Christmas Goodies.

Just wanted to share some of the gifts I received from my wonderful husband and others.

Staring at Stars Array Sweater from Urban Outfitters.

Marc by Marc Jacobs "Amy" Crystal Bracelet Watch.

Dali Melting Clock because my husband knows I'm a big Salvador Dali fan.

Skull candle that melts when lit because my husband knows I love creepy things.

Freeze Frame Ring from Kate Spade

Below are some things that I recently bought for myself while Christmas shopping for others :)

Artdot Novelist Shirtdress from Madewell.

Striped Duet Dress from Madewell.

Shimmered Fairisle Sweater from Anthropologie.

Frye "Melissa Button" Boots.

I also really want the following:

Marc Jacobs striped flats from Spring 2013 collection.

Tabitha Simmons Flats in all the right colors!

Spotted Snowfall Sweater from Madewell.

Paul Smith Unisex Black "Larkin" Spectacles.

And finally, I had an old family ring that I wanted resized and redesigned so below is the before picture of the ring:

It's the ring on the index finger and this is the "Before" shot of it. 

It's basically one small princess cut center stone with three small marquise cut diamond "petals" around the center stone.

Not to create suspense, but due to poor time management I was unable to pick up the ring today so will have to wait a few days before I can post the after pictures.

Future rooms.

I've been thinking about what I want to do with a family room once we move, which will be sometime in the next year or two. I'm already starting to dislike my current family room, the first room I redecorated of course. I want a room with a black and white accent wall of some type of bold patterned wallpaper, perhaps chevron.

I then want to have many gold accent pieces in this room, whether it be side tables, lamps, etc.

Can you tell I'm a little obsessed with tree branch legs for side tables?

I essentially want a black and white room with gold accents, although I'm not sure how dark I want it.

Also, some color might be nice.

I also really want an outdoor space, whether patio or deck, to look like it's an indoor living room space, like this:

Craft Day.

Today I invited a couple of friends over for craft day. There were a few DIY projects I saw and was interested in making. Below are some pictures of the results:

I saw one online with music sheets and made it myself with craft paper from Michael's. I also glued the glitter-dusted pine cones in the middle for the wreath. The one online had a vintage Christmas sign, but I actually like the way the pine cones look in the center. Very pleased with how this turned out.

 Anthropologie had these mason jar snow globes and I used the general idea but put a coyote and tree in instead of pine cones, which I believe are in the Anthro ones.

After not utilizing this chalkboard wall in the entryway for months, I finally decided to "christen" it.

I know, the lettering is completely crooked :( Maybe I'll fix it when I have the time. For now I'll just fool myself into thinking it has homemade charm.

'Tis the season.

I'm so excited for Christmas. Unfortunately, my husband is out of town for work for two weeks, but I've been occupying my time by decorating for Christmas. Haven't done too much, but any Christmas decorations put me in a cheerful mood:

Our little tree. We don't ever spend Christmas at home in LA so I've never bothered with a real tree. It just seems like so much more work and creates a mess for cleanup. At some point if we ever host Christmas, I'm sure we'll start getting real trees. I love the look of pearls on the tree.

Stocking stuffers completed!

Crate & Barrel cake dome filled with simple silver, gold, and bronze ornaments.

New banner for the family room.

I added the two leafs to our dining table mostly for storage reasons, but I really like how elongated the table is now. I have 4 chairs on each side and I'm debating whether or not I should buy two more chairs for the ends, and if so what kind. The burlap runner kind of looks weird now though being shorter than the table...not sure what I want to do with that yet.

Here's a close-up of the tablescape. I just added a couple of holiday themed pieces to what I usually keep on the table. 

I saw this napkin in Country Living and searched three different Targets before I finally found them. I love that they look Christmasy but can also work year-round. Plus they're so affordable that I won't hesitate actually using them, unlike my vintage napkins and ones from Anthropologie, which are mainly just for decor.

Here's an example of how I'm wrapping gifts this year. I always like to pick a theme and stick to it yearly. I'm using library card holders and library checkout cards as the actually cards for each person. Last year I wrapped all my presents with newspaper topped with colorful tissue flowers that I made.

Poison bottle I found while antiquing and an Anthropologie magnifying glass I received as a gift both adorn my entryway table.

 I finally found a use for my extra Pottery Barn ladder photo shelf. Perfect for frequently worn shoes in the entryway.

 I also FINALLY found a shower curtain I feel pretty good about for the guest bathroom. The pattern and colors go perfectly with my towels shown below.