show now.







(images from my collection and Toast and Tables)

Dining By Design Boston

this was one of my favorite tables. I loved the combo of apples, twigs and flowers in the vases and how they mimicked the wallpaper. The thick wood top table had uplights built in which was one of our favorite features!
table by Beringer Vineyards, Marc Blackwell

Friday night I was invited to attend the DIFFA Cocktails by Design event at the Boston Design Center. This is an amazing event where designers, local artists and corporate sponsors create over the top dining tables. As you will see some of them lived up to the over the top description! It was great fun to view these Alice in Wonderland type designs, a few very practical and others incredibly fun to daydream about! The event travels around the country to many other cities so check out the website here to see if it will be local in your part of the country! In the meantime enjoy some of the photos I have below, it was a truly exciting and inspiring evening!

the "bubble chandelier" and photographed wall decor were fantastic


it's hard to tell in this photo but the benches were very deep and had a great lounge feel. The combo of the fuscia and silver was a nice elegant touch. Those are little butterflies tagged onto the branches, easy to duplicate on your own table!



table by Leslie Saul Interiors, she used an Eames like coffee table on top to create height



Hewlett Packard by Vivenne Tam



what else can I say, except I was in awe of this table. The workmanship to create the boat like feel of the ceiling was incredible. It was a very Zen like room



Dennis Duffy, a Boston Designer really had fun with this table! The words to describe this room were "happy and joyful "! The acrylic chairs played so well off the pink fabric



"the green table"
New York Times by Doug Wilson

You can see more pictures of the tables that travel around the country here.
Did you attend the event? If so what table was your favorite?
Tomorrow I will post about the most amazing room from one of our favorite paint companies!!

(all images from my own collection)

Monday Morning Happy!

Hi All! Hope you had a great weekend! This weekend I finally forced myself into a time out. Have you ever had to do that for yourself? Just say enough, you are moving to fast, take a break, slow down and give yourself time to recharge? Well that is what I did...at least on Sunday. I woke up to a dark day with snow falling and chilly temps, which is sometimes the best feeling when you have no where to go and can hang out on the sofa under some blankets! It's amazing what a little down time can do for you, today I feel energized and ready to get going! How do you give yourself a time out? Is it by pampering yourself with a spa day, turning off the phone and vegging out with movies or is it by cooking a big meal? Share some of your recharging tricks by commenting below!

The Cute Picture of the week is an adorable book I came across on the Urban Outfitters website. The first Charles Schulz book named, "Happiness is a warm puppy"! Could it be an cuter? It is filled with happy thoughts like "Happiness is a fuzzy sweater and Happiness is a pile of leaves". Just more evidence that sometimes the simple things make us the happiest. I think this would be a great stocking stuffer for the favorite people in your life. Yet another reason to take a "time out" and appreciate the little things, like that fuzzy sweater!
Enjoy the week!
JUL