Monday, December 13, 2010

Let It Snow . . .

. . . just not anymore right now. Here in the Nashville/Franklin area we got about 2 inches of snow yesterday which was, of course, enough for schools to be cancelled. I usually don't mind snow days . . . our kids love the snow, and it's kind of fun to sit around in our pajamas until the urge to go play outside kicks in. However, this is the week before Christmas break. This is go-time. The show. Mama has got to finish up her shopping. 
So, please Mother Nature or Father Winter or whoever is listening, please hold off on anymore frozen precipitation until at least December 18 (after which my kids are out anyway). Thank you. 

Sincerely,
Scrooge

Friday, December 10, 2010

Freedom of Choice

I knew it would happen sooner rather than later as my daughter has always had strong opinions. The time has come . . . she has outgrown her pink room. I wouldn't go so far as to say she hates pink, but it's not a color she would EVER pick out now as a mature 8-and-a-half-year-old. I always thought pink and green was timeless. Guess I was wrong.
I realize this looks like a lot of pink, but it's very subtle really. The walls are a very pale shade called Confection by Martha Stewart (when she had paint at Sherwin Williams years ago). It's just too "girly-girl" according to Meg who has her finger on the pulse of all things cool and tween (although I hate that word).

Her duvets are white linen with ruffles down the center that I got on sale at Pottery Barn about 7 years ago. I still love the bedding - so simple. Meg said it's not "comfy" enough (it's not as soft as cotton) and it lacks pizazz. That random green ball looking-thing on the wall is garland she used to literally deck her wall. She also hung lollipop ornaments from her chandelier, and that's a little Santa with bottle brush trees on her bedside table.

Since Meg's favorite color is green (and not paired with pink), we decided we'll go with a green and aqua/pale turquoise color scheme. Our guest room down the hall is green, so she decided a very pale aqua blue for the walls would work for her.
I was inspired by the color palette of this living room by Ashley Whittaker in House Beautiful.

And while the blue in this bedroom from House Beautiful is not the shade we're going for, I love the overall blue/green theme and feel of the room. Of course, we're keeping her iron twin beds and just changing bedding, fabric, paint and accessories. I love upholstered headboards, but I have neither the budget nor the patience for changing her beds right now.

I was playing around on Olioboard last night and pulled some inspiration pieces. Since Meg doesn't like anything too "frou frou," I had a hard time finding simple bedding that would appeal to both of us. I think the Pottery Barn Teen Suite Organic duvet in Mint will work quite nicely. I haven't looked for a paint color yet, but that's next on my list. I pulled some pillows from Hable Construction, fabric from Premier, the Maskros pendant light from IKEA and some posters I found through Haven and Home on Etsy that add some whimsy.

Of course, this is just a jumping off point, but I think Meg is on board with these choices which is half the battle . . . okay, the total battle. Her new bedding is a big part of her Christmas present this year, so I've got to get it ordered ASAP.

So what do you think? Is this look "big girl" enough?

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

It's Beginning to Look . . .

a little like Christmas around here. Now that the tree is done, I've been decking the halls a little more. This weekend we finally took a photo for the old Christmas card (yes, I'm a bit behind schedule). I've ordered the cards online, now I just have to wait for their arrival and then disperse them post haste. For those of you on my Christmas card list look away now, as I am about to share the photo that won the coveted spot:
Yes, my children are shoeless, but this is the best we could do. Honestly, getting two kids and two dogs to cooperate long enough for a photo shoot where we got maybe two useable photos about sent me over the edge. Oh, by the way, we have a cat but there was no way he was getting anywhere near this bunch.

We also got in the Christmas spirit this past weekend with some holiday traditions. The kids visited Santa at the mall . . . 
Such natural smiles.

And Matt and I watched this . . . 
We LOVE Love Actually. Every year, we have to watch it to kick off the Christmas season. If you haven't seen it (which I'm sure you have), you must. This is definitely not a kid-friendly film however, so the children were watching Ramona and Beezus in another room. 

And here are some little bits of Christmas I've sprinkled around the house so far.
I just dragged these out of a box and onto the dining room table. Not really styled or cohesive.
I've had these old-fashioned snowmen for years. I move them around the house every year, but put them on the entry chest for now. I like to stick Christmas cards in my mirror so it's the first thing I see upon entering. Makes me happy.
The mantel needs more sprucing. This is just some roping I bought at Trader Joe's with some other random things and our stockings of course. I bought these wool felt Hable Construction stockings from Garnet Hill a couple of years ago. Love them.
And last but not least, some yummy treats I found at Whole Foods the other night. I know people make these but I'm too lazy. They are delicious!
Throw these in a bowl, and you're ready to entertain!


How about you? Have you gotten in the Christmas spirit yet?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Quick Makeover

Several weeks ago I did a quick little makeover on my grandmother's sideboard which I inherited years ago.
It's not in the best shape, and for years I had considered painting it until I saw a little makeover that Sherry at Design Indulgence did using liming wax. I was intrigued. You must check out her makeover here.

Liming wax is not easy to come by . . .  I had to order it online. But I found it to be extremely easy to use - you literally just wipe it on. Luckily, the finish on the sideboard was pretty worn so it soaked up the wax. If you have a well-sealed piece some sanding might be involved. After a little bit of tweaking (at first my daughter said it looked like it should be in a haunted house), I got the finish about right. I had to live with it a while, but it's grown on me and now I think I like it. Here's the finished product:
There's a little bit of glare from my flash but you get the idea. It's actually pretty subtle.


I've seen a lot of "limed" pieces lately . . .
This Julian Chichester piece that was recently featured on One Kings Lane.


So what do you think? Is liming for you?