Holiday Decor: Baubles + Glass

Thanksgiving has come and gone (and was great!), and here we are in the Holiday season.

As we've been driving around (still on vacation), I've seen so many families out in their yards dressing their homes in pretty lights, wreaths and tinsle. I've seen some not so pretty decorations, too (blow up plastic).

It seems that this week is the week everyone puts out their decorations, so in honor of that I'm going to post my favorite Christmas decorations...

First up is the use of baulb collections as decoration. I just LOVE Christmas baubles and this was how I decided to (simply) decorate last year. Just pop them in glass containers, and done! It's not original, but very classic and simple. (I'm all about simple Holiday decorating).

The best is vintage baubles in vintage bowls.

My pink & red decorations last year

This year, my take on the baubles and glass decorating style is the use of gold ornaments + milk glass bowls.



Like what you see? You can bid on the vintage gold baubles here. If you can get some milkglass with the lace edge, thread gold ribbon through the holes to make your 'arrangement' extra pretty. You can get the curled milk glass piece here. The flat milk glass piece is being sold by one of my favorite bloggers, High Street Market, here.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope you make great memories in your kitchens and around your tables tomorrow!

And with that I'll leave you with MY favorite kitchen I've seen all year:

[Windsor Smith's Kitchen from House Beautiful]

Don't you?

Don't you love this swing arm?



I DO!

question for my readers

I have this pair of amazing equestrian boots. I bought them in college before the trend really took off. They are vintage, and are actual equestrian boots.

See, I'm always cold and I use a space heater at work (shhh don't tell). Well anyone who uses a space heater and wears vintage shoes knows that the glue they used for the soles back in the day MELTS. So my soles on my coveted boots have come off.

I need to get them fixed, but I noticed a questionable stain on the boots. And unfortunately, I think Charlotte is to blame.

So to get to my question.... is said stain removable from leather? Or are they goners? I wonder if I should even bother getting the sole fixed if the stain cannot be removed.... or maybe the shoe repair shop can get the stain out?

Thanksgiving!

I'm SO excited for Thanksgiving! Can you believe it's already this Thursday? I'm also excited for a [much needed] break. I'm heading to the East Coast to see my husband's Nani and Pa (love them!)

I'm also so excited to see some of this:


and maybe some of this:


Because this is what California looks like 360 days of the year:


While I'm at it, I'm also VERY excited to see this:


And of course, eat a lot of this:


What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Have you seen New Moon yet? Is it AMAZING?

this weekend

This weekend will be busy. Just like last weekend. But next week I'm off to the East Coast for a long Thanksgiving break... I can't wait!

I'll continue to be wrapping up things at Client I's house... want another sneak peek?



This piece was from... you guessed it! Craigslist. I love the Mid Century Modern lines.... we painted it white and added some great black leather pulls. I'll be posting instructions on how [I like to] paint furniture soon. Oh and see the candlestick collection? It will be growing.

Still so much to do... go to Ikea, Home Goods, order a couple more items.. a couple DIY projects thrown in there... It will be a busy Saturday.

Then on Sunday, I'll be heading two hours up the coast to Client Y's amazing beach house. The final result (coming around end of December/early January) will be casual, fun, yet buttoned up like this inspirational space below:



Although my weekends are crazy, I LOVE them because it gives me a glimpse into my possible future... doing all this during the week, full time! I am truly blessed.

Have a great weekend :)

This mirror is perfect.

This mirror is perfect in my eyes. It's so clean and SIMPLE, but has such a beautiful classic shape. Those curves... they make my heart skip a beat.



You can purchase it right now on One Kings Lane for only $250 (A more than fair price for this classic piece). It's large, too.

Please! Someone buy it and then ask me to design a room around it ;)

If you're not a member, you can sign up here and please put my email (brynalexandra at gmail) in the reference box.

I wonder..

I wonder how many of my readers read the blog through google reader. Well if you do, you prob never see my wists. These are things I've really loving to lust over right now...

[click image to go to source]







I'm in desperate need of a kick ass printer, this one is on my Christmas list:

It's ceramic!



This looks so perfect for lounging... and chic enough for a Starbucks run.

Something Pretty

Okay, I must post something pretty to make up for something not so pretty below. Here are the new look book pictures for Ruche, one of my favorite online shops. (no they are not a sponsor... I wish! I just like these).













Aren't these images beautiful?

confession time

I've seen this on a couple blogs this morning, so I have to weigh in.

Confession #1: I very much dislike Kelly Wearstler's aesthetic. (I tried very hard not to use the word "hate" in this sentence).



Confession #2: I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. And when I see a Wearstler room, it feels like a panic attack to me.

space of the day

For as long as I can remember, I've loved deep, cobalt rich blues.

So naturally I am drawn to this space. Specifically the chair, the mirror and the birch:

{found here}

moss & my little secret

I just ordered this:



Yup, it's moss. I can't wait to show you what I'm going to do with it!

On a semi related note, I have to share this website with you. It's called "Save-On-Crafts". The website is a bit ugly and the name isn't much to be desired, but it's one of my go-to sites that I've used ever since planning my wedding in 2006. My first purchase was their apothecary vases, which they still have!

In the last four years, the site has gotten even better with the addition of natural sanded branches:



And birch vases:



I especially love these feathers, how sexy are they?




Usually I'm not a fan of decorative balls (what's the point of them?) but I just love these, they all feature elements from nature.



I can't believe I haven't shared the site before this, enjoy!


[note - I am not getting compensated nor getting any free products in any way, I just genuinely love this site and wanted to share.]

blogger, you're being bitchy.

I was informed by a couple commenters this morning that blogger is being bitchy and eating some of my comments. If you don't see your comment, it's not because I denied it. I don't deny any comments unless it's blatant spam.

Sorry guys!

Random thoughts on trends.

A comment on the below post got me thinking... it read something along the lines of ghost chairs going out of style. It got me thinking about trends....

I've never been one on trends, I'm someone who buys pieces (clothing, furniture) that can last me years style wise. I still wear some items from high school. When skinny jeans first came out as trendy, I hated them. But then companies like J.Crew and Banana created versions that are classic and fits any body type and will be in style for decades:

{j.crew's matchstick jean}

I think the ghost chair is similar to this... it took a trend from the 80's that went out of style then came back in style.



And compiled it with a silouhette that will never go out of style (louis chair).



And for that reason, they are chairs that I will never fall out of love with.

Ghost chairs have been around since 2002. That's 7 years... maybe that's short lived for a "style"? I'm not sure. Maybe they are going out of style? I'm not sure of that either. It's sort of like the housing market.... has it bottomed out? No one knows.

But what I am trying to say is, when designing your home and when using a designer, do not pick items because they are in style. And don't disregard an item because you think it is going out of style. Pick things that you love. Not just because they were in a magazine or on a blog. I mean really really really love. Because when you surround yourself with things that you love, then trends really don't matter.

Here is another picture I just love featuring the ghost chairs, and I think really shows how beautiful they are even in rustic settings:



I have one more thought. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I never spend much money on things and I always try my best to find the best deals. This is insurance in case I fall out of love with something, then I'm not monetarily obligated to it. That is why I recommend the ghost chair replicas on Overstock.com, two chairs for $330.

[and a side note to Laura - if you don't love the ghost chair, we will find something else just as great :) ]

space of the day

I dedicate this space of the day to my client, Laura, who is still on the fence about using Ghost Chairs with a farmhouse table :)



Laura - they would be PERFECT for your smaller scaled dining area!!

coat update & shopping tips!

Last night I got my beautiful green winter coat from Old Navy. It fit perfectly. It's gorgeous. I HIGHLY suggest buying it. This morning, I got an email with a 30% coupon code. So, being the cheapskate that I am, I re-purchased the coat with sale + 30% off and am returning the original.

With the money I saved, I was also able to get this one, too:



Sorry for the incredibly boring post, BUT if you are in need of a great coat, and have little money to spend, I highly recommend Old Navy right now. You can get a beautiful one for around $35.

The 30% coupon code is: L1CLLQXL14YB

I also have a small side note - if you are 5'7 or taller, I highly recommend ordering a size smaller than you usually get, and in tall. For instance - I usually wear Medium. But with Old Navy, I ordered my coat in a size Tall Small. It cut in at the waist perfectly and the arms hit the middle of my hands, which I prefer in cold weather.

Hey, Green Thumbs

Does anyone know what type of plant this is?



It's pretty much the only plant I've ever liked for inside.

Loving right now: black curtains

Right now in my head I'm loving black curtains. Maybe you aren't brave enough to paint your walls black, like this gorgeous room in Windsor Smith's home:



Or maybe you really want to but can't (like me). Black curtains are a great solution to get a similar bold effect.

I haven't been able to find too many inspiration photos, but there is this one from the Ikea catalog:



But no, this is all wrong. The type of black curtains I imagine in my head are completely opaque. Something like Martha's roman shades:



They would be a very rich fabric like velvet.

Ah ha! A quick google search and I found these:



Black, velvet with a blackout back panel. Perfect!

Then I would line the sides of the panels with a rich color... like terracotta or rust.



And if you are curious, I'd put them in a completely neutral room with lots of large windows, like this:

{image via decorpad.com}

I'm thankful for my blog where I can log all my obsessions. :)