Christmas List

Every year when Christmas rolls around and our families start asking us what we'd like, we tell them "cash for stuff for the house". This year some cash would be great for some not-so-fun things like new door knobs and hardware, BUT instead I decided what the heck, I'll add some things I'd love but never buy for myself.

So in case you are curious, here are the "fun" things I've added to my Christmas List*!

Frye Melissa Button Boots



Celerie Kemble Black & White


Gold Link Necklace


West Elm Tree Snow Globe
(I saw this tree snow globe in the store and fell in love. It's SO beautiful! And I have a soft spot for trees because they were all around us when we got married.)

* My family uses elfster.com - it makes things so much easier and everyone except the gift receiver can see when something is purchased.

Christmas Tree

It's so nice to be home! Right when I got home yesterday I yanked out the Christmas tree. We aren't spending Christmas here so originally I wasn't even going to put up a tree. But the season got the best of me and I pulled it down from the attic.



I just added my red and pink baubles and called it a day.

ps - I purchased the $10 faux sheepskin at IKEA for my parent's dog bed but Charlotte ended up hogging it so much that my mom gave it to her. She LOVES it!! '

pps- I stored our white tree in our attic which has a little window. The section of the tree that was facing the window has turned yellow. I think the heat of the hot sun shining on it all year long burned it. Major bummer! Those of you who have white trees BEWARE! Do not store near sunlight!

A Personal Design Project Before & After

By the time you are reading this we are most likely back home in Charlotte from our Thanksgiving break in Texas with my family. We were there for 11 days and during that time I worked on a very special decorating project... my parents master bedroom!

A little background - I have mentioned before I come from a family of engineers and doctors. I guess you could call me the "black sheep". My dad is a computer engineer/programmer, my mom is a mathematician. She tutors math and is writing a math text book. One brother is a doctor and the other is a mechanical engineer. And then there's me.. ha!

My parents have never been into decorating and have had their current bedroom suite for 10+ years. I was so excited when they finally asked me to help them revamp their room. We had SO much fun doing it and they love the result.. which is the best part! It's very nerve-wracking decorating for your parents ;) I love the result, too and it was fun letting them see me in action.

Here are the before shots. My dad was cleaning out his desk and wasn't too excited to be in the pictures.. sorry Dad!!







As I mentioned, they have had this teak bedroom set FOREVER! Time for a change. We were on a tight budget.. here are the things we did to change up the space:

- New furniture (bed, nightstands and dresser)
- New neutral, solid bedding
- Rearrange Current Artwork
- Curtains

Here are the afters!



The artwork made my job easy. All the pieces were painted by either my grandmother or my great-grandmother. My parents previously had the paintings all around the room but I grouped them together to create a focal point above the bed. Two of the frames were previously brass but we painted them espresso to modernize the frames.



The case goods and bed were purchased at Weirs in Plano, Texas. I picked out the furniture (along with the approval from my parents). I LOVE the dresser and nightstands we found... they look so much more expensive than they were.

I originally suggested a linen upholstered bed but we settled upon this one. In the end I'm glad we did, it helps anchor the room.





The nightstands are very large and works really well with the scale of the king sized bed and large room.



A collection of my parents books that fit them perfectly..


Not only are my parents smart, they are both wonderful musicians. My mom plays the flue and my dad plays the guitar. Making room for their music things were important.


Here is all the info for the quick project:

Bed, Dresser & Nightstands - Weirs - $1,556
Accent Chair - World Market - $125 (we got it on sale)
Curtains - IKEA Ritva - $35 per panel ($70)
Curtain Hardware - IKEA Beskada (I kept the caps on and didn't use the finials) - $18
Lamps - Home Goods - $40 each ($80)
Bedding - IKEA Malou - $50
Throw Pillow on Accent Chair - IKEA - $17
Existing Wall Color - Ralph Lauren Beach

Total: $1,916 (our budget was $2,000)

Thanks Mom & Dad!! I had soo much fun!