Revamp the Entry

Elle Decor

5 Tips for a Dramatic Entry

1.  Conversation Piece - Something unusual, maybe a cool piece of furniture or art that will spark conversation.    

2.  Lighting - both overhead and a lamp if you have the opportunity.  The chandelier should be on a dimmer for ambiance and the lamp should have a low wattage bulb

3.  Seating - if you have the room, it's nice to have a place to sit for your guests to put on their shoes.

4.  Accessories - something personal like a favorite book or really old photograph

5.  Mirror or great piece of art - Mirrors are great to get one last look before you leave but art can add so much color and punch.  It could also be your conversation piece and set the tone for what's to come in the rest of the house.

Elle Decor's Best Rooms of 2011

Elle Decor

Elle Decor has just posted their best rooms of 2011 and here are my favorites!  I know I've been an absent blogger lately but I promise I'll be picking up soon, hopefully with some exciting news, sooooo.....stay tuned!

Experiment with Pattern in the Bedroom

house to home uk

What better place to experiment with pattern and texture than in your bedroom.  Your bedroom is a very personal space that needs to speak to whomever is occupying the room.  It is very rarely seen by others so it's the perfect place to test your design boundaries with color, pattern, texture or all of it!  When you start off, think of it as layering - start with the largest pattern on the largest piece of the room.  If you have a large floral like in the blue pictures, pair it with a medium and than a small pattern in a check, stripe or trellis or solid pattern.  The good news is,  if you does not live up to the picture in your head, just remove a layer and try again!

New Years Eve

 Martha Stewart Living, Nordstrom

Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sorbet (we like raspberry or passion fruit)
• Chilled Champagne or Prosecco

Directions

Scoop sorbet into a champagne flute. Fill with chilled Champagne or Prosecco; stir.

Why does New Years Eve cause such stress?  Every year you stress over the plans, the driving situation, what to where, how the night will go, who will babysit, etc. etc........  I'm a New Years Eve party pooper and I'm lucky I married one too!  We'll be spending the evening in comfortable clothes, making homemade pizza's with our kids and nephews.  The night will probably involve some noisemakers and maybe some of that great homemade confetti!  I may really step it up this year and make sorbet champagne cocktails!  They're so easy to make and look so yummy!  

For all of you getting dressed up, I've had my eye on those two dresses from Nordstrom's!  They almost make me want to brave the cold, the dangerous roads and the wall to wall people in the extremely noisy clubs!  Almost!  However you choose to spend your evening, may you all have a wonderful, safe time ringing in 2012!

PS.......

Just realized I forgot to share my family Christmas card with all of you......

Happy Holidays

JCrew catalog 2006

Wishing you all a wonderful, beautiful Christmas Holiday!

The Fabulous Beekman Boys

Have you ever heard of them?  They are Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge and they have a show on Planet Green called the Fabulous Beekman Boys!  They were two professional city boys who gave up life in the Big Apple to move to this lovely Georgian mansion, built in 1802 and turned it into an organic goat farm.  They produce goat milk, cheese and soaps among other things.  They have employed so many local craftsman (including blacksmiths to make their flatware collection) and farmers they have almost single handedly turned around a depressed community.  They sell their wares through their store  1802 Mercantile!

Country Living