Home for the Holidays 2013: Living Room Tour

I hope you’re all enjoying my Home for the Holidays series thus far. So far I’ve shared our Family Room Holiday Decor, a yummy Christmas cookie recipe, and some of my favorite things in 2013 (they’ll make great stocking stuffers!)

Next up is our Living Room Tour!

I actually think that this is the first time you are all seeing this room with furniture! Since we decided to keep our family room a bit more rustic and casual, we wanted to really make the living room vibrant. The jewel tones throughout the space are playful and add a bit of magic to the room.

I love the elegance that pillared candles bring the a space– not to mention how romantic the soft glow is at night.

Beautifully wrapped presents adorn our windowsill coupled with large colorful ornaments and lit garland.

Our tree has a whimsical theme with colored balls, snowflakes, and icicles hanging from its branches.

This decorated credenza is probably my favorite corner of the room and is home to some very special pieces that are close to my heart.

How cute is this “Let it Snow” pillow? I just love it. And what’s funny is that the moment I placed this pillow in the chair, I noticed snowflakes start to fall outside. By the time we were done decorating the room, our lawn was covered in white!

These little guys were given to me by my mother 3 years ago. She used to collect nutcrackers when I was growing up and would display them every year on our mantle at Christmas. Now that I’ve been given a few of her favorites, I have a piece of “home” with me during the holidays!

And of course, we can’t forget the romance at Christmas. See you under the mistletoe Mr. H 🙂

The nutcrackers continue along our back window and keep watch over the room at night.

And we can’t forget Santa! He’s peeking through in the corner.

Finally, our cozy couch sits below our banister which has been dressed in garland, ribbons, and pearls.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our living room tour! Next up will be the dining room (which you can see a sneak peek of in the photo above).

So how is your decorating coming along? Are you still adding the final few touches?

Happy Holidays!

9Dec2013

Holiday Hints for Her: My favorite things for under $20

Posted in Home For the Holidays, Life As A Wife by Tanisha

Stuck on what to bring to your Yankee Swap/White Elephant this year? Well to help you out, I’ve created a list of my favorite things of 2013 for…..wait for it….under $20!!:

1. Scottish Fine Soups- Au Lait Body Milk- $17.50 Scottishfinesoaps.com

2. Gelous Nail Gel- $5.99 Sallybeauty.com

3. MAC “All That Glitters” Eye Shadow- $15.00 Maccosmetics.com

4. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom- $13.39 BarnesAndNoble.com

5. Boot Socks- $17.00 Etsy.com

6. Q & A a Day: A 5 Year Journal- $16.99 BarnesandNoble.com

7. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat- $7.99 Seche.com

1. Scottish Fine Soups- Au Lait Body Milk

I absolutely love this bath milk. Not only it is smooth in texture and subtle in scent, but it lathers into luxurious long lasting bubbles making this the only bubble bath I use!

2. Gelous Nail Gel

Want a long lasting manicure but don’t want the damaging UV rays from a gel manicure at the salon? Try this base coat with your favorite colored polish! My nails have gone up to 1 week chip free!

3. MAC “All That Glitters” Eye Shadow

This was gifted to me by a girl friend a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it! It’s the perfect shadow that gives you that slight shimmer without making it look like you have disco fever 🙂

4. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Here’s the synopsis:

When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.

You will not be able to put this one down!

5. Boot Socks

These are such a easy and adorable way to add some personality to your boots! Plus they keep your toes nice and warm!!

6. Q & A a Day: A 5 Year Journal

If you have ever wanted to journal but never could make a habit of it, then this journal is for you. Each page asks one question (each day for 5 years) to which you write a sentence or two in response. It’s so fun to look back on past answers and see how you’ve evolved over the years!

7. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Never waste time waiting for your manicure to dry again! This top coat polish seals your polish in seconds making it a must have for any girl on the go! *Tip- Use with Gelous Nail Gel to maximize results!

Give one (or all) of these items a try! I’m absolutely sure you’ll love them as much as I do. Do you have any favorite items that you swear by? I’d love to hear them!!

Happy Holidays!