A little Winter Wonderland

Now that we live north of the wall, I wanted to have one of our rooms full of sparkling, snowy adornments – and our library is small enough that I could put up a few things and not compete with the red and plaid madness of the rest of the Christmas decorations.

I mean, when your boys look like this while waiting for the school bus
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— aren’t they rocking those double layers?  ha — then you have to bring some of that snowy loveliness inside.  Just not literally.  We have a shoe brush thing my husband built so if you have snow on your shoes please leave that snowy loveliness outside.

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I bought the two glittery deer on the right last year, with the thought of adding some more this year.
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The dignified fellow on the left is from Target, and all three of them spend their days keeping an eye on the neighborhood.  Neighbors have left, new neighbors are moving in, they can tell you all about it.  The center candleholder we’ve had for years, and I got the white wreath at JoAnn’s to hang opposite the outdoor wreath we have on that window.

I don’t style my bookshelves because we actually read the books we have, but I did have this spot with a huge yellow vase in it.
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The vase got relocated and I stuffed some snowy greenery we had into a Target dollar spot galvanized vase.  FYI, those things are NOT waterproof, so my awesome husband had to seal it for me so I could put flowers and not end up with an indoor lake.  And then, of course, I went and stuck fake stuff in it for Christmas.

The beautiful houses on either side are part of a collection Steve has, he got them and the others he has from art festivals and renaissance faires, and they’re works of art.  They fit perfectly in that spot so I didn’t move them, just added an old little lantern and a fleur-de-lis I found at WalMart, and a glittery little house from Michaels.

Finally, the spot where I can wait for the school bus in the afternoon – our youngest is only let out of the bus if one of us is waiting for him and these days I’m not waiting outside, so I can hang out with our Cherry girl and knit while I wait.
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Although when I’m sitting there, it looks more like this
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The JOY and NOEL signs are from World Market, our Sussex sign is by LulaRue and purchased at Roost.  The blue throw, A.K.A. Everybody’s Favorite Blanket, is from ZGallerie, the white birdcage is Partylite and the delicious pear candle inside is from Rosy Rings.  The monogram mug is Target and the coffee inside is made in my beloved Nespresso.

We’re having our second annual FriendsGivingMas this weekend so I’ll be sharing some pics next week – have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Fashion Friday: Leopard Red

This is one of my all-time favorite combos: leopard print and bold red. I just got this cardie from Old Navy — they had given me some coupons for 50% off a couple of weeks before when I was school shopping for my boys, so when I went back for some jeans, this cardie also caught my eye.

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Along with my new super cheap (less than $5) Revlon lipstick, I think this is a winning combo that can be accessorized in many ways: statement necklace or bracelet, chunky earrings, signature ring, etc. I foresee wearing some version of this outfit many times this fall and winter.

Fashion Friday: the leopard print trench

As with every summer, the prediction for fall/winter fashions include animal prints. It is a classic print, really, so you can safely spend a little bit more than you would on something like the color-of-the-season.

Here, I present the Banana Republic Mad Men Collection leopard print trench. Whew!



It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? Fully lined, nice shape, I do happen to love Mad Men but you don’t have to love it to covet this trench. I usually wouldn’t go for a print trench but like I said, animal print, if done right (i.e. not in hot pink) can be timeless. And the print scale is discreet, not obnoxiously, in your face, huge animal print patterns.

I’m saving my pennies because between this and the Missoni for Target collection, I am seriously in trouble!

Winter Necessities

I find myself relying on a few trusted items to give me a boost when cold winter mornings – or evenings threaten to send me diving under my bed blankets. Also, a couple of things here, I am totally craving.

I have a red coat from Target that I just adore. The color is rich and saturated and the cut is impeccable and flattering. It is my go-to coat when there are going to be cameras around.

The boots were a gift from my darling husband, they are plain, no buckles or studs or anything weird, and I love them that way.

Can you believe I never wore hats until a year ago? I didn’t think they looked good on me. Not that I am 100% convinced now but they keep me warm and cover bad hair days. I have half a dozen knit hats and next winter I’ll probably buy my first non-knit hat.

Scarves, obviously. Given my fondness for v-necks, winter means that I keep hunting for something to cover my neck from chilly temps.

Tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier, an absolute must when my skin is hurting from the cold. The shade I wear is Sand, and it has SPF20.

Lip balm. I have about 25 tubes and pots all over my desk, purse, car, my husband’s car, various coat pockets, etc. I think I’m getting my oldest hooked, he has started borrowing my lip balm 😀

Now for the cravings – check out those gorgeous eye and cheek colors, they’re from Sweet Libertine, a brand I found thanks to my friend Jen. I have a few eyeshadows, but I just heart this eye set. And the blush, from what I understand it’s a great substitute for the famous Nars Orgasm blush. I’ve never bought Nars because I didn’t want to spend that much, so this might be it for me.

What have you been relying on this winter?