ROOMS

via Ten days to spend with our families in Southern Utah & Nevada!   We so excited to be out in the west again :)  Hello, mountains - we've missed you! I'm taking a much needed break from blogging while we are here :) Happy New Year & see you when I return to SC :)

Need a little something to spruce up your bare floors?? This rug website has a ton of their rugs marked down 35%!   If you don't need a rug or can't justify buying one right now (like me) it's still fun to browse and dream! Cenon Confetti Multi Plymouth Marfil Ivory Satara Diamond Navy Corolla Paprika Serendipity Modern Leopard Couture Floral Modern Red Plymouth Whisky Peacock

 Can you tell I have Christmas on my mind??  That's all the last couple of posts have been about!  That's okay, because after all Christmas is just 4 days away! I wanted to show you some of the things I have done in our apartment for Christmas.  I really haven't done as much as I would like.  A lot of my stuff is still packed in boxes, since we are living here temporarily, and there just isn't a lot of spaces to set things. But that's okay, right?  Easy clean up after the holidays! My husband grew up with non-traditional Christmas Stockings made out of tube socks, since we won't be flying home until a week after Christmas I decided to attempt making some for our little family.   They are like little Christmas overalls!  Since there is no fireplace here I purchased a wooden dowel, wrapped  ribbon around it & hung it on a lonely wall. I put little ruffles on the 'arms' and backside of mine & my daughter...

Aren't these cranberry topiaries darling?   I have some left over cranberries from Thanksgiving that I need to use up in some way.  I am thinking of incorporating them into a centerpiece for Christmas Eve.  Not sure if I have enough to do this though... For directions to make these topiaries click on the link below the photo. source This would be really simple and easy to do,  and you don't need a whole lot of creativity for this one!   Nuts, lime rings, or red and white striped candies could also be added. unsure of photo source Stringing them could also be another option... source And then doing something like this could be pretty. via Hmmm...

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Sometimes in life there are things more important to post about than interior design... like Christmas Sugar Cookies :) Don't be jealous of my mad cookie decorating skills with a butter knife and zip lock bag!

I've been drawn to large interior lanterns lately.  I love the structured and bold presence they create in a space. via source unknown via minimal glass lantern Orb 6-Light Chandelier Morgan Pendant Light What do you think?  Would you put one in your home?

Yesterday, I happened to find a website that I loved.  It's called One Kings Lane .  On this website are home decor items that are marked down from various retailers.  Everyday/week the selection changes and different items are available.  I saw some beautiful things!  Here are a few of the 'bling-bling' items that I 'oohed & awed' over.  Some out of my price range, but I can dream... fiori centerpiece St. Petersburg Napkin Jewels Canvas Gold Bowl Egg Bowl Pinecone Ornament Band Tapers It seems like a fun website...could be addicting!

source this etsy shop rosy knob

So, I made a wreath.  Weird.  This isn't the type of thing I usually do.  I've never made a wreath before, so I'm not sure what came over me.  Often times, the wreaths I see are cheesy and not really my thing... ...but for some reason I went to the craft store looking for supplies to make some sort of  a Thanksgiving Wreath.  I came home with a grape vine wreath, jute fabric, a silk flower, berries, and feathers. I struggled because I didn't really like what I was coming up with as I began arranging the wreath: Ultimately, this is what I ended up with:   I am actually pretty happy with it.  Do you think it could also be a Christmas Wreath?  I didn't get it put on my door until about a week ago, so I'd like to leave it up through December.  What do you think?

What are two things we all love??  Tasty FOOD and pretty ROOMS.  Well, because of this, I decided to start  this new series.  For the 'food' part, I have invited the talented Cassie , a food blogger from CassieCraves to share one of her awesome, melt-in-your-mouth recipes.  After wards, I will come in for the 'room' part- I'll share a 'recipe' for a room design where I could picture myself enjoying the yummy meal.  Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese ...an inviting, seasonal version of the classic comfort food. 1 butternut squash 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 2 cups milk 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound macaroni pasta 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup plain breadcrumbs 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon ground sage 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1.         Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, ...