Happy Holidays!

I worked on a gingerbread house before and after for my holiday card and here are the final before and after shots! I will be taking a hiatus from blogging for the holidays and be back to blogging in the first week of the new year!
BEFORE

AFTER

Union Jacks

While out Christmas shopping in Covent Garden, we stumbled upon Jamie Oliver's newest restaurant, Union Jacks. It seems as if he is opening a new restaurant every week in London these days, so expectations weren't that high, but the interior decor is fun and has an American diner sort of feel.  The menu is all flatbreads with very British ingredients. We got a great seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen prep area, but the best part of our dinner was seeing Jamie Oliver dining there himself!

A tree adventure in London

This year we were determined to get a real tree for our flat in London since we are here for most of December. I even shipped over a ton of silver and mercury glass ornaments.

First Stop: Columbia Road Flower Market about a mile from our house, my fiance had full intentions of carrying our tree home over his shoulder. I had full intentions of claiming the largest tree on the lot. These two thoughts didn't mix well. I set my sights on a tree to which the salesman yelled out to everyone on the block that I picked the largest tree on the lot, I then relented and decided maybe that a 9' tree wasn't the best idea, but I had lots of ornaments and still needed a lot of tree real estate to handle the large baubles. So we settled on a full 7 1/2 ft. tree and luckily I was able to flag down a taxi and with the top hanging out of the side window we made it home in a few minutes.

On to the decorations...

The hardest part about decorating a tree in England is the lights are different from the U.S. and it isn't just the voltage. In the U.S. it seems all of the lights hook together so you can have endless amounts of lights on the tree plugged into one socket. Here every strand ends and they don't connect together, I was lucky to find one strand of 200 lights and it covered the whole tree.

The finished result:

My 2 favorite ornaments:

Holiday Greenery

I love baby pine trees and next year I'm thinking tons of them would be a lot easier than one large tree. Less shedding and so many possibilities...

12th day of Xmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

twelve drummers drumming,

eleven pipers piping,

ten lords-a-leaping

nine ladies dancing,

eight maids-a-milking,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

The drum table is a versatile piece of furniture that can work well both indoors and outdoors. I have a roundup of some of my favorite drum tables for putting your cocktail on and kicking up your feet during the necessary R&R required after the rush of the holiday season.
1. A set of rustic drums from Lazy Susan that could be used as either planters outside or as side tables inside.
2. A limited edition hand carved piece from West Elm.
3. A Moroccan metal table from Serena and Lily mimics the Moroccan poufs that have become so popular.
4. A rain drum side table from Pottery Barn would be a perfect exterior accent.

11th day of Xmas

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

eleven pipers piping,

ten lords-a-leaping

nine ladies dancing,

eight maids-a-milking,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Antique instruments are becoming popular for use as objects of decoration in the home. They are great for someone who might have once played an instrument as a child and wants to display something that is personal but can still be admired by those not aware of the personal attributes of the object.
Above: an aluminum violin circa 1930's from ABC Modern

10th day of Xmas

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

ten lords-a-leaping

nine ladies dancing,

eight maids-a-milking,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Lords would definitely leap over this print from Trowbridge Galleries! I find this print hilarious perhaps as a result of my Catholic school upbringing.

9th day of Xmas

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

nine ladies dancing,

eight maids-a-milking,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

How about a chair covered in Liberty's Dancing Ladies fabric? This pattern seems perfect to mark the ninth day of Christmas. This pattern was hand selected by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine from the Liberty archives for the fall/winter 2011 collection.

8th day of Xmas

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

eight maids-a-milking,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Eight gifts for the milk drinker in your life

1. An old fashioned milk bottle from Sur La Table
2. I love this so much I bought one for myself! A set of stackable measuring cups disguised by a milk bottle from Anthropologie
3. A milk frother in hoilday red from Nespresso
4. A practical store and serve milk bottle with a sealed top gives your kitchen a 50's feel from Crate and Barrel.
5. This glass creamer is a modern take on milk from CB2
6. Leche glasses made from recycled glass at Fishs Eddy
7. Another Fishs Eddy favorite devoted to milk from NY
8. Milk jug replicas from Alyssa Ettinger on Etsy

7th day of Xmas

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

seven swans-a-swimming,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

For the movie lover in your life, this book featuring the Natalie Portman in The Black Swan on the cover will compliment their home theater.

6th day of Xmas

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

six geese-a-laying,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

For when your geese are a laying, you will need a stylish egg crate for your fridge. Anthropologie carries a simple white one while Seletti makes limited edition modern metallic crates to add some glamour to the life of your eggs. Fishs Eddy makes several fun colors to brighten up your eggs including mustard yellow and celery green.

5th day of Xmas

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

five golden rings,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

I am not a huge napkin ring fan, as I prefer simple table settings, but here are a few that I feel wouldn't goop up a table as so many do.

1. Jan Barboglio crown napkin rings are handcrafted of iron and built to last several lifetimes.

2. Diane von Furstenberg has created simple and geometric napkin rings that fit well with a modern table.

3. If you are looking for something traditional and timeless these pewter rings from Williams-Sonoma would be a perfect fit.

4. I also don't tend to like holiday themed napkin rings, but if you have to have something fun to accessorize the table, these mercury glass stars from Pottery Barn would add sparkle.

4th day of Xmas

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

four calling birds,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Old fashioned telephones are making a comeback as they become scarce in daily life. 

1. The Moshi Pop phone lets you have the feeling of talking on an old handset but through your iphone.
2. Transform your iphone into an antique handset Warhol style from Incase.
3. If you still maintain a landline in your home, go back to the 1980's with a pay phone from Urban Outfitters.
4. Crosley makes a wide range of retro styled telephones to become a calling bird.

3rd day of Xmas

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

three french hens,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

The Art of French Baking has a sleek and simple cover filled with recipes for all of those complicated French pastries that women can't resist!

If roasting a French hen is more your cooking style, check out Rotis, a book showing how the French have mastered the art of the Sunday roast for everyday use!

2nd day of Xmas

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

If you need a change up in your kitchen, consider painting out the cabinetry to a gorgeous grey from Martha Stewart with her Mourning Dove . Check out her own studio set kitchen with the same color cabinets. It is a nice departure from basic white.

1st Day of Xmas

Last year, I attempted to blog 12 gifts for the 12 days of Christmas. I only made it up to 9 days, so this year my goal is to make it all the way. So here it goes...

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

A partridge in a pear tree,

Thornback and Peel makes beautiful handprinted linens and this set of pear napkins is no exception. These would make a perfect hostess gift.

DIY Napkins on Apt Therapy

Check out my post today on DIY napkins for your holiday table at Apartment Therapy.

Color Story: Holiday Jewel Tones

Although I am sticking solidly to silver holiday decor, jewel tones are my other favorite theme for the holidays. Rich purples, turquoise, and red are festive without being too traditional.

1. Metallic Purple Glassware in all shapes and sizes from Z Gallerie.
2. The ombre effect of this table runner from Crate and Barrel gives off great variations of red tones.
3. Frame your favorite santa pic in a teal Queen Anne frame from Jonathan Adler.
4. Velvet ornaments from Habitat have a rich and retro feel.
5. A casual set of nut bowls in all of the colors from Fishs Eddy.
6. Go wild for a Christmas tree skirt made of cut velvet alligator print fabric from Designers Guild.
7. The perfect teal is Tropez Blue from the Little Greene Paint Company.

Happy Chic in London

Jonathan Adler has finally launched one of his retail stores in the UK, and naturally it is located in the swanky neighborhood of South Kensington. It is a two story shop filled with all sorts of interior items to perk you up. His style should fit very well with the cheeky British humor.

Happy Thanksgiving

My turkey didn't look much different from this one last year! To read about my Thanksgiving experience in London read my post on Apartment Therapy this week.

DIY Thanksgiving Tablescape

The countdown is on until Thanksgiving tomorrow and if you are in need of a quick and simple centerpiece here is my idea for this year. I took some kraft paper and created a simple runner that will be a cinch to clean up afterwords, no laundering necessary! Then I spray painted some mason jars gold to use as vases and to keep with the simple down to earth theme of my Thanksgiving. I found these branches of golden apples at my local market and filled the mason jars with large white amaryllis. My table for tomorrow is complete!

Scent and the City

During a recent shopping trip to Fleur de Lys, I discovered these amazing candles by Niven Morgan based on cities and the fragrance that evokes each city. My personal faves? New Orleans and London

Color Story Monday: The Colorful Kitchen Island

I just finished a kitchen that the client wanted a pop of color and instead of something over the top that she would grow tired of very quickly, we opted to use the kitchen island for the necessary punch of color. With the costly stone and tile all in neutrals, any color would have worked, however the client had a great turquoise for her front door that we decided to bring into the kitchen to unify the different areas of the home.

Here are some more examples of unique kitchen islands via Elle Decor. I really love this red one from Sarah Jessica Parker's kitchen in her beach house.

City Style Guide: Dublin

Dublin has a soft spot for the independent artist and this trait is showcased in all of the stylish places to eat, shop, and sleep throughout the city.

Sleep:

The Dylan hotel is a boutique hotel in a renovated Victorian building whose décor is anything but stuffy. Bright chartreuse and lavender carpeting lead the way to the see and be seen bar crowd. Rooms are punctuated with bold color choices such as lime green and red.

The Shelbourne hotel is a swanky hotel that has the old Irish elegance feel you would expect from a 5 star hotel in Europe. Their signature cocktail inspired by the city’s most famous export, is a potent combination of Champagne and Guinness.

Eat:

For lunch grab a sandwich at the upscale grocer Fallon & Byrne on your walk down to the River Liffey or stroll through the gorgeous city park, St. Stephen’s Green. Stop in for a pint at Grogan’s Castle Lounge before dinner at Bedlam and surround yourself with the local art that covers the wall of this funky locals only pub. Bedlam is furnished to feel like you are dining in someone’s cozy house but it is located in the heart of Dublin.  For dessert swing by the local Butler’s Chocolates for a cup of tantalizingly thick hot cocoa and be sure to pick up a box of chocolates designed by Orla Kiely. Cocoa Atelier is also an adorable little shop in the area for a flavorful array of colorful macarons and chocolates. When you are feeling like a low key dinner away from the city center fray, check out Hugo’s Winebar near St. Stephen’s Green for live music and of course a glass of wine.

Shop:

Brown Thomas is the posh department store in the city dating back to 1849 with their very own in-store Cartier, Chanel, and Tiffany and Co.

BT2 is a small, pared down version of Harvey Nichols with a special devotion to denim and a DIY Havaianas bar.

Francis Street is the heart of antique shopping in Dublin, and a great place to search for all of the French antiques that were shipped over during the French Revolution.

The Guinness Brewery is a requisite for any tourist in Dublin and as touristy as it may sound the tour is located in a glass structure shaped like a pint glass that is not to be missed by architecture fans.

Apartment Therapy

Yesterday my first official post as a contributor to Apartment Therapy went live on the site! I wrote up a gift guide to the Anglophile in your life. Check it out here! Look for my post on Wednesdays each week!

Eco Chic DIY

I turned my Sunday night chili into a fun DIY project by re-purposing the empty ingredient cans as vases with a little spray paint magic!

Step 1: Accumulate various sizes of tin cans by cooking something delicious!

Step 2: After cleaning out the cans and peeling off the labels using warm water and goo be gone, set up a mini spray booth and get to work painting all of the cans! I selected a matte white paint for my project, but any color would look great.

Step 3: Group your vases together for a gorg centerpiece or use them in the kitchen as herb garden vessels. The uses are endless for these cheap and chic cans.

 

Pub Interior

Check out the quaint and cozy decor inside of a pub near St. Paul's Cathedral.

Color Story Monday: Razzle Dazzle

I needed to find the perfect shade of hot pink for a client in the summer and Benjamin Moore's Razzle Dazzle  proved to be just the right shade to add some pop to a frame and a faucet. Check out the results below!

Numerology

With today (11/11/11) being a once every century occurrence of numbers, a roundup of numbers seemed fitting. Unfortunately according to Medieval times, the number 11 was an evil number left between the mystical numbers 10 and 12. Luckily, I am not a superstitious person and I find them to be a great graphic to add to the home.

Numbers are no longer simply for identifying a home’s address, instead they are becoming décor all on their own affixed to soft furnishings, hardware, and everything in between. Typography has been a trend in interiors for a few years now and the interesting graphic qualities of numbers are simply the natural progression in the arc of typography’s popularity throughout interiors.

1. Numerical Cushions from Graham and Green
2. Lucky Number Knobs from Anthropologie
3. Use these ruled pitchers for your weekly display of fresh flowers from Jayson Home and Garden
4. Vintage Tea Tins from After Noah
5. A subtle play on mathematics with this rug from West Elm.

Handwritten Fonts

Text is a popular graphic, and I am currently crushing on handwritten fonts.
I recently worked on a home and we had the address hand painted on the house.

Plurabelle calligraphy makes gorgeous return address stamps using a combination of handwritten swirls and a modern handwriting style.

A Liberating Christmas

I got a chance to check out the Liberty Christmas shop and it will put anyone in the holiday mode with all of the gorgeous rows and rows of white lights dotting the ceiling. I wouldn't attempt to use this many lights in your own home, as you will end up with a Griswold Christmas and lots of angry neighbors without power!

Color Story Monday: Pantone 877C

I have decided that once again silver will be my color for the holiday season. I just can't get enough of all of the mercury glass, sequins, and glitter everywhere! I even had my wedding invitations letterpressed in the perfect silver color to compliment my sleek winter theme.

1. This silver sequin table runner from H&M home is bold, fun, and frivolous for the holidays.
2. This is a rockstar side table from West Elm will bring sparkle to a living room year round.
3. You can never have too many mercury glass votives and these from Crate and Barrel are no exception.
4. Another item that will work year round is Jonathan Adler's platinum pottery.
5. These Mercury Spheres from Areo Home are so versatile.