Wildcard Wednesday: Crazy about CHRISTmas....in the Kitchen & Breakfast Nook

Throughout this year you've seen glimpses of my Spring & Fall decor.....typically little touches here & there.  Christmas, however, is a whole other story.....I tend to go crazy with the Christmas decor!

In fact, the past 2 years, I've had a Christmas tree in almost every room.  In other words, I've put up six Christmas trees...all a different theme or color scheme!  That doesn't even include all of the other decor! 

Now, I must admit, this year is going to be a bit different.  As much as I LOVE decorating for Christmas (it's a creative outlet for me), being 7 months pregnant & spending every weekend working on the nursery, I'll be doing good to get one tree up.  So I figured I'd just revisit some of my decor from last year!  But just a word of warning, these posts are going to be overloaded with photos!  Hope you enjoy!

Today I'll start my tour in the kitchen, where a 2 ft. tree adds some Christmas spirit behind the sink.

Little chef & baker fairies (by Mark Roberts) sit here & there, ready to do some Christmas baking. 

 Glittery grapes in shapes of green & purple continue the theme, while burgandy tulle acts as a tree skirt.

Other touches of Christmas are scattered throughout the kitchen as well.....

.....a cute little stocking dresses up a cabinet door.....

 

.....while the glass canisters you've seen so many times are filled with ornaments in coordinating colors....
{click here & here to revisit them through the seasons}

.....Christmas cookbooks & oven mitts are ready to be used for baking.....

.....and of course, the cake stand gets its seasonal makeover.....

....with a Chocolatier Fairy (by Mark Roberts), glittery candy canes, & pomegranates. 
In my opinion, the more sparkle, the better!
{click here & here to see the cake stand throughout the seasons}

The breakfast nook, just off the kitchen, also gets a few festive touches.....

.....a glittery swag above the doorway.....

.....and another fun stocking in lime green & red (I have a thing for stockings!)......

The reason I chose this stocking is because my tablescape in the breakfast nook is filled with lime green & red.....but you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to see the table! 

Okay, I'll give you one little clue as to it's theme.....here's a peek at the chandelier above the table.....

.....are you starting to get an idea?

Well, come back tomorrow to see the chandelier in more detail & the fun tablescape below!

And be sure to check back next week to see the 9ft. tree in my living room, my Christmas mantel, & other decor!

Wildcard Wednesday: Fall Fun! (Part 2)

Last week, I shared a few fall touches in my kitchen, so this week I'm moving on to our living room.....

See this?

Well, if you remember, back in the spring it looked more like this.....

I just trade birds & added some pumpkins & fall foliage, and viola!

(I can also easily transport it to my table for a fun & easy centerpiece!)

The nests & eggs on the coffee table were also traded out......

.....and some decorative acorns & berries were added to warm it up a little.

And one final touch was added to the living area (remember, I told you I kept it simple this year?). 

Remember the armoire?

Well, a little fall sparkle was added to the top....

And that's it!  Just a few touches here & there!

Join me again next week.....same time, same place......to see a little more fall!

Wildcard Wednesday: Fall Fun!

Fall just might be my favorite time of year........crisp, cool weather....all the rich, beautiful colors....yummy chili & soups....scents of cinnamon, pumpkin, & banana nut....& OU football of course! 

Typically I replace my spring decor in June for my more neutral summer decor, and then the first of September, I bring out the fall.  But this year, my summer was filled with first trimester nausea & fatique, so just last weekend I took down my spring decor!  That's right.....I skipped right over summer & went from spring to fall!  I decided to not do quite as much fall decorating as I normally do since our hands are full with preparations for the little one, but I couldn't resist doing at least a little.  So over the next few weeks, I'll share bits & pieces of my fall decor with you.

If you remember, there are a couple spots in my kitchen that I change seasonally.  One of them is my set of glass canisters.  You might remember that in the spring it was filled with nests & eggs. 



Well, a few quick changes, & it's ready for fall!

I also like to use my cake stand as a seasonal display.  I figure if it's gonna sit out on my counter year around, it might as well serve a purpose.  In the spring, it looked like this......

....but now it holds pumpkins & berries!

Well, now you've had a peek at my fall decor!
Join me again next week for more fall fun!

Friday Favorites: Stacked Pillow Tuffet

A couple years ago, when my hubby & I were touring a "dream home," I came across this stacked pillow tuffet from Bella Rose by Chateau's "Esmerelda" line:

And I fell in love!.........with the materials, with the tassels, with the style, but not with the price!

Over the next couple months, I came across the same tuffet in a few high-end furniture & decor stores.....and when I say high-end, I mean it was WAY out of my price range!

But I just couldn't get it out of my mind!

So I continued to check periodically, hoping that one day it would be mine.....you could say I was a tuffet stalker!  My husband, knowing my obsession, even offered to try to make me one!

And then it happened!  One day while visiting a local decor store, I came across it yet again, only this time something was different, this time it was on sale!  Almost 70% off!  I couldn't believe it!  Although still a bit pricey, I just couldn't resist.....not after all of that!  And I knew that even if we attempted to make it ourselves, the materials alone would be close to that amount!

So I grabbed it up, & loaded it in my car......a Camaro at the time.....I must have been quite a sight trying to get that thing to fit.....but I adjusted the seat, scooting it & leaning it back as far as possible, and then squeezed the tuffet in the front passenger seat.....smiling the whole way home!

And now it sits happily in my living room......

.......by our fireplace.......

.......where it typically holds a Gracious Goods tray & magazines.......

.......but also showcases the occasional seasonal decor.......

.......and when company comes, it adds a little extra seating as well. 

And every time I look at it, I smile! 

Wildcard Wednesday: Signs of Spring.....In My Living Room

Little by little, I've been revealing my spring decor.  Okay, truth is, it's actually taking me several weeks to finish my spring decorating, but knowing that I'm going to share a little more each week has at least motivated me to get something accomplished!

In previous weeks, I've given you a glimpse of my entry (click here), as well as my kitchen (click here & here).  This week, you get a little peek at my living area. 

While I absolutely love the bright colors of spring and the shabby chic spring look that I so often see in magazines & blogs......

.......my somewhat European/Old World style decor does not lend itself too well to the bright, shabby chic look......well, not without a major re-do anyway.  So instead, I've chosen to add seasonal decor that will compliment my existing decor.  (Although, I have to admit my spring tablescapes often have a shabby chic look!)

Here are a few of my recent living room changes:

My cocktail table generally looks like this "in-between" seasons:

(Notice the decorative balls in the tray)

But with each season, it gets one simple change...... I trade out the decorative balls for something seasonal.....this time, nests & eggs:

 

My end table also gets a little change.  Remember this area from my "Curtain Call" post?

It typically looks like this, with a tassle lying on a stack of old books:






But for spring, I traded out the tassle for a glass cloche, showcasing another nest (I just love the bird on the top of the cloche!) & added a little bird.










The stack of books was a little much, so I took a few away, and added a recent TJ Maxx purchase: this stack of old, distressed book pages tied with string.  (This would be easy to make too, but at about $7, I figured it was worth just buying it!)

Nearby is a footstool (get a closer look during this week's Friday Favorites!), which usually holds this Gracious Goods tray with my current magazines:

But for spring, it gets a little face-lift:

A big turquoise bird & large nest sit atop a burlap table runner.

 Have I mentioned how much I love turquoise?

And speaking of turquoise, I made one more change to my living area.  

During the winter large hurricane candle holders, greenery, & berries were displayed atop our armoire:

 

But now, it gets a touch of turquoise as well:

Oh & one more little area to show you.  I've added a couple things to our breakfast bar.  While this is technically part of the kitchen (obviously!), it connects with our living area, so I thought I'd throw it in.

Normally, the picture frame stands alone, but I added a nest & moss-covered bunny to the mix.  {I'm thinking now maybe I should swap out that Santa pic for a spring one!}

I'm linking with This Blessed Nest for Spring Fling, BNOTP for Met Monday, & A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday., French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday,  The Charm of the Home for Home Sweet Home, and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday. Check them out!