Lights, action!

If you step into my home, you will notice white Christmas lights strung just about everywhere. I've even put them into clear jars and simple vases in place of conventional lamps. People think this is clever and perhaps a little strange (and too embarrassed to tell me!), but seriously, lighting is EVERYTHING. Aside from natural light, it's difficult to create an ambiance of warmness and homeyness with a lot of the choices out there (like overhead or even florescent lighting -- yikes!)

This is why I've opted for quirky as a tradeoff to cozy nooks in my house. When my husband and I are cozied up on the couch watching a Christmas movie, there's a sense of closeness and warmth that is emanated from those lights. I've even put them above our kitchen cabinets, which warms up our white cabinets immensely and almost transforms it into a rustic-y cabin. Honestly, who cares if these white gleaming strings are out of season every other time of the year... the most important thing is to set your own ambiance and absolutely love it!

Here are some more 'stepping out of the pendant' options. (And yes, those Ball jar lights have been wanting to grace themselves on my kitchen ceiling for the longest time!)

Ladder to the sky

My dear husband bought me a spa gift certificate when I was preggers with our little gal, but I never had the opportunity to go until last week. It was heaven and even more so since I had the opportunity to browse Pottery Barn while my little bean was with my mother-in-law. If you're following this blog, chances are you also appreciate PB decor and may also find it too expensive to indulge!

The good thing is that there are many things you can replicate in your own space without the high price tag. One of those things I spotted and lurved - which I had been dreaming and scheming for the longest time - was a ladder hanging above a dining table. I know it sounds wonky, but it was beautifully set against greenery of Christmas garland and splashes of red ribbon strewn all over and hung over a rustic wooden table, equipped with a hammered wooden bench (another lurve!)

When I returned home to scope out some more ideas, I found some pics with not only a suspended ladder, but oversized wooden lanterns to boot. Oh boy, I'm seriously in trouble here. I've already prepped my husband for my future endeavor, but I first have to a.) salvage a wooden ladder b.) prep it so it is suitable to actually come into our home and c.) get a larger dining room so the scope can be appreciated! Yes, even I know my limitations... this is still on my wish list and I have not given up just yet.

However, for those of you with expansive living spaces (and, ahhhh, vaulted ceilings!) feel free to hang a ladder to the sky and embellish it as you wish. For those spaciously challenged (like me), there's always the option of having a smaller ladder to hang and still enjoying the ambiance. Who says looking towards the sky means being aloof?

Whether it's small or large, I think the key is finding something to repurpose and giving it new life. It's also sticking to what's rustic and making it cozy and most importantly, your very own.

Thanks Simple Subtleties for supplying more of the inspiration. Also to PB for making us think outside the box - or in this case, ladder! Seriously, hanging a ladder on its side??? Genius!

I've gathered inspiration for branches.... (see last photo)... stay tuned for that one.

Merry Anthro!

For all you Anthropologie lovers out there, here is a shout out to you courtesy of Ms. Dreamy Whites. This is total eye-candy and a familiar scene since I used to work right across the street (I sooo miss my mini breaks there)! 

Since I live in the country and don't have the opportunity to visit the windows and store, I was happy to stumble upon these shots. Loving the Ball jars hanging from the red ladder and will figure out a way to integrate that into my decor and the tree sporting all those bird houses is something I'd love to put into my daughter's nursery. Christmas lights, Alice in Wonderland-esque tea party, Charlie Brown Christmas trees, little snow houses, open books on the ceiling,  and a pair of vintage skates ... need I say more? 

This is a definite feast for the eyes, hopefully you enjoy as much as I did!

What the Dickens

Last night as I was watching "A Christmas Carol" (this version was Disney), I couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful scenery that was on the screen. Sure it's animated, but so life-like and even magical in how it is portrayed on-screen. From the frosted antique windows to the warmly lit candles, beautiful greenery gracing doorways, carolers at every turn and just that old English Christmas vibe; it's a superb way to demonstrate a picturesque Christmas.

I also couldn't help but view that crochet-y old Scrooge's house as nothing but a large and cold place to hang your hat, even with the fire burning. Yet, Fezziwig's home (ie, Tiny Tim's pop) was a cozy sanctuary filled with homemade decorations, neutral walls, rustic woods (especially the dining table!), but most importantly it was pouring over with faith, hope and love. I do believe that is the key ingredient to any home, holidays or not!

So, with all that said, I stumbled upon these eye-catching shots. Inspiring, simple and seemingly plucked from a Dickens novel.

Table Runner

I've got one word: felt. Seriously. For the last who knows how many weeks I've been itching to use up some of the bunches of felt I had stored up in my craft box. Actually, I've accumulated so many that they don't even fit in there anymore! 

When I put together my Christmas table theme, I randomly placed felt pieces along as a runner without actually sewing them together (go on, check it out from my previous entry). No seams! However, I envisioned a more streamlined runner and something different, so I wanted to string them together using red thread. It actually turned out pretty good. The grey goes wonderfully with the red and is so festive, it picks up on the red of candy canes and the lanterns I placed on there. 

At 25 cents a pop, I'd say this is a pretty good deal. I also sewed red thread around one piece of felt and used it at the center of my kitchen table. . . very quirky, very chic and very unique. Three out of three isn't so shabby! 

Mod Podge Ornaments

Last year I purchased ornaments for just $1.00 at Target, definitely a steal so I picked up a few boxes. Rather than leave them as they were, I wanted to personalize and jazz them up (literally!), so I took music paper and pasted away. Voila! Instantly transformed these guys into stunning and understated statements.

To add another little touch, I strung red string on the tops because I thought it went pretty well with the whole look. This is a DIY from last year, but it was too good to not post on here for this Christmas season.

Bring on the Letters

Anthropologie has the best decor ideas because they're quirky, unique and instantly beautify your home to the point where your friends say 'where did you get that?!' Since joining the blogging world, I have been inspired by letters of any kind; you name it, wood, pewter, metal, paper and just about any other kind that have crossed my path. The only thing stopping me from decking out our cottage with the alphabet has been the heft price tag. Turns out, I'm not the only one! 

Seriously, check these out: 

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=77415&catId=HOME-ROOM&pushId=HOME-ROOM&popId=HOME&navCount=12&color=zin&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=HOME-ROOM-MONOGRAM

At $18.00 a pop, I'd much rather save that for bills (plus, my husband would FREAK!) Rather than risk our bank account - and marriage - I came upon a much easier solution to cure my letter fix. Seriously, these knock-offs look REAL and are super cheap to make. I've officially put this on my ever-expanding list of projects to tackle. I'll be sure to post once I've tackled this DIY. 

In the meantime, if you're up for doing it, visit Sugar and Charm! 

http://www.sugarandcharmblog.com/2011/03/zinc-inspired-letters.html