Taking It Easy


Our Christmas was beyond amazing! The kiddos could not have been more excited about their new bikes and my parents overly blessed us all. I just adore Christmas. Well, as for today we are at the beach trying out those new bikes. I hope to keep up with posting, but we will just see how that goes. And what's a post without a picture? Well, this is Mrs. Sara Evans singing at 2 out of the 9 Christmas eve services where my husband works. The kiddos and I didn't make it, but got to see the practice the week before. Oh, and did you happen to read Jenny of Little Green Notebooks birth story to little Evie. I was moved beyond words. Really Jenny just may be my new hero.

*p.s. The Homie Awards are up on Apartment Therapy. Be sure to vote for your favorite blogs and no I am not talking about me, ha!

*Also I Twitter if you want to follow me. Just to be warned I am not all that entertaining.

Merry Christmas!


Tomorrow the kiddos and I will bake Jesus Birthday cake and after they go to bed hubby and I will get busy wrapping and putting gifts under the tree. I am so very excited to see my little's ones faces when they see their gifts. This year we did bikes, shh! Oh, and here is a Christmas card from our family to you.

{we use tiny prints for our cards just in case you wanted to know}

Joyful


This past weekend we finally put up our tree. I do not recommend waiting till the week of Christmas to find a tree because the pickings are quite slim. This year our tree is a bit on the sad side. Our normal huge tree filled with ornaments and our home all decked out just did not happen this year. Since my sinus surgery I have been functioning at 50% on a good day, but the good days are not many. Oh, and did I mention I blacked out and wrecked my car with my son in it. At first they were going to total it, but now it seems they are going to try to fix it but I won't have it back any time soon. Oh, and my son was fine, praise God. So this is my sad excuse to go along with our sad tree, but on a high note my kiddos LOVE it and that's all that really matters.



I only grabbed our favorite ornaments for the tree this year. Less clean up for later. Every year for Christmas my kiddos each get a new Krinkles ornament. My plan is when they grow up and have their own families I will give them the ornaments to hang on their tree.


I also added mercury glass acorns from Pottery Barn. I bought them last year after Christmas and got them for a steal. I just adore them.

So our tree may be pitiful, but we are full of joy. It is still Christmas time and it is a time to celebrate, woo hoo!

Outfit to Room...

It's been quite some time that I have done an outfit to room so when I came across this photo of Natalie Portman I knew it was time again to create a new room from this outfit...

{via Marie Claire}

Outfit to living room...

{via here}

The Liam sofa from Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams would make a fine center piece.

{via Plum Cushion's}

How about a couple of Schumacher classic moire pillows to add to the sofa.

{via South of the Market}

Maybe a window pane pillow to add a graphic element.

{via Pottery Barn}

A simple sisal rug would ground the room quite nicely.

{via here}

This coffee table would have to be a must. I have been fawning over it ever since seeing it in this Tracery Interiors designers home. Thanks Doug!

{via Etsy}

An original piece of art to hang over the sofa would be lovely.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Light and Airy






I basically ripped this post from a new to me blog, Porch Light Interiors. I really love the lightness and simplicity of this home. The views are stunning, the raw wood speaks to me, and even the pillows make me want to add more feminine touches to my home. I really wish I could see more of this home, but after searching for much too long I had to settle with only a hand full. As you can see I could not help but to share it again. I only hope it is new to at least a few of you.

{via Porch Light Interiors via Desire to Inspire}

Little Red Dress


Last night Kellen went out on a date to Mannheim Steamroller. We had a blast even though we were the youngest people in the place by at least 15 years. We never heard of the musical Broadway group before, but were in need of a show so we went. Anyhoo, the little red dress is by Badgley Mischka and was a steal on Rue La La a invite only site with huge sales of name brand goods. All this to say if you want an invite to Rue La La, Gilt Group, or One Kings Lane a home goods discount site then let me know. I just need your email and I will send you an invite. I have bought clothes and shoes for the kiddos and a few things for me from Gilt, One Kings Lane and now Rue La La and have been quite pleased. I love discount pricing on things I normally could not afford and thought you all may too.

My Master Bedroom Reveal








So all those fabulous photos I took with the rented wide angle lens, well, these are not them. They are forever lost in my computer, but I wanted to share our room redo before this new addition arrives and makes my room less pretty. Anyway, this room redo was done on a major budget simply because I just redid my room early this year, but soon found out I am not funky and needed to go back to the basics. So that is exactly what I did...

-The corbels are from Home Goods. I loved the raw wood feel.
-The botanical prints were found at a local shop Leaf & Petal.
-The dresser and side dresser were painted my own gray color that Benjamin Moore helped me with.
-Faux roman shade I made with simple burlap and lining.
-The lamps I bought at an estate sale and painted black. The lampshades are from Target and have a fabulous gold lining.
-I made the headboard. Directions on how found here.
-The pillow shams were also bought at a local shop, Three Sheets. I loved the gray/brown color and they are what the whole room is based around.
-Leather chair was a Home Goods find and it's brother lives in the family room.
-the sconces that still need candles are from Tracery Interiors shop in Rosemary Beach.
-The curtains were found at Hobby Lobby of all places and I added black out lining.
-The table was painted white and is used for sewing so that is why it's basically empty.
-The desk chair is from CB2 and is perfect for sewing.
-The final chair was from Home Goods ages ago and has lived in almost every room in our house. My husband thinks it's a great place to throw his clothes.

So now you have it. Sorry for the not so great pictures, but I promised to share so I am. As you all should know the room is not 100%, but it's getting there. I am on the search for the perfect fabric to recover a bench that sits at the end of the bed if you all have any ideas I would love to hear them.

Smitten with Lonny








The second issue of Lonny Magazine came out and it is a knock out. The magazine encompasses a fabulous gift guide, home tours to drool over, fashion, and much much more. What I loved most was seeing Nina Freudenberger shop Haus Interior. The aesthetic airs on the the masculine side and I am smitten with it. I absolutely love the patterned wall and have been wracking my brain on where I could recreate this look. The article is a must a read and starts on page 138.

Happy Birthday!


This is my husband and he turns the big 30 today. I love him, I really really do. I am proud to be his wife and thankful God brought him into my life. He is my best friend, partner, and lover. He is all mine, all 6 foot 6 of him. Oh, and the beard is new he hates it, but I love it, so he keeps it. Today is a day to celebrate so that is exactly what we will do starting with cake in bed...

Happy Birthday to my hunk of burning love!


Simplicity At It's Finest











Joni, from Cote De Texas, posted a slew of homes selling in California then asked her readers, "which would you choose?". Without hesitation this would be my pick. I love the simple palette and furnishings. I would never have to leave home with a backyard like that. I am going gaga over the wicker chairs in the dining room and kitchen. Really every detail is perfection. I could move right in without changing a thing. What I love the most is that the decor is doable even in a smaller home on a lesser scale. Oh, and that Hermes blanket is taunting me all over blog land. If I were filthy rich I would buy it in a heart beat, ha!

Hermes


The lovely lady from Blue Hydrangea posted this pic of Ivanka Trumps apartment awhile back and it went straight into my inspiration folder. What inspired me so? The Hermes scarf framed in the background is what. When I was small my grandmother gifted me a Hermes scarf with horses on it simply because I was obsessed with horses. Of course at the time I had no idea that Hermes was a big deal and I played with that scarf to no end. Well, as I got older it now sits in a drawer but the scarf still brings me great memories of my grandmother. I am thinking of having it framed like this so I can enjoy it on a daily basis.

A Chic Office




I came across Kristen Hutchins Design recently. Erin from Elements of Style always features such fabulous designers and this one really caught my eye. If we had a space for an office then this would be exactly what I would want. Love the gray walls, muted color palette, zebra rug, the ribbon trim on the curtains, really I could go on and on. Heck that is the same computer we have (although hubby is ready for an upgrade, ha) and I have a round mouse pad too, it really must be a sign for something.

Giveaway with Kellen Jacob Photography


We had an amazing year in our new photography adventure. We were blessed beyond measure and could not be more grateful for all the people who took a chance on us. This was our first year into the wedding side of photography and we are smitten with it. We can not wait till a new year of growth and as a thank you from us we are hosting a giveaway for a free standard shoot in 2010! It's easy, to enter just hop on over to Kellen Jacob and vote for your favorite photo of '09. You will then be entered to win, woohoo! It was hard to choose our favorites, but a post can only be so long. We just finished up with the wedding of the couple above and hope to have a wedding post soon. She was stunning, he all dapper, pure perfection.

*contest ends December 11th at 3pm CST, (my husbands 30th Birthday)!

*Contest is open to local Birmingham residents only unless you want to travel to us. We will also include the Rosemary Beach area since we head that way every year.

* winner will be chosen at random.

Coastal Living


I know, I know, I said I would not be back till next week, but the nausea has subsided and I can't sleep so what better to do than blog at 1 in the morning? Anyhoo, with so many of my favorite magazines saying good bye it was an honor to be asked by one of my faves to review for Coastal Living magazine every month. The coast is where I dream to live, but until then I can dream through this mag on a monthly basis. Besides always having tons of yummy eye candy, they do encompass much more. Fashion, food, decor, lifestyle, and travel are always throughout. The December/January issue rings in the holiday season with so many goodies, one of my faves would have to be the gift guide. I am always on the hunt for the perfect gift and these would do quite nicely...


How about stripey straws for the one who loves to entertain.


A custom surfboard for the major sports enthusiast.


You can never go wrong with a candle in my book.


For the fashion maven. Isn't she a beauty? Aah, now onto something so very delightful...


With all the holiday parties coming up they have a seafood lovers appetizer list that makes my mouth water. I personally would love this hot crab and shrimp dip right about now. Did I happen to mention my appetite is back too?

I really could go on and on, I do love to dissect a magazine piece by piece. Something about holding the glossy pages makes me giddy at the beginning of every month. Oh that is what I like to do, but I shall sustain and hopefully get some sleep tonight. Have a lovely weekend.

A House to Dream About








This home was featured in the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens and I am smitten with it. I could sit on that porch for hours and just enjoy that view. When I think of our one day house I would have to say this one fits the bill perfectly. It feels very warm and cozy. I am a huge fan of texture and not color so even the decor would work for me. The layout is what I like the most. Simple yet functional. The only thing I would want to add would be some sort of garage or car port. I really hate running out in the rain. Can you tell I have thought way too much about this house?

Too Good Not to Share


Dace is having an online sample sale that runs through December 3rd at midnight. You receive 40% off everything including sales items, just enter "gimme" at checkout. I picked out this little number that I have been eying for some time now, yippee! Talk about a little pick me up that I so needed. Perfect for summer and could work with a little blazer for winter. Oh yes, I will fight the nausea for a good sale.

Dramatic

This kitchen oozes drama for me. I could see myself all dolled up with red lips to match. More importantly though, I thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. My surgery went as well as to be expected, but the recovery time will be a bit longer. The extreme nausea was unplanned and keeps me away from the computer screen and really much movement at all. It's been a week since I have been able to pick up my children and it seems I am still about a month out from doing so, that's the hard part. I have a post that I worked on last week for tomorrow, but besides that I am signing off until next week. I miss you all and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!


I have a lot to be thankful for this year. We have been very blessed. Tomorrow will be a day spent with the family, but as for today I will be having minor surgery. A prayer will be welcome, I always get so nervous having to go under, eek! Why today you ask? Well, it is the one time of year that I am guaranteed help with the kiddos, I am one smart cookie, ha.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!