Winter Blossoms

We don’t often think of floral arrangements in the wintertime, but there are actually a large variety of blooms that will let you bring a little life inside when the temperatures drop. Here are a few of our favorite wintry options.

From left to right, top to bottom:

• Phlox Flowers
• Pansies
• Protea Nerifola Flower
• Hellebore Flowers
• Chrysanthemum
• Gerbera Daisy
• Asiatic Lily
• Peruvian Lily
• Acacia Flower 

Bring a little springtime color and atmosphere into your home this winter, and try out arrangements with the above flowers this season.

What are your favorite seasonal blooms? 

On the Serengeti

We suffered through sub-zero temperatures in Louisville this week. This is NOT what we’re used to, so needless to say, wanderlust has set in hard. Alas, a getaway isn’t in the cards for a while, so we’re dreaming of ways to bring warm, exotic locales to us. Last year a member of the team visited Tanzania and the Serengeti, and now we’d love to bring some of that safari style into our home. 

Here are a few ideas:

Employ an Earth Palette

Browns, creams, taupes or gold tones on the walls echo the colors of the African savanna and also warm the atmosphere of any room. Accent colors like rusty reds, pumpkin oranges, and olive greens complete the look and keep the space looking natural and inviting.  

Photo credit: st.houzz.com

Nurture the Natural

Wood, clay, leather, rattan and other native materials are the components of traditional African lifestyles and will give your look an added authenticity and rustic appeal. Wood in particular is crucial to the African aesthetic, as woodcarving is an integral part of many tribal cultures and artistic traditions. Try out a variety of materials in different spaces to evoke the vastness and diversity of the African landscape, and be sure to mix natural textures.

Photo credit: graciepi.com

Pattern Practice

Patterns are an important hallmark of traditional African décor, so give them a shot. We’re partial to animal prints, so long as they are used with restraint. Throw pillows in a zebra print or an accent chair in giraffe spots serve as design anchors of the safari chic we’re trying to achieve.

Photo credit: overstock.com

Eye the Art

Wood carvings and tribal art are beautiful when a few pieces are displayed together on an accent wall or table. Visit museums and art galleries to look for unique works of art (if you haven’t had a chance to build a collection via your own travels) that will capture the eye and start conversations.

Photo credit: etsystatic.com

 If you could go anywhere, where would you escape to this winter?

Hide and Seek

Tired of your kiddos and family members getting an early season preview because you’ve once again tried to hide gifts under your bed? Here is a top 10 list of new ideas for hiding places that will ensure the utmost secrecy until Santa officially arrives. 

10. Kitchen cupboards and drawers you never use.

Everyone’s got junk drawers and high cupboards that very rarely are opened. This year, get out the step stool, stash away, and then hide the step stool. 

9. Your car trunk.

If you aren’t someone who is constantly carting around your kid’s soccer equipment and team snacks, this could be a winning way to keep the presents out of the house, and constantly on the move.

8. Your office.

It may be a pain to drag bags of presents to and from your office or cubicle, but if you have the space, it’s one place you can pretty much ensure your loved ones won’t be visiting.

7. The junk pile.

Have a corner in your basement or attic of old boxes covered in dust cobwebs? We all do. For just a few weeks, add another box to the stash, this one filled with packages a little more pristine.

6. Your neighbor’s house.

Assuming your neighbor doesn’t watch your kids and isn’t a regular hang-out, try hiding a few gifts under their bed or in their linen closet.

5. Behind the books.

Lucky enough to have some spacious bookshelves and small gifts? Try stashing what you can in between the books and the back of the shelf.

4. In shoe boxes.

Another winner for smaller packages, if you’re someone who often keeps shoeboxes around as storage for your shoes. Try moving a couple of pairs into a dresser or closet space, and instead filling those boxes with your prettier packages for a bit.

3. Looting the luggage.

If you aren't going to be traveling this holiday season, use those big empty roller bags and trunks as an easy place to keep things all zipped up.

2. Keep it cool.

Have one of those large coolers leftover from tailgating and picnic season? Give it a little off-season life and throw a couple of presents in there.

1. Under their bed.

Best for teenagers and significant others who don’t spend a lot of time playing on the floor. No one expects their gifts to be kept in such close proximity. It will be more fun to show them where their gifts are hidden than to actually watch them open them. 

Hostess with the Mostest

This holiday season, if you can’t be the hostess with the mostest, be sure to honor those that are. Bring stylish, fun hostess gifts your friends and family will love when you head over the annual Christmas open house or cookie exchange. Here’s what we’re loving this season.

From left to right, top to bottom:

1. Adorable hidden animal mugs from Uncommon Goods, $21. Try pairing with a package of your favorite coffee or hot chocolate.
2. Wishbone bottle opener from Anthropologie, $14. Perfect and appropriate for those that cooked the holiday bird.
3. Beautiful tea towels are a lovely addition to any kitchen. Check out a few of these from Studio Patro, $24. Consider wrapping around a bottle of wine.
4. Everyone loves a nice candle this time of year, and we’re loving these Barr Co. Natural Wax Candles, $25.
5. Elephant nutcracker from Anthropologie, $20. Are the chestnuts roasting over an open fire? They’ll need this.
6. Try this little volume on the sophisticated gentlemen in your life, $20. Try something out while you’re together celebrating.
7. A great gift is always even greater when it’s personalized. These monogrammed bottle stoppers from Pottery Barn are fabulous, $20.
8. Peppermint bark is a delicious holiday treat, and if you don’t feel like whipping up your own, Williams-Sonoma makes a delicious version, $27.
9. Coasters are the perfect accessory for occasions that call for libations. We like these from Rifle Paper Company, $18.

Have any other fabulous hostess gift ideas to share with us? We’re looking forward to the holiday party season! 

The Holiday Switcheroo

If you were like millions of other Americans this past weekend, you got busy on Friday tearing down the Thanksgiving décor to make room for the Christmas tree and holiday wreaths. It’s always fun to blast the Christmas music while eating turkey leftovers and decorating the house, but it’s also a lot of work.

Rather than creating the three traditional holiday schemes—Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas—use base elements to anchor the decorations. From there, add and subtract components as the weeks go on. For example, pumpkins (at least those you choose not to carve for jack-o-lanterns) can carry you from Halloween through Thanksgiving, and red berries go from Turkey Day to the end of the year and well into winter if you so choose.

Anchors that can work for Halloween and Thanksgiving: burlap, mums, gourds, acorns, sunflowers.

Anchors that work for Thanksgiving and Christmas: red plaid, cranberries, birch logs, metallic accents, wishbones, pine cones.

Here are a few transitional ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

• For Halloween, hide decorative spiders, spider webs and bats within a pumpkin and gourd arrangement, and simply pick them out when the trick or treating is over.

• Choose a red and gold tablescape for your Thanksgiving table, as opposed to the typical accents of orange and yellow, to make it easily adaptable for the Christmas season.

Photo credit: Magic Holiday Home

• Move branches of fake cranberries from the Thanksgiving table décor to the Christmas tree, and then on to the mantle for easy, holiday-neutral winter trimming.

Photo credit: This Next

• Consider spray painting late season pumpkins white, and then applying glitter or sparkle paint to make them relevant for weeks longer than normal.

Photo credit: Paint and Tofu

Save yourself some decorating time this season, and use it to do more of what you during the holidays, like drinking eggnog and watching “Elf” (our personal favorite).  What are your favorite holiday decorations? 

Thanksgiving, Toscana Style

Hosting the big Thanksgiving table this year? We are. And this year, we’re looking forward to trying something new. After years of turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, we thought we’d throw something different into the mix. Truly, you can never go wrong when you take your inspiration from Tuscany, so that’s what we’re doing.  Here’s what’s on the agenda.

A Menu Mix-Up 

Instead of the same ol’ same ol’, put something new on the menu. Stick with comfort foods sure to please a crowd, like a creamy polenta, hearty beef stew and luscious creamed spinach. Serve gelato alongside your favorite pie for dessert, and keep tradition alive just a bit. 

The Tuscan Table 

Tuscan style is embodied by a sense of Old World simplicity. Avoid going over the top with your table setting. If you have a beautiful wood table, make it the centerpiece. Highlight using placemats in a single, autumn hue (red or gold are perfect) and keep the wine bottles on the table for decoration and easy access.

Mood Music

Set the proper mood for this modern take on Thanksgiving. Purchase an album dedicated to the sounds of Tuscany (we like “Bella Tuscany”) or search for the Italian Traditional station on Pandora to really transport your guests to the Italian countryside.

Cheers! 

The easiest part of all. The Italians know wine, and it’s hard to go wrong when you stick to this section of the wine store. Full-bodied chianti’s are ideal for those that prefer red, and friulano is an easy-drinking varietal for those that like white. A sweet moscato or Italian port wine pairs delightfully with whatever’s on the dessert menu.

Do you enjoy trying new takes on the holidays? Or are you a traditionalist through and through?

Mirror, Mirror

Want an interesting challenge? Go an entire day without using mirrors to inspect yourself or the world around you (save for in the car, of course; safety first). These days we use them several times throughout the day, often without even thinking about it. But mirrors aren’t just for inspecting your hair or make-up. When used well in interiors, they can both redistribute light throughout a room, making it appear brighter, and visually open it up, making it look much bigger than it actually is.

We all know how to hang a standard mirrors above the sink or dresser, but here are a few more creative ways to inject a bit of mirror intellect into your home.

Headboard Highlighter

Though no one wants to look at their reflection just as they’re waking up in the morning, using a mirror as, or crafting a mirror onto an existing headboard can really open a bedroom, while simultaneously adding a bit of design intrigue to the space. 

photo credit: apartmenttherapy.com

Creative License

Get a little cheeky, or creative, and do something different with the standards. Use paint or other craft items to make your mirror into a piece of art with a practical purpose. We love the idea of using a real hand mirror as a stencil on a mirror in a hallway or powder room.

Photo credit: countryliving.com

Tray Trimming

Repurpose your small or moderate sized mirrors into vanity or coffee table trays for an elegant and stylish alternative to catch-all’s and knick knack displays. They will add a little light to the room and highlight beautiful perfume bottles, jewelry or art books.

Photo credit: countryliving.com

Get Sporty

Don’t just toss or donate that old athletic equipment that’s been upgraded a dozen times since you bought it. Upcycle those with a little nostalgic or pretty antique feeling and create an unusual mirror decoration perfect for a living or guest room. Check out these tennis racket mirrors, but the possibilities are endless—an old canoe as a floor length mirror, perhaps?

Photo credit: countryliving.com

Have you ever used mirrors in a non-traditional place or way? If so, please share!