Christmas and Holiday Decorating

I love decorating for Christmas.  I love dimming the lights, putting on Christmas music, and adding some magic to our home.  It is even more fun to have little 'helpers' around who get just as excited.  Here are a few Christmas decorating ideas for this year....some are pinterest finds, others just new ideas.  Enjoy!

Fill your windows with doilies or cut out snowflakes.....and PERFECT activity to do with kids.  I've done it the past 2 days with Christmas music on, and they (and I) love it!  Perfect winter decoration to keep all season.

 Banister idea: garland and a place to hang your Christmas cards

Kids room: Wall Light Tree.  Twinkle lights are just magical.  Kids (and adults) will love any reason to put them up.  Could be a winter decoration if just strung up naturally.

Moss Garland (from Martha Stewart). Love the pop of bright green. 

No this is not me.  But I'm kind of digging the tinsel. 

Banister idea: Hang your stockings.  Probably a safer spot with littles in the house.  

Greenery on the mantle.  I saw some fresh stuff on sale at Trader Joes.  

Rather than hanging ornaments on a tree, from a chandelier, or in a jar.....how about under a glass globe?  You probably fill up the globe upside down, put a plate on top, then flip it over. 

Always a favorite.  My mason's are fill with white glitter and either silver pine cones, white trees, or silver doves.  Been in my repertoire for a few year now.  Love it.  They could be filled with any type of holiday trinkets. 

That's it for now.  I'm sure to post more Christmas crafts or DIY soon enough. Happy Decorating!

Ace Hotel NYC

I love boutique hotels.  I love the design freedom and creativity they share.  In light of this love, I'd like to start a new feature series on hotels.  The first one is the Ace Hotel in NYC.  My brother and sis-in-law stayed there for their 10th anniversary and had rave reviews.  When I looked it up, photos did not disappoint.  The lobby doubles as a library reading room as well as a social bar to meet friends.  It is trendy but not too swanky; the rooms have a sort of upscale dorm feeling- some rooms even have bunk beds in it.  The location isn't half bad either....right near Madison Square Park on Broadway.....conveniently near many great home stores!

 Any hotels in NYC or elsewhere that you just love?

OH! And don't forget to enter the Giveaway!!!

SPONSOR GIVEAWAY! A is for Apple

It's that time of the year again..... Christmas Card time!  My cute and creative friend, Meriel, has her own ETSY shop called A is for Apple.  She is extremely talented and creative both with a sewing machine and on design templates.  She has some great designs for Christmas cards, as well as other special occasions.  You can work with her on your card and either print it yourself, or have her print them for you.  It costs $20 for a custom design and $15 for a semi-custom design listed in her shop (printing services is separate).

So, here's the catch! Meriel is offering a GIVEAWAY!!!  One lucky reader will be offered a free custom design!!!  If I could enter, I would!  What you need to do is leave a comment below and make sure you are following me.  For an extra entry, like me on Facebook at LoveOfInteriors.  The giveaway will end next Sunday, December 1.  Good luck!!!

Such a cute idea.... Advent Calendar activity ideas!

Chartreuse & Co.

The kids and I decided to head down a bit early to MD to relax and explore a bit before the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Selfishly, I wanted to get down here for the amazing Chartreuse & Co. weekend tag sale.  They are an AMAZING antique hub with great stuff and great prices.  It is about 3 large barns/homes full of great stuff.  Lots of it already refinished but some not.  And definitely better prices than anything I've seen in the New York area. I seriously have dreams about their stuff.  I have a problem.

This time didn't disappoint.  However, I had both kids with just me so I couldn't look and ponder as much as I'd like.  Regardless it's always worth it.  Here are a few things that caught my eye:

I went back to buy this as a coffee table and future mudroom bench....but for $60 it already got snatched up. I'm so bummed!!

Old school house bench.  Great accent and useful extra seating

Loved this.  Would work as a buffet or a media console. 

A small corner of the lovelies

Thought this was clever... but too pricey.  Would be cute as a craft room light.

Unfortunately I left empty handed. Waa, waa.  Better luck next time! Have you had any luck with flea market, antique stores, or garage sales?

DIY Refinish Dining Room Table

A few year back, we bought our dining table at a home decor boutique that I worked with.  It originally came with a wax top finish (different than the glossy finish on the chairs).  We decided to strip off the wax finish and seal it with something different.  Well, we must not have done our HW correctly, because it leaves horrible watermarks, and every time the table is wet, the stain would get on our clothes.  Disaster!!  For some silly reason we were just too lazy to bite the bullet and refinish the table. But now that we live in a house with a separate garage, we have no excuses.  So, here is what we did:

First, sand that puppy down.  We recently purchased an orbital sander, and can't believe we have gone through life without one!!!  I DEFINITELY recommend it.  It does a much better job and is way faster (and less tiresome on your arms!) than the old-school way.

Next, apply the stain of your choice.  We used MinWax Dark Walnut stain, and applied 2 coats (waiting for it to dry in between).  You can apply it with a white rag, but we used a paint brush.  

Once that dried completely, we applied MinWax Clear Gloss Polyurethane.  We applied 3 thick coats with a brush, allowing at least 4 hours in between each coat.

Once you are done with that, wait 24-48 hours until you set items on it or use it.  And VOILA! The finished product. I am SO excited to wipe down my table, use cleaner, and not have streaks and stains on it.

Thanksgiving Banner

Hello today!  How are all of you?  I hope you are staying warm seeing as though it is in the 30s outside.  Brrrr.  As a result me and the boys have been coming up with crafts, games and new things to do indoors.  So today I bring you a little DIY (and more coming in the next few posts!).  I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner! My kids just went trick-or-treating on Sunday (due to the hurricane) so we are a little behind.  I get so pumped for Christmas decorations and music and everything that I tend to skip over Thanksgiving decorations. However, especially at this time after the hurricane devastation, I have much to be thankful for.  So I wanted to create a little banner as a reminder of how blessed my family is.

You can pick whatever colors you want, but I wanted to keep it simple.  I am no banner wizard at all, but this turned out pretty easy.

First trace and cut out whatever shape you like for your banner letter background.

Then add a border and letters (I cheated and used sticker letters)

Next, hot glue your letters to a ribbon of choice, and VOILA!

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, how cheap and easy it was, and it's my own original creation.

Here's to being thankful for a roof over our head, electricity and heat, and healthy families!

Diane VonFurstenberg

Not many people can completely embody the word FABULOUS much like Diane VonFurstenberg.  From her iconic wrap dress to her home accessories line, she accentuates fabulosity (and not in the way of Kimora Lee Simmons).  Here is a peek into her two of her a-mazing homes.

WHERE  Manhattan's meatpacking district

THE STATS and DECOR  Glass and steel live/work space, in a trendy neighborhood overlooking Highline  Park.  It has eclectic and global feel to reflect her travels and style. 

 WHERE  Western Connecticut 

THE STATS and DECOR Her idyllic home in the country, called Cloudwalk, is sprawling landscape with a lake, hiking trails, a barn with chickens and two buildings: One is the property's original 19th-century residence, which has been renovated to house the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms for guests. The other, a former barn, is now "my home, a must for me," says von Furstenberg. "Welcome to my salon, my sanctuary, my archive, and my studio. This is my place to think and my place to dream."   DVF collects art nouveau vases "from anywhere I can find them," she says.