Hello, hello!

Well, it's the last day of the Holiday Home Tour and I've chosen to finish the tour off with the living room aka the tree room!  If you've missed the other rooms, you can find the entryway & workspace tour here, the dining room here and the family room here.

You all know that our living room holds a special place in my heart.  It's my elegant & glamorous room, I have had so much fun putting this room together and have most definitely learned a lot along the way, but I am super thrilled with how it's turned out.

We had to switch around the furniture to accommodate the tree.  It has to go there because of the peak, which allows us to get one that is about 9' - 10' tall (which I love!).  I also love being able to put it in front of the window.

As for our tree, there is no rhyme or reason to the decorations, the kids have full control (except for where they can't reach).  Ornaments vary from ones we bought, to ones that were given to us, to a few that we had as children, some are handmade by the kids and such.   The skirt is one that I bought when we celebrated our first Christmas on our own, it's nothing fancy, though I have to admit that part of me would love to swap it out for one that is faux fur.  The star is also from back when we first got married, it's falling apart (and not on straight), but we love it so.

Here is the holiday version of our living room!

I hope you've enjoyed the holiday home tour! If you've posted one of your home, please do let me know, I'd love to see it!

Cheers,

Blogger Feature: Jen from, With Heart

You guys! Today, I have a super fun post for you.  I'm really excited to feature an amazing and very talented lady!  Please meet Jen:

Jen is the talent behind the blog With Heart.  A go-to blog full of inspiration and tips on home decor.  With a passion for creating a home that reflects those living in it and a love for vintage, it's no wonder that I immediately became a fan of hers!  She has the ability to bring together rooms that are infused with gorgeous colour palettes, beautiful layering and the ideal balance of texture.

You will find lovely vignettes, perfectly hung gallery walls and wonderful use of space all throughout her stunning home.

A little bit about Jen:

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah with my husband and little girl, Ruby.  I’m a long-time television reporter and anchor who would moonlight as a die-hard diyer and lover of design in my free time.  When my daughter turned one, I felt like I was missing too much of the everyday working long hours on the 10:00pm news.  I decided to leave my news career and pursue my passion for home remodeling and design, and also spend more time with my Ruby.  I’m a storyteller to my core and I believe your home should tell your story— not look like a catalog or someone else’s vision. 

I love how passionate you are about creating a space that reflects the people living in the home.  Is there one thing that you feel a room must have decor wise to achieve this?

First, thank you!  I think to give a room soul, you have to add in something old, and something sentimental.  Is there a chair that used to be in your grandmother’s home?  Give it new life with some reupholstery and I bet it will be one of your favorite pieces.  I have a chest my father made me for my 18th birthday and it’s so special to me.  Not everything should be new.  Let your quirk shine through a bit.  

Your rooms are all so unique.  Do you have a signature look or a style that you prefer?  

I would describe my style as a mix between traditional and modern.  I think you can successfully weave the two together with a balance of old and new, clean lines, and a few statement traditional pieces.  I like my rooms fresh, bright, airy, and above all comfortable and functional.  You are living in your home, after all.  White sofas ain’t gonna work with my toddler running around.  

Where do you look for inspiration?

I find inspiration mostly from people.  Their life experiences, travel, family, favorite colors— those are the things I draw from when designing my own home.  Was there a building that you visited on vacation that you fell in love with?  Was there a home in your neighborhood growing up you used to pretend you lived in?  (I have a million of those:)  I have a binder full of clippings and pictures I’ve collected through the years that I use as my go-to when I can’t quite decide what to do with a space.  It always gives me endless inspiration.  

Christmas is coming! How do you decorate for the holidays?

I love pulling out my decorations.  Some were passed down like the hand painted ceramic ornaments my grandfather made when I was a little girl, and some I make new every year.  One of my favorite traditions:  every year since my husband and I were married, we pick out a new bird ornament for our tree, then use a little tag for the date.  It’s so fun every year to look at each one we have picked in years past, and add a new little birdie to the collection.

Well, that did not disappoint, did it?

Be sure to check out Jen's lovely blog here. You can also find her on instagram, facebook, pinterest and twitter.

Cheers,

Holiday Home Tour: Entry, Workspace & Here and There Edition

Hey everyone!

I hope you've enjoyed the Holiday Home tour so far!  If you missed the first two posts, you can find the family room tour here and the dining room tour here.

Today, I'm excited to share the entryway decor as well as the little touches of Christmas that I've added to my workspace/reading nook and here and there!

I didn't want to put too much by the door, so I chose to go with a simple bunch of branches that were trimmed from our tree and displayed them in a vintage artillery box.  We've had this box for years now but I never knew what to do with it.  I have a feeling it won't be going back in the basement storage any time soon, I love it!

Our banister and the console in the hallway all full on decorated for the holidays!  The banister is usually the first to be decorated once the holiday season rolls around.  A garland with red satin ribbon tied into bows, does the job!

I absolutely adore and I mean a-d-o-r-e my SS Print Shop "Tartan Deer" print.  Honestly, it's perfect for the holidays!

Okay, time for the photos!

Only a few simple touches for the workspace/reading nook, but enough to remind you that the holidays are near!

We also added a touch of Christmas to a corner in the kitchen.  This sign was made by a wonderful friend of mine, I cherish it!

Next up is the living room!

Cheers,