Christmas in Boston

Every year the day after Thanksgiving I helped my mom decorate our home for the Christmas holiday. She always wanted the house decked as soon as possible which is a trait that was most definitely passed down to me. Since the weekend after Thanksgiving meant the egg retrieval for my second round of IVF, I enlisted the help of Boston Pollen for the garland, centerpiece and wreath as well as Winston's for our tree. It was the perfect pick me up to have the house looking festive when I got home. I put together a few of my favorite corners of the apartment that I added a touch of holiday decor. It honestly makes me never want to leave the house, it feels so cozy inside. Oh & our holiday card at the bottom that we shot while on Nantucket for the Christmas Stroll. 

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Holiday Gift Guide - For the Host & Hostess

I know it's hard to think about gift guides before Thanksgiving has graced us but the truth is the holiday season is upon us. As we start receiving invitations to festive parties you will quickly realize how nice it is to have something on hand to gift the host or hostess. The best part is that everything is under $60! So instead of gifting the usual bottle of wine {ideas below on how to even jazz that up} why not give something a little extra to the person who so thoughtfully put together an evening to create special memories. 

oven mitt set // planner // pens // cake stand // candle // plaid throw // puzzle // monogrammed mug // candy stirrers // pancake molds // pancake mix // syrup & holder // celebrate everything book // cutting boards // coasters // wine bottle labels // wine tote

Kate Spade is undoubtedly the queen of quirkiness and her holiday line of goods for the kitchen is so adorable. I love this trio of oven mitts and this apron and recipe book also are great additions. 

Sugar Paper killed it again with their line with Target. I absolutely love this planner and pen set for helping keeping a busy host/hostess organized. 

Bringing a dessert to a party this year? Why not bring it on a beautiful cake stand for pretty displaying. Love this red Le Creuset but also love these other options too. 

A candle is a trusty gift for any occasion. I love giving them in a festive scent that matches the time of year we are in. There is also a great selection of seasonal scents here. 

Wrap a pretty ribbon around this plaid throw and your gift is ready to give. 

Who doesn't love a puzzle, a fun gift for the family to do together especially one that when completed turns into something pretty. 

Have a host/hostess who loves to cook. I adore gifts that are sets. Why not give them the gift of breakfast with the most adorable pancake molds, mix, and delicious syrup and petite pitcher. 

Something monogrammed had to make the list. Adore these gilded mugs and the candy stirrers are the perfect partner to gift a pretty duo. 

Some of my favorite housewarming gifts have been books to enjoy. I think this celebrate everything would be a big hit for anyone who likes to host. I personally enjoyed this one & this one too. 

Dying over these marble cutting boards & coasters. They are so gorgeous & feminine. Who wouldn't want them?!

Finally embellish you wine gift with a fun holiday label or wine tote to make your gift little extra special. 

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Dining Dilemmas

As we are halfway into our second year in our new home I still can't believe how I haven't made my mind up on so much of the decorating. One item that has been on my to do list was finding new dining chairs. Since we spend most of our time in the open concept main room where the kitchen, the living rom and dining room are all in, it seems sensible to have those pieces be first priority. Since we want to stay here as long as possible while we search for a forever home to purchase I still want the decor to reflect our personal style. So I am turning to you all for your insight and help in selecting a new chair for our main room dining. Our dilemma lies with all the varieties of wood in one room which has me leaning towards an upholstered chair to break up the off white kitchen, the dark mahogany built in's and coordinate it to the color of the table top. Which one of the six is your favorite??? 

   

one // two // three // four // five // six // table

 all kitchen items can be found here

Naturally Beautiful

When it comes to decorative objects for the home I keep finding myself drawn to natural elements that make the most beautiful accent pieces. Whether it be a geode, crystal, piece of agate, marble and so on, there are oh so many clever and stylish ways to incorporate items found in nature into your home. I have become particularly fond of the geode and it's many layers of raw edges and natural colors. I have the above piece on our fireplace mantle thanks to a holiday present from my mom and in our guest room I have stacked piles of books on nightstands with more petite geodes in different colors that match our accent pillow. I also love this gifted piece for entertaining and these coasters on our coffee table are also a favorite aesthetically and for functionality. I pinned a bunch of other ideas for decorating with natural objects here to help get your inspiration going.

antler // candle // pink quartz available in store {white here} // matches old {similar here} // box // books //  nightstand

jewelry box & tray {old west elm, similar here} // books // amethyst // nightstand

coffee table // coasters // candle // game // shagreen tray

shop all of the above & more with the links below

Holiday Gift Guide - For The Host/Hostess

I know it feels way to early to be thinking about your holiday shopping lists but I couldn't resist sharing my first holiday gift guide with you all to help get prepped for all the festivities that are surely filling up your calendar for next month. We have been so fortunate in our new home to have hosted a few dinner parties and our guests have seriously spoiled us with the most generous gifts. So I wanted to kick off the gift guides with some inspiration for giving to the host/hostess that show know how to throw a party. Some are items I have personally received and loved and some are on my list to give to friends and family this holiday season. 

Clare V. is always a stop for me during my holiday shopping lists. Her clutches are seriously stylish so I naturally adored her market tote. 

Who doesn't love a sassy gift here or there. These naughty & nice glasses are adorable and hilarious. If you want to be a little more sophisticated there are a ton more to choose from. 

Giving gifts to men always seems to be a challenge for me. I always thinking picking up their favorite six pack with a nice bottle opener fits the bill for the male host. 

Who doesn't love to receive a good bottle of vino?! Make the gift a little extra special with a this wine tote, or these adorable wine brown bags. 

A throw may seem like an odd thing to gift for hostessing a party but I couldn't resist the adorable pom pom trim on this one. 

 A special memory can be gifted in a beautiful geometric shaped frame. 

A soft scented candle and coordinating matches are always a solid go to gift. 

We always see flasks for men that are super cute, but this one is perfect for ladies...I love how it looks like a bracelet and comes in fun colors. 

Game night in is always a welcome gift for a family. Love these colorful cards & this artistic puzzle. 

I was gifted this salt cellar & fresh sea salt last year & it's so functional and pretty on our countertops. 

A chic desk calendar to keep a stylish friend up to date. 

Monogrammed gifts always let the receiver know you thought ahead, these shield style boards are so perfect for the entertaining at the holidays. 

A chic paper weight let's your gift recipient know they are a good egg. 

A great gift for the gardener/cook who loves their own fresh herbs at an arms reach. Or flowers in this darling vase. 

This entire set of blue & gold ceramics is stunning but I am partial to the pedestal bowl filled with a holiday snack of course. 

What kitchen or bathroom doesn't need a pretty soap/lotion duo?

all of the above and a few added extras can all be shopped below!

Minted

dresser - Ethan Allen // jewelry box - Anthropologie {old, similar here} // nautical map // art c/o Minted // cloche jar - Phoebe & Belle 

Minted has long been a favorite source of mine for holiday cards, invitations, moving announcements and general stationary. I absolutely love the convenience that all my addresses can be printed on envelopes for me and they let you customize your project with colors, fonts and so much more. So when they reached out to me about their amazing art collection I was super excited to take a peak. First I was impressed with their helpful search engines allowing me to narrow down what I was looking for by the color palette. Since I was wanting to stay within colors that matched my existing home decor.  The next part was the selection of framing,  I loved that you are able to see each piece in every frame option. Lastly, they give you tips on other pieces that would work with the art you have selected and how it would look in a gallery wall for a visual interest.  I selected three prints, two for our city apartment and one to go along with a map that was gifted to my husband out at my families home on Shelter Island. I absolutely love how well the pieces work together and the two very different looks really show our personal style. One has a casual beach vibe with a weathered frame that perfectly matched my jewelry box we already had while the other prints are nicely layered on one another under our TV in our master bedroom in a sleek white wood frame. 

{basket purchased earlier in the summer} similar here - west elm // blanket - pottery barn // shagreen console - rum runner home  // jewelry box - Kathy Kuo Home  // jewelry plate - Hermes // art  c/o of Minted here & here 

p.s. please don't mind the ugly carpeting we are on the hunt for it's replacement ;)

shop the above items & more with the links below

I also used their gallery tool to create a little black & white wall, so fun to test out how pieces work together in a series. 

Still need some help with art in your home? Check out my girl Amelia! 

Decorate Your Shelves

When we moved this past June we pretty much sold everything we had from the old apartment as our current home has more of a traditional New England style and our old place was all mid-century modern. Since we also expanded our square footage that meant we had a lot of decorating to do. Something that is new territory to me. The process has been a lot of fun but also a bit overwhelming. Apparently I am indecisive and I pretty much can't make my mind up about anything which has meant that filling the empty spaces in our home has been taking much longer then I thought it would. I always hear advice from designers to "fill things in over time", "buy what you love, not just something to fill a space". I however have to tell you, staring at empty shelves is getting old real fast. So with my bare built in's looking pretty sad I put together a little round up of some objects to decorate your shelves with. What do you have as decor in your living room? 

you can shop all the above with the links below

Style & Real Estate - Giuliana & Bill

Yesterday when we were heading home from Denver I picked up some magazines for reading on the flight home. While I usually opt for a glossy like Vogue or a gossip like US but this time I went for Traditional Home where I saw the gorgeous Chicago home of Bill & Giuliana Rancic. I have long loved taking a peak into celebrity homes {I mean who didn't love Cribs or Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous} but this one was extra appealing to see how a city home can be made to really function for a family while not giving up a urban lifestyle. Something that is so interesting to us as we continue to search for our forever home in Boston. I lam totally smitten with their home and the pops of blue for a little color like they had in their LA Home. 

I would line those lattice walls with some flowers or ivy for more of an outdoorsy look but a urban yard like this is pretty amazing and very hard to come by. 

How amazing is this closet that overlooks the master bath. While this would make me silly nervous with a toddler I love the look of the modern glass railing allowing lots of natural light to shine through multiple rooms. 

I would live in this bathroom. It's perfection. The custom tile, the designated his and her vanities and oversized tub is everything. This bathroom meets all my symmetry obsessions. 

all images via Traditional Home 

Some items in their home you can get for yourself!

Color Crush - Hot Pink & Navy Blue

My niece recently asked me for some help putting together a look for her new bedroom. She sent me a few inspiration photos of things she liked and from there I put together a little round up of a girly room that this pre-teen can grow with and not feel like a little kid anymore. I love the bright pairing of navy blue and hot pink together. It makes for such a cheery ambience and fits this preppy kids overall look. I hope you like it Reeve, love you!



Bed - flamingo wall art // "be you" wall art // headboard // bedding // nightstand // monogram trinket dish // flowers // tassel pillow // throw pillows // pouf {not shown}

Desk - chair // desk // desk lamp // agenda // bulletin // trash bin // tissue box