Too Soon For Tulips? Our Happy New Years Eve

After a long week away visiting family for Christmas, it was really nice to come home and fuss about.  Somehow I thought New Year's Eve was on Saturday and I would have a day to gather myself, unpack, clean and get organized before the New Year.  After I said to my husband about ten times that I couldn't believe it was New Year's Eve on Friday, I ran out to go food shopping (cupboards were bare).  I also needed some flowers ASAP for some cheer!  These tulips felt so fresh and gave me a hint of spring.  I hate to admit that I woke up that morning (Friday) excited for spring!  It is only the beginning of our long winter and  spring is very far away so I better get over it!  I highly recommend filling your home with flowers during these long winter months.  I plan on putting flowers in several rooms in my home, even on my bedside table.  Flowers when you wake up?  Just lovely...I will try and find some scented ones...

I think the reddish pink tulips compliment the antique silverplate vase perfectly!

For New Year's Eve, we kept it simple and easy.  No cooking (whew)!  I had to have candles to set the mood.  We kept all the lights low and put on some classical music.  We also had our fireplace going to make it even more cozier.  

I love my collection of brass candlesticks from antique stores

We had a lovely antipasto platter and an assortment of cheeses.  Opened a bottle of wine, ate shrimp cocktail and just sat back and relaxed.  It was the best night ever!

The aftermath....

Photo taken by my daughter

A view from my dinning room through the foyer to our living room where our chubby Christmas tree is. I did not do much decorating this year because we were traveling.  However, it is nice to be home and enjoy our tree now.  My husband asked me what are two things that I would like to accomplish in 2011...that would have to be, travel (Ireland and San Francisco-for now) and get a new refrigerator!  Also, healthy eating and exercise...oh yeah, update and care for my blog better (have not been posting that much).  It is exciting to "feel" like you can start fresh for the new year coming.

What do you resolve to do this year?

Happy New Year!

xojamilyn

{All photo's property of living it at home}

A {Tiny} Bit Of Christmas From Our House

I just have to face it....my decorating this year is just not up to par!  There are only eight more days left till Christmas and I did not do everything I wanted to do.  I have decided to be more like the victorian housewives {instead of the Boston housewives-wonder if they will do a show here}.  Anyway, since the victorian woman had to make everything by hand they began at least three months in advance {I think}.  This is where I need to be next year, starting in August!  On average woman spend about 300 hours or 38 working days preparing for the festivities {source here}.  I may have spent that amount of time thinking "I really need to get started".  Shamefully, our tree isn't fully decorated.  I will not be showing a picture right now because I hope to get to it this weekend!

This display on my sideboard I literally threw together in about 10 minutes.  Good for now.  My daughter made the sparkly red pine cones.  Great project to do with kids and they make cute gifts as ornaments.  Just buy red glitter, get some glue and get to work!  Cute!

Lovely sweet gingerbread house purchased from here.  We will be eating this soon...

How many days or hours have you spent getting ready?

xojamilyn

{All images taken via me}

Pin Me {Sparkle For Christmas}

Presenting my small ever growing collection of sparkly things.  I set up a little photo shoot for you to show them off.   I know using natural light is the key in photography, so I placed them by a window.  I have been learning that my house is just to dark for photos!  Note to self...  next home will have bigger windows or more of them for lots of sunlight!  We also have 7 very old large Oak trees surrounding our home which provides much needed shade in the heat of the summer.  My daughter has named our home Seven Oaks because we have so many.  I like that we have named our home!  It makes it sound so grand and old fashioned!  Well, back to my jewelry.  I have realized over the years that I really like things that sparkle.  Thus, my attraction to these beauties below.  The three lovely pins are vintage and very unique.  Perfect for a statement piece on any simple outfit.

The very large round rhinestone pin I just picked up at a local consignment store.  I was so excited to find it and it was discounted too!  It is so beautiful in person and looks great pinned on a black sweater or even a cream one.  It is done really well and picks up the light which makes it sparkle very brightly.  Perfect for a Christmas party.  We actually have one this week and I plan on wearing it!

Whenever I come across unusual vintage jewelry, I think that something great can be done with them.  They are so unique and made well.  I then came across Elva Fields.  Emily Wheat Maynard scours flea markets for unique jewelry and produces these gorgeous necklaces from them.  I seriously want one of these pieces.  Most of my favorites have already sold out.  They are one of a kind.  Gorgeous!  These are just some examples below.  Enjoy!

 

Have you ever come across anything so lovely?

xojamilyn

{Photo's taken via me and property of Living It At Home.  Necklaces from Elva Fields}

Our Easy Christmas Decorations For Front Door {Side Door}

One of the best things I have ever bought {for outside} are my black metal urns.  I use them over and over for every season.  This festive display only took me about fifteen minutes to arrange.  You can find the large red twigs and fresh greenery at your local nursery.  To do these two containers cost me around thirty dollars.  As far as a wreath, you don't need to get to complicated.  Just pick up an evergreen wreath and tie a simple red bow on it.  Now, there are years were I would like to do something different or more elaborate {like this year}.  However, this display is the fastest way to get your front entrance looking good and you can move on to more important things...like gifts!

To arrange these decorations, it is really easy.  First you start with dirt...you need that to hold everything in place.  I like to keep the red branches bundled together in the middle.  I usually tie them at the end with rubber bands and  place them in the middle deep in the dirt.  I then take each evergreen branch and stick them around the pot.  The large pine cones you can add in anywhere.  I think they look best clustered in a pair.  That is it and you are done!  I purchased all of these at Fran's Flowers in Natick, MA.  Go here to see there video on how to arrange a beautiful holiday display for your winter containers.

Our side door decorations.  Again, this was easy and simple.  I picked up two small trees and just placed them in my urns.  I then found some pine cones lying around outside and tucked them in.  Done!

I just saw snow flurries today.  Expecting snow by the end of the week?  Already?  I still have Christmas lights to hang outside!

Have fun decorating!

xojamilyn

Dinner Plates, Platters And More-FISHS EDDY In NYC

Have you ever walked into a store and feel like you have struck gold?  Well, not gold but plates...oodles and oodles of them!  We embarked on a quick trip to NYC to see the show Wicked on Broadway and had some time to wander around.  Ended up on the subway to Union Square to go to ABC Carpet & Home.  We then stumbled upon Fishs Eddy and never made it to our desired destination.  The store was jam packed but utterly entrancing with all that it had to offer in dishware.   I did not want to leave!  We only had a short period of time and I wanted to so desperately to purchase something fantastic.  There was so much to look at and so little time to enjoy it all that I came out with nothing!  This was right before Thanksgiving, mind you, and any of these plates, platters, cake stands would have been very useful.  I was in heaven at discovering this store!  Luckily they have an online shop too.  

What was really great was all the restaurant plates they stocked.  These plates and serverware are unique and very heavy.  I was carried away!

Row after row of china splendor...flatware too!

This vintage china section stopped me in my tracks.  By this point, it was brain overload but in a good way! 

 NYC is so enchanting this time of year. 

 The hustle bustle of all the shoppers, visitors and locals brings a vibrancy and excitement to just being there.  We came at a time when the Christmas decorations were just going up so I got a little glimpse at what is to come.  We stayed at a beautiful hotel called The New York Palace.  We were right across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral.  I felt like we were in the heart of the city!

By the time we had left the hotel they were finished with the Christmas decorations.  Everything was so magical that I did not want to go!  One night stay in NYC is not enough!

New York Palace decorations



The Cartier store is as pretty as a package for Christmas.  

The Fendi store was a shimmering beauty.  The icicles were actually lights that simulated water dripping.  It was stunning at night!

I hope you get a chance to visit NYC at this time of year.  A bit crowded but that is what makes it fun and interesting.  I think I will have to go back!  I highly recommend the show Wicked.  The cast was superb and very talented. The story of the Wicked Witch of the West was not what I expected (did not read the book)!  It was worth every penny!

xojamilyn

All photo's taken via me and property of Living It At Home

My Simple Thanksgiving Table

~Happy Thanksgiving~

The cooking now begins.....

xojamilyn

Photo's taken via me and property of Living It At Home

It's Simple...Use Candles For Thanksgiving Ambiance

Easy-Simple-Easy-Simple!  Treat yourself and your guest to a lovely grouping of candles.  Clustering candles together will give you that needed ambiance without going through much trouble.  I will be hosting Thanksgiving at my home and I have to admit that I get caught up in the creative side of the holidays.  Fiddling here and there with table settings or decorations for my buffet is how I like to spend my time.  I know I should be cooking and shopping...blah...blah...blah!  I love to make everything look pretty and unique.  I think these images will work with what I had in mind.  I don't think it will take me much time to pick up some candles, set them out, and light them!  

Trina, over at A Country Farmhouse blog, uses taper candles beautifully in her dinning room.  I think she is all set for Thanksgiving.  It is the most pure and simple decoration for this season that I have come across.  She always does a beautiful job with her photography and decorating her home.  I was very inspired by these images to use candles to set the mood for our Thanksgiving meal.  Her home is darling!

I keep using the word easy but, how easy is it to place all white candles on a tray in different sizes?  Very effective.  Do you have some pretty or unusual bottles lying around in your attic or basement?  Get some gorgeous taper candles in different colors and just pop them in and you are all set!

  Everyone always looks better with candlelight!  If you don't have enough candles holders to use...head out to a local thrift store and pick some up!  In the past, I have scored adorable brass candle sticks for one dollar!  I actually feel a little better knowing that for Thanksgiving, my home will look beautiful and cozy by candlelight.  Maybe it will even mask a burnt dish or too!!!!!

I hope you give it a try too!

xojamilyn

Images via BHG and via A Country Farmhouse blog

Rebecca Minkoff Bag Obsession

I officially went bonkers for a while searching for this bag is this carmel color.  Being that the RM leather Studded Nikki Hobo bag was huge last season made it more difficult to find.  They no longer make the bag!  I was on all the "previously owned" sites and of course e-bay.  Just when I started searching, someone snatched this bag in this color already.  I was too late!  How frustrating!  I did however, purchase the same bag in a teddy bear brown color on ebay.  Wasn't the best experience I have had on ebay and don't think I will be using them again in the near future for handbags.  Anyway, I have the bag and have happily been using it.   It is very slouchy and a great big hobo (I really like large bags).  Don't you just love the blue and white lined interior?  The gold studs are pretty neat to.  In the dark color it makes them stand out more.  I find it a little bit too flashy for me though but settled for what I could find!  I really wanted the carmel color shown below!  If I come across it again, I may just have to buy it!  Now, don't everyone go running out to buy it!  If you find one let me know!  : )  Please!

Not me below (some actress named Jessica), but thought this was a great pic of the bag!

Always on the look out for great big slouchy soft leather bags!

Have fun!

xojamilyn

Images Rebecca Minkoff