Our tour of the White House....

I have watched HGTV specials showcasing the extreme details and labor that goes into decorating the White House for Christmas. I have also seen a number of photo's of the White House in many books and magazines, but there is nothing like seeing the White House in person. We were extremely lucky to have had the privilege to tour the White House during the Christmas season. To walk the halls of this remarkable building and explore the history in each room was an extreme privilege and an experience the whole family will remember forever!








We entered through the East Wing....

Stunning Chandeliers throughout....






Green Room.....

Cross Hall....

Loved the over-sized urns with Crystal branches...







Blue Room...

Red Room...

State Dining Room....

Main Entrance and Foyer...

Merry Christmas to your Family from ours!

Cheers, T

Holiday Season Around the House..Round 1

Simple Christmas Decor Around the House, Part 1

Isn't the birdie cute....

Love the garland on our chalkboard in the Kitchen...

This is my favorite Angle from my collection. She is made of concrete and I purchased her when I started my business. She greets us at the front door everyday ;-)

If you love your seashells, it's okay to keep them out for the holidays. Mix them in your holiday decor and enjoy! They remind me of the beach in the cold winter months ;-)

Watching my paperwhites grow....

I tried something different this year with the $8 twigs I purchased from Costco....a little out-of-the-box, but I like the outcome. I have twinkling lights on top of the cabinet that you can't really see from this picture. The lights add a nice touch to the overall look in person, I promise ;-)

Don't worry, I know it's simple, but the kids have colored lights in their rooms ;-)

Happy Holidays...Part 1... XO, T

Christmas Decorating.....

It's burlap and greenery for me again this year! Especially after feasting my eyes on this lovely site, http://www.raisedincotton.typepad.com/ I love everything about this farm house and how it was decorated for the holidays, from the simplicity of the decor to the fresh greenery, just lovely! I found this site on http://www.theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/ under the Cottage of the Month. It is a must see!

I'm leaving now to go buy my greenery ;-)

Cheers,
T

Holiday Season is here!

I am getting into the spirit of the season already and working on my Christmas decor around the house. I'll post pictures by this weekend.
Hope you are starting out the season stress free. Don't worry, the season will be over before you know it, enjoy!

T

On to the next....

Halloween is behind us and on to the next...unfortunately, the retail market simply doesn't recognize Thanksgiving. They completely bypass Thanksgiving and focus on Christmas before I am ready for it. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite holiday and I cherish all things related to the holiday (please, NOT before Halloween people!!!). The only thing that comes to mind for me when the stores rush the holidays is to slow down and enjoy what really matters. Before we know it, we will say "Happy New Year" to one another ;-)

No Christmas decor here until the first week of December. What about your house? Christmas before Dec. 1 or after?

I did manage to take a few pics of my fall planters...cheers and have a great weekend! T

Slow Process.....

What a busy back-to-school/Fall sports season it has been around here!!! I am still painting the basement while juggling work and kids schedules. It's definitely been a slow process. Why didn't I hire a painter?? ;-)

Enjoy a few pictures from last years Halloween decor until I can take new pictures of this years Fall decor! (I just noticed our chalk wall in the kitchen looks almost the same this year ;-)

T

Fresh Picked Flowers from Butler's Orchard....

Meagan's Flowers she picked....

Kitchen...

.

Living Room....

All for $16....

Priceless!

Everyone who knows me, knows I am a fresh flower kind of girl. Unfortunately, due to 100 degree plus weather these days, my own flower garden is looking pretty weak. So off to our favorite local Orchard this morning to pick fresh flowers with my daughter, Meagan, to fill all of my vases that stood empty in the house. We each had a bucket to fill with as many flowers as we could possible squeeze into our buckets for $8 each. Meagan lasted pretty long picking flowers until the bees just kept bothering her. So off she went to pick raspberry's (which were right next to the flowers) and eat as many as she could while I was steady picking flowers and jamming my bucket full as possible ;-)

Hope you are still enjoying your last days of summer!

Cheers, T

August already!

As previously stated, this has been an extremely busy summer and I love it! August is finally here and it is bittersweet for me. The sweet part about August is our 13th wedding anniversary on August 30th. The bitter part of August is the realization that school and "routine" will begin again sooner than we want, (actually, there is something to be said about routine) and the days of sleeping in late will be over.

I hope you are enjoying your last days of summer like we are. Before you know it, we'll be talking about Fall Decor ;-)

The busiest summer ever...and I love it!

Just checking in to say hello and to share a few pictures of our first adventure this summer in Riviera Maya, Mexico. If you know me, I love Angels and had to have a photo with this lovely Angel.



Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am and I hope to catch up with you guys soon!



Cheers, T

The Sweet Smell of Lilies...ahh!

To me, lilies bring peace and welcoming to the home. I just love the smell of lilies! To some people, lilies are too strong of a smell. What about you? Love the smell of lilies or would rather do without?

T

The "Beauty" in Staging brings "Life" to a Room...

Another successful staging job using the clients furnishings and accessories.. The only "new" items are the fresh flowers. Nothing brings a room alive better than "fresh" flowers. Real or fresh elements help bring a room to "life". Try adding fresh flowers or put fresh fruit in a bowl and set it on your dinning room table, living room table or try your entry room table and see for yourself!