What a welcome!

When I saw this photo over at "One Kings Lane" I just squealed with delight! Isn't it the most beautiful welcome to a home? The wide molding, topiaries and bright turquoise door are the perfect unique combination. The dogs are an adorable accent as well! Welcome Home!

look at that detail!!!

Dining chairs full of color!

If you are like me there will be many days in the coming weeks around the dining table. This is a quick round up of my favorite colorful dining chairs. I chose to stay with the solid colors, they add such a fun dimension to the room. It's also a nice way to break up the traditional dining set, from subtle to bold, inject some color!







Which is your favorite? It's hard for me to decide, I love them all!
Do you have a traditional matching dining set or do you use colorful chairs? Please share, I would love to hear from you!


(images from top to bottom: House Beautiful/Jonathan Berger, HB/Ashley Whittaker, HB/Jonathan Adler, Metropolitan Home/John Lyle, Traditional Home)

Reusable Gift Wrapping Ideas

Ask anyone who has ever received a present from me, I am a BIG fan of wrapping with reusable items. Maybe it's because I can always find use for tea towels and decorative boxes or just love the creative challenge. Below are a few of my favorite wrapping paper alternatives!

A tea towel is always useful and a perfect way to wrap your present! Check out this "teapot and jugs" option from skinnylaminx, so bright and cheery!


Paper Source is one of my go to places for interesting wrapping ideas! I adore these fun "suitcases" and at $11 I know it is a good solution. Plus it is a great design accent for storage!



I love The Hip Hostess for her fun aprons, especially this "Cherry Me" one! Wrap it around a few cooking tools like wooden spoons or spatulas and you are set to give!



If you don't want to spend extra on the wrapping than use the brown bags you get from the grocery store. Turn it inside out so you don't see the writing and dress it up with this decorative tape. It's a fantastic accent and even better you get 27 yds for $9.99!

Holiday mantels on a budget

A mantel can be the focal point of any room and even more so at the holidays! You don't necessarily have to decorate every inch of your room in holiday cheer (I actually like to just decorate a few areas) so just focus on the mantel and make life a little easier. Its a quick place to decorate and also one that can be inexpensive. Below you can see a few examples of using items you might already have in your home.

Pile up all the ornaments you are not using on your tree. The key here is to stick to one or 2 colors and vary the sizes. You can mix in some sheer white tissue paper or batting to help the ornaments stay in place and it will also act like a bit of faux snow!

Wrap a few presents in festive paper, add tea lights (which I bet you already have in your house) and drape a single strand of garland over the picture or mirror. Instantly you have an easy make over!

Candles can create drama to any mantel! Vary the heights and use similar colors. Gather frames from around house and fill them with family holiday photos from the past. It's the perfect opportunity to reminisce a little and make fun of each other, that is if you are my brother! A casual swag of green adds the holiday cheer!

Greens, Greens, Greens! One of the absolute easiest and inexpensive ways to decorate. Jump outside and see what you can gather from the backyard or go down to the local Christmas tree yard and see what they might give up. There are always tree limbs which have dropped off and need to be discarded.

What do you think, would you try these inexpensive ideas on your mantel? Please share ideas you might have used this holiday season!

(images: Canada House and Home, My Home Ideas/Homes and Garden, Traditional Home, Traditional Home)

Quick Share - Sequin, Jewel & Glass

Here's a quick share of my favorite Ornaments this year! I love how each one adds a BIG sparkle to the tree! Check out the sequin option and in that fuscia...talk about styling a tree!!

Brilliant Fuscia Sequin

check out mirrored and glass

drape with a Jewel

My Favorite Gifts from Wisteria & A Hint For Santa

I love this time of year because there are so many unbelievable gifts at amazing prices! Here are a few of my favorite quick decorating and gift giving items from Wisteria:


I must admit I love the perfect hostess gift that is not wine or flowers! How absolutely FUN are these Christmas Tree Party Glasses? Who wouldn't want to "Top it off" and "feel a little festive"? 4 glasses on sale now for $13! Seriously, how can you resist?

The perfect accent - glass trees that seem to just sparkle all on their own! Group on the dining table, on a dresser or even nestled in some greens on the mantel. Set of 3 $44.50



Now if I am really good Santa might just bring me this Suzani inspired Dhurrie. Isn't it fantastic? A perfectly timeless piece

I love the serene feeling of this room! I imagine myself reading for hours on the sweet settee!

(images from Wisteria)

Welcoming Bombay Duck to the US

On Monday I received the most wonderful email from Laura at Bombay Duck, they have officially launched their US online store! If you remember back in July I posted about my love for this company and how I was hoping to one day shop there. It could be their description of style "indulging imagination with quirky designs" or the happiness of each products colors. Regardless I look forward to start spending money and most importantly shopping for some of my favorite people! Take a look at a few holiday gifts I have selected below...ok so they might all be for me, but you get the idea! Please pop on over to Bombay Duck and give them a big USA welcome!

So Sweet, I can't wait to use these for a dinner party!! Set of 4 Rick Rack Napkins and Napkin Rings $29.95


The Colette Chandelier is just dreamy with its burnt colored crystal and glass flowers. $246.50



Their tabletop mirrors would be the perfect addition to my Gram's dresser in my bedroom. The Mini Scallop Venetian Mirror above is $76.50 and the Isabella with Etched Flowers for $32.95 looks like a piece you would hand down for generations to come!

Knobs! What first caught my eye at Bombay Duck is their huge selection of knobs, an instant pick me up for any room!! Love it!

(images from Bombay Duck)

Daydreaming of Dreaming

This amazing bed has been in my inspiration folder for the last few months and with my lack of sleep lately well lets just say I have been daydreaming of it more and more! Isn't it just fantastic? The height is so commanding but the reeding and finials so delicate with its curves. I love the mixture of purple tones and warm yellow - it has a comfortable old world feel to it. As a designer my personal likes really change from day to day but I have a feeling this bed and image will stay with me for years to come! So cozy!


(image from House to Home)

Back with December!

Morning!! I am slowly coming back to the land of the connected via twitter and the blog. Its only been a few weeks but feels like it has been months, I have missed my friends here! Can you believe we are at December? Where does the year go? After 3 long weeks in the hospital, we are hoping to have my mom back at home this week. Thanks SO much for all the well wishes and prayers we are both so grateful! I am excited to get back to my design clients and to share with you my inspiration folder which is BURSTING at the seams with holiday decorating ideas and affordable gifts. Please pop back when you have a minute during this crazy time and thanks again for being so supportive. I love our online community, it seriously rocks!


(image from Living Etc)

Where have you been!?

A few people have sent me emails asking where I have been? I guess when you are a daily blogger and than fall off the blogging radar people wonder. I can't tell you how WONDERFUL that feels, to know I am missed. First I was rethinking the blog and its direction, I have started to refocus and am coming up with some great weekly topics and will have more of a definitive "affordable" voice. I love sourcing pieces and bringing you alternative to items we find in our swoon worthy photos. So while I was off working on that my mom became ill and for the last week has been cooped up in the hospital, thankfully it is a concern but not too serious. Anyhow we have been spending lots of time reading all the magazines I have been bringing her. She LOVES her magazines just like me and we have been tearing out pages finding lots of things to blog about. So with this I apologize, I promise to be back as soon as she is up and back to her happy self. After all I am sure she wants to get out of a room that looks like..........

this hospital room (well not nearly this glamorous)

and get back to a cozy retreat that looks something like this. Notice the glorious windows and stack of magazines on the floor? This would be a big upgrade!



In all honesty, knowing my mom this is where she would really prefer to be! Here with a cup of tea and her book looking over the water!

Thanks to all of you who continue to pop over and leave comments, I truly appreciate every single one!
jul

(images from Carolina Business Furniture and Coastal Living via My Home Ideas)

Shade Change

Want to know a quick and easy way to change up a room for fall? Change out your lamp shades. Trust me, I recommend it to clients all the time. Your friends will walk in and instantly wonder what you have done differently. Especially if you are changing from a solid shade to a graphic print one. Take a look at this fun Bamboo Trellis Drum Shade from Shades of Light The details: 16", available in chocolate, kelly green and yellow and only $79. My Favorite detail? It is a linen fabric shade, love that! I have had enough of the "paper shade". So what do you think? Would you try this in your home?

(images from Shades of Light)

Chair love by Judith Miller!

I resist the thought of making any kind of "wish list" until after Thanksgiving but when I saw this book I had to make an exception! "Chairs" with its bright red, simple, to the point cover just beckoned me to open its pages. It's a fantastic education of the chair, how it has evolved and more importantly how each sits. An incredible chronicle of the years where it's form curved and other years when it sat straight is just fascinating. Paired with Nick Pope's photography, Judith Miller's book is one that will make you look at your chairs in a much more loving way...if that is even possible!







(images from San Francisco Chronicle, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Chicago Tribune)

Mixing it up with Stephen Shubel

Browsing through an old issue of House Beautiful I came across the work of San Francisco designer Stephen Shubel and immediately felt comforted. His combination of vintage, high end and easy to purchase pieces is such a welcoming style. You feel like these rooms are completely attainable and that makes me admire him even more!!








If I could wish for one room of my own it would be this bathroom! It reminds me of a Henri Bendel box, though one in black!! Pure Relaxation!

(images from House Beautiful)

Scouting - Iron Beds under $1000

Lately I have been thinking about Iron Beds and how versatile they can be. There is no need to match wood finishes and most can work with any style room. They are perfect for a smaller room as most are light in scale, what an easy solution, right? In true CreateGirl style I scouted out a few Queen options from simple frames to more intricate all under $1000.

Pottery Barn Claudia Bed $649

Ethan Allen Tango Bed $629



Charles P Rogers Campaign Bed $799



Humble Abode Calypso Bed $549

Do you have an iron bed in your home?

A cozy Jan Shower Library

With the day becoming dark so early courtesy of Daylight Savings Time it makes me want to curl up in a library with a good book. I came across this cocoon like room by Jan Showers and immediately fell in love. The navy walls and same shade panels create such a warmth. Notice the playful zebra rug, patterned pillows and lime green leather chairs? These are all little reminders that this is not a "stuffy" room!! So the next time you wonder if you can paint a room a real dark color use this space as your inspiration. Though be warned you might want to just light a fire and read all the books you have in the house!



(images from Traditional Home and Jan Showers)