Holiday House Tour 2017

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve's Eve!

I can not believe we are only 3 days away from the big day! I've decided I'm all about Christmas falling on a Monday. I love that we can work a full week this week and still have two days to prep for festivities! Speaking of prep, I'm very excited to tell you all that I made dressing! ME! The girl who literally learned to boil water like 2 years ago made two big pans of dressing! I'm praying its good because if it is, my street cred in the cooking department is going to quadruple.

This has been a busy month, full of gatherings, shopping, wrapping, cooking, work and planning for 2018. Lucky for us we got started on our decorating right after Thanksgiving so we have been able to enjoy the happy scene all month long! I look forward to decorating for the holidays each year, especially now that I'm a mom. It's fun to transform the space you already deem as your "happy place" into a magical version of itself. Each year we tweak the decor we have and have fun planning out how to spruce up new areas in our house that have recently come to be. This year those areas include our brand new mudroom and our dining room!

Come on in, let me show you around...

As you know the mudroom is the newest space in our house and we are really enjoying it! The area oozes charm without even trying, so throw some plaid, a wreath and a little twinkly tree in the mix and POW. Happy city over here. 

Up next is the dining room which houses the antique mantle we revitalized earlier this year. I have been itching to throw some garland on this beast from day one.

Sigh....so beautiful right? 

This room has been totally transformed as we make way to host a Christmas dinner for 21 this year. 

We really loved the idea of having everyone at the same table so Brent and his brother Scott worked together to add plywood to some folding tables we already had, to act as an extension to our dining room table. Thanks to Brent's Dad for this awesome idea! We threw a table cloth over everything and now it's just one big, giant happy table. 

We've been doing a little bit each night to prepare and I'm happy to say we are in good shape. The goal this season has been to slow down and really enjoy the moment and that's just what we plan to do! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

All photos are my own. 

Bell Cabinetry & Design Holiday Tour

You know what goes realllllly well with custom cabinetry? HOLIDAY DECOR!!

This is our first holiday season in the new Bell Cabinetry & Design Buckhead Showroom and I'm slightly embarrassed to tell you I've been pumped to deck these halls since some of the designs were just ideas swirling around inside my head! One hood in particular was literally destined to sport a wreath. Luckily the showroom was also slotted to be the location of two holiday parties, which made getting the space holiday ready necessary not just fun. 

The Monday after Thanksgiving I enlisted the help/guidance of my mom, the Holiday Decor Whisperer, and fellow designer Addie Sandidge  and we got busy decking the halls! The showroom has 5 kitchens, 2 baths, a pantry, a closet and a mudroom, each with it's own style. The goal was for individual vignettes to feel cheerful and festive in a unique way while maintaining a cohesive feel for the showroom as a whole. No easy fete, but we were up for the challenge and ended up being pleased with the end results! Let me show you around.....

Here's a view of our front entry, note the Santa hat on our logo.

The first vignette as you enter the showroom showcases our Heritage Collection.

This display is classic, elegance so we wanted the décor to reflect this vibe. A beautiful magnolia wreath plus mercury glass Christmas trees and balls did the trick.

Next up is our Studio display AKA the kitchen with the hood made to play back drop to a wreath. 

And a boxwood wreath at that. Oooooh the charm. 

This kitchen is fresh, clean and happy with open shelving, a farm sink and a subway tile backsplash. We let the wreath on the hood be the "wow" and then just added hints of cheer here and there with pops of red and more boxwood clippings scattered about. 

Our back Milano Collection Kitchen sits right off the conference room with floor to ceiling steel windows and door. 

We kept the decor on the kitchen itself minimal and focused our attention on adding wreaths in a grid pattern to the conference room window wall! We loved the impactful, yet understated effect. 

Lastly, one of my favorite little spots in the showroom is our mudroom. 

A few mini Christmas trees, a festive scarf and tiny lumberjack kissing a red nutcracker make this spot cozy and bright!

Well, there you have it, a little peak at the holiday scene currently happening over at our new showroom. Each day we light our Fir & Firewood candle (best smell ever!!), turn on the Christmas Tree lights (we have 3, not pictured!!) and some days we even crank up the holiday tunes making this the hap hap happiest 3,000 square feet on the block!

All photos are my own. 

Holiday House Tour 2016

This is our second year to deck the halls of this house for Christmas, but our first to decorate as a family of 3. This time last year we were waiting for the arrival of Croix who at the time we didn't even know was a boy! It's crazy how much can change in a year. There have been so many firsts this year, and now maybe the most exciting first of all....Christmas!

It's been a whirlwind month for sure, with several out of town trips, work and two different trades coming in to install some exciting new items to our home, but we have our priorities in order and Christmas decor was on the top of that list! My mom helped us get off to a good start last year with wreaths and candles for for the windows and a flocked tree in the dining room so this year we took what we had and added a few more fun touches.

Let me show you around...

Den:

We always go for a real tree  in the living room, so the whole house smells like Christmas all season long.

I added some mini-Christmas trees to the succulent wall:

And a cozy fleece blanket for the pouf:

Croix's Room:

Growing up I had my own tree in my room. Each Christmas the "Christmas Fairy" would leave a new ornament and a little poem the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Each new ornament would go on my tree. Last year my parents brought my little tree and box of ornaments to my house so we decided to give Croix his own tree in his room. Brent vetoed most of the ornaments saying they were too girly, and generously gave Croix some of the superhero ornaments we had on the main tree. 

Dining Room:

The dining room is still in a transition phase right now, but we were so excited by the progress we had made (marble hearth!!) that we couldn't resist throwing some garland on top of this regal beauty! 

I also cut some holly and magnolia leaves to fancy Brenta up....

The JuJu wall even got a little holiday love. 

A house never feels as alive and charming as it does at Christmas. 

Family has started trickling into town, and so far we have 8 people and 5 dogs running around getting ready for the big day. This is the first year Santa will be visiting our house and I'm not sure who is more excited the grown-ups or the baby....HA! Oh and speaking of the baby.......

:)

 From our family to yours Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

All photos are my own.

About.com - December Recap

Well hello January. Hi 2016! Sorry it has been a minute since I posted, but things have been pretty busy around here. Two days after Christmas, Baby Shearer made HIS big debut (introductory post coming soon!) so needless to say our world as we knew it has been turned completely upside down. Who knew a 7lb 10oz little person could have such an affect? ;) It has taken a second to figure out our new routine, but I'm slowly but surely trying to find my new normal, and I thought a little recap on my December About.com articles was a good place to start.

1. Two-toned Kitchen Cabinets

I really like the two-toned kitchen cabinet concept. It's fresh and happy and makes a statement without being too radical or in your face. 

2. Put a Wreath On It

Just talking here about how a simple wreath (or 3) can add instant holiday cheer in and around your kitchen. This article might be a little late seeing as how most of us already have our holiday decor packed up and back in the attic ,but if this concept is one you want to incorporate into your home in the coming years, go out and get a great deal on some wreaths at the after Christmas sales still going on now. 

3. Chalkboard Integration in the Kitchen

I LOVE the idea of a chalkboard in the kitchen. Remember the little chalkboard project Brent and I did to our pantry door at our old house? After we finally got it figured out we really enjoyed having the chalkboard in our space.

4. Simply Pretty - Christmas Edition

There was so much pretty on Pinterest over the holidays I decided to dedicate an entire post to pretty pictures and cool ideas to incorporate into your kitchen or your home around the holidays. Again, I know this is a little late here on December 13th, but maybe stash a few of these thoughts away in your memory bank for next season.

And last but not least, my updated articles are below. 

I hope 2016 is treating you well so far!  

UPDATED ARTICLES:
1. Plants: A Cheap & Easy Way to Add Pizazz to Your Kitchen
2. Red, White & Blue in the Kitchen
3. Making a Place for Pets in Your Kitchen
4. Highs & Lows of Dish Storage
5. Lucite in the Kitchen

Holiday House Tour 2014 + a NEW RUG!

Never do houses look more charming and alive than during the holiday season. I love pulling onto our street after work each night to see house after house twinkling and festive.

This is our second Christmas at our house, but in a year's time a giant part of our Christmas decor was removed....THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

I'm not gonna lie, there was a part of us that was a teeny, tiny, wayyyy in the back of our minds worried that without the big, giant, decorated Christmas tree our house would loose some of it's charm. There was also another part of us that was a little bummed we had spent money on big ornaments that we no longer had a tree for.

First world problems, right?

Regardless, we were excited to deck our halls, so we jumped right on it the weekend after Thanksgiving. With only 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, we wanted as much time to enjoy as possible.

Welcome to Our-House-Decorated-For-Christmas-Tour -2014

What tree, right?  I can tell you the right side of our house, namely the kitchen window is ecstatic to finally be seen! We ended up repurposing the giant ornaments we bought for the tree last year by placing them on our garland across the white picket fence which worked out pretty nicely.

Inside, some mini nutcracker soldiers joined Brenta the horse head to add some holiday pizazz to our dining table.

And the most adorable black and gold reindeer salt and pepper shakers bring some Christmas cheer to the kitchen.

In the Living Room, Luke likes to sit under his stocking waiting for Santa to pop out of the fireplace. 

You may also notice the tree isn't the only thing warming up our living room....Christmas came early and we finally got a new rug!

We had been quietly looking for a rug for the Living Room since we moved in, but we were bound and determined not to rush into anything. The rug needed to be pretty big, because the room is so long and big rugs = more $$, plus any color/pattern used would really set the tone for the whole space. A few months ago we came across this rug, and BAM we knew it was right. Around the same time Rug Pad USA had reached out asking if I would be interested in reviewing one of their rug pads on my blog. Perfect timing.....I was interested indeed! 

I'd never purchased or picked out a rug pad before so I sat down to peruse their site to figure out which rug pad I wanted. As soon as I hit the homepage I realized there is a lot more to a rug pad than one might think. The choices are endless, not only does Rug Pad USA have a large offering of sizes that can suit any surface (carpet, hardwoods, outdoor, tile, etc..), but there are all kinds of different features to consider pertaining to non-slip, eco-friendly, low profile, cushioned, etc..I read through the different options and ended up selecting the Eco-Cushion. This rug pad is 1/4" thick with an open weave for extra cushion, plus it is made with plant based oils as opposed to petrochemical oils used in a lot of rug pads. The rug pad comes with a 20 year warranty and is made right here in America. Comfortable, affordable, eco-friendly and American made, does it get any better?

After living with the new rug/rug pad set up for a few weeks I'm happy to report we couldn't be happier.  The pad really does add some nice cushion to the rug and I love how everything stays in place, even with Luke rolling around on it. Because the rug is in a heavy traffic area of the house this non-slip feature was a must. I also love the added texture the rug itself adds to the room, it's like instant warmth! But I think the biggest fan of all is Luke, he loves the new rug and pretty much thinks it is his new, giant, soft bed. 

Well, this bring us to the end of our tour. I hope you enjoyed it! From the Cows that hang in our tree, to yours....MOOry Christmas!

All photos are my own. 

There's More Than One Way to Skin A Cat...

and apparently about a bazillion ways to decorate a Christmas tree. 

I love holiday decorations - the tree, the wreaths, the lights, the stockings and the list goes on. Maybe the best part of holiday decor is that while a lot of the same elements are used by many, every person has their own process and flair. Like so many things, holiday decor presents an opportunity for an individuals personality to shine bright. But before you can shine you have to identify your holiday vibe, and that's no easy task because there are so many decisions to consider - white lights or colored? Red & Green balls or Blue and White? Handmade and sentimental ornaments vs. store bought? Big and tall tree or short and fat tree? Angel at the top of the tree or star, or maybe Santa hat? There are seriously SO many options. With so many choices it's fascinating to see what people hone in on and how they bring it all together.

So, how did I become so in the know regarding Christmas Trees? Simple, I am literally in the land of Christmas trees as I write this post.  I arrived home for the holidays this weekend and let me tell you, it's like a Christmas wonderland here. My Mom is without a doubt the Christmas Tree Queen. To say she loves Christmas is an understatement and that love mixed with a flair for decorating makes her one mean lean, Christmas Tree decorating machine. There are eight Christmas trees in this house, yes you read that right...EIGHT, each in different rooms throughout the house and each with their own personality.

Sit back, relax and let me show you around.............

Foyer Tree.

Above is the first tree you see when you walk through the front door. It stands at sixteen feet tall and was decorated by my five foot one and a half inch tall Mom. Alone. I know, she's crazy and impressive, but this tree truly sets the stage for the warmth and holiday cheer you will experience as you wander throughout the house.

Dining Room Tree.

The dining room tree is a corner tree that shines with red lights. This room is more formal so the decor is a mixture of large Christmas balls, red and white flowers and small frames showcasing family pictures.

Library Tree.

 The library is home to a baby grand piano and doubles as a music room of sorts. The tree in this space is short and fat and full of music themed ornaments and a sheet music print ribbon that winds throughout the tree into a bow on the front.

Den Tree.

This is our family Christmas tree ,where we gather around to open presents, stockings, watch Christmas movies, etc...This tree is full of sentimental ornaments that my sister and I made growing up as well as ornaments we have collected as a family over the years.

Kitchen Tree.

 

 The kitchen tree sits behind the sink on the countertop. It's short and fat with long feathers at the top to give it height and personality.

 

Office Tree.

This BLACK Christmas tree sits in the office and is all decked out in University of Georgia ornaments and decor.There's even a little jolly UGA gnome that sits at the base of the tree.

 

Guest Room Tree.

This little tree sits in the Guest room. Every ornament on this tree was selected and collected over time to coordinate with the custom bedding in the room.

 

Guest Room Tree.

 

This is one of my favorite trees. It's a gold tree decorated with various sized red balls. There are no, lights, no tree topper and no fuss. It's simple, yet sophisticated. P.S. the lights you see behind the tree are coming from the garland on the stairs that is plugged in behind the tree.

 

Well, there you have it - eight trees, some big, some small, some short, some tall (I could write for Dr. Seuss). Every tree is different and every one thoughtfully decorated. None of these trees happened over night, the decor and concepts have evolved over time. It truly seems like each year, things look even more beautiful and festive than the year before. I hope you enjoyed your tour, I know some may think I'm biased but I'd say my Mom has it going on in the Christmas decorating department. Crazy thing is, these are just the trees, there's oh so much more I could show - think nutcrackers, formal dining room place settings, garland, wreaths, stockings and wrapped packages, but that's all for another day, another blog.

 

The Cow Spot wishes you all Happy Holidays & a very Merry Christmas!!!

 

All photos are from Lori Foster.