What’s Trending in 2016–10 Picks For The New Year

January 2, 2016

I spent some time on Pinterest over the holidays and while surfing, I stumbled across the board Pinterest 100 for 2016. The board highlights 100 trending lifestyle, fashion, food and style pins from the most influential Pinners on Pinterest. Today I’m sharing 10 of these trending pins to give you a glimpse at what will be red-hot in the new year.

The Pinterest 100: Style; Game-changing throwback sneaks like the Stan Smith gold toe by Adidas are all the rage.

{I love an old school sneaker especially when it’s been updated with a touch of glam. p.s. After some searching, it seems like this sneaker is sold out everywhere}

The Pinterest 100: Tech; Bridge the gap between music, design and technology with chic speakers in warm metallic hues.

{ We got the Amazon Echo as a Christmas gift and I must say it’s a pretty slick gadget}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; “No excuses” workouts that you can fit into any schedule.

{I’ve already started making this a morning routine}

The Pinterest 100: Home; Add a touch of warmth and richness with gilded metallic wallpaper.

{Wallpaper continues to make a strong comeback}

The Pinterest 100: Art & design; “Who knew coloring for grown-ups would make a resurgence? I love the idea of getting creative and all of the health benefits that coloring provides. It’s so relaxing!” – Pinner Amy Anderson

{I’m got to coloring books I’m working on and not only is it really relaxing, but it’s a great source for inexpensive artwork too}

The Pinterest 100: Style; Modern “mom jeans” making a comeback. “The skinny jean has ruled denim for the last five years, but this year, all kinds of fresh shapes are gaining ground,” said Pinpolyee and Stylist Larkin Brown. “One of the most popular styles is the Mom jean, a high-rise straight leg with a relaxed fit. While you may think the last thing you need is another pair jeans, changing up your denim style can make a go-to outfit feel brand new.”

{I’m not a fan of the high waist but I’m loving the look of these more relaxed jeans}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; Brain hacks to improve your mental fitness.

{What you think you achieve}

The Pinterest 100: Style; Hands free bags. Belt bag is the new fanny pack.

{A fashion trend I’m loving, especially for flea market days}

The Pinterest 100: Fitness & health; Healing your hair with DIY masks.

{Good for your hair and money saving–double win}

The Pinterest 100: Style; “The new richness with no rules… This trend is all about mixing patterns, embroideries, colors and fabrics,” said Pinner Paul Lowe. “It looks so effortless and fresh.”

{this is one trend that’s not for everyone–pattern mix responsibly my friends}

♦♦♦

You can check out all 100 of the 2016 trending Pins here.

DIY Holiday Mug Wraps–2015 Edition

December 22, 2015

Last year one of my favorite holiday DIY projects was the mug wraps I created. It was so simple to make these chic cup coozies with just some plush tartan plaid ribbon and velcro.

2014 Holiday Mug Wraps

I wanted to update the look this year to fit my holiday decor so a new version of my Holiday Mug Wraps was in order.

2015 Holiday Mug Wraps

My 2015 Mug Wraps were made with printed burlap ribbon (from Hobby Lobby) and instead of velcro, I attached red eyelets to the edges and used red suede cording to lace up the ends of the wrap.

Just like last year, these wraps are easy to remove when I don’t want to use them or want to change the look.

I love this years version of my mug wraps just as much as last years and from the looks of things, mug wraps are going to be a yearly project for me.

Only 3 more days until Christmas, are you doing any last minute holiday crafting?

Christmas Decorating Ideas For Those Of You Who Haven’t Started Decorating Yet

December 19, 2015

I know several people who haven’t gotten into the holiday spirit yet or are just beginning to decorate their homes for Christmas so this post is for them (and for you if you haven’t started decorating yet).

Decorating for Christmas doesn’t have to be a labor intensive job (I keep telling myself less is more). There are lots of easy ways to decorate your home in a flash and have it look like you’ve spent hours making it merry.

via

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Holiday Decorating Ideas From The Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour

December 17, 2015

Whew! The Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour is a wrap! I’ve loved getting to snoop around the holiday homes of my talented blogging friends and hope you all have too. Not only was the decor inspiring but I picked up several new holiday decorating ideas and tips along the way. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites with you!

I love this simple yet bold mantel decor from Yuni @ LoveYourAbode. The large hand scripted sign really makes a statement and the black and white color theme is so refreshing.

Kellie from Design Asylum really showed me how beautiful pattern mixing can be in a tablescape. I love the tartan plaid mixed with a traditional scroll pattern and those malachite print napkins. Now I’m on the hunt for plaid plate and next year I’m definitely going to go all out with the pattern mixing on my table.

I’ve always loved decorating with fresh greens and Elaine from OMG Lifestyle showed me how beautiful natural greens can look in a vase. A great alternative to fresh flowers.

I have a lot of glass cloches but have never showcased ornaments in them. After seeing this (and others) from Kate @ Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, I’ll definitely be stealing this idea in the future. Such an easy way to create a holiday vignette.

Tamyra from Positively Southern provided lots of inspiration on how to dress the newel post at the end of the staircase with this beautiful ornament cluster. Definitely another inspiring idea.

Even little touches like these lamp ties can make a big impact when decorating. I’m inspired to drape all the lamps in my house thanks to Marsha at M.Jones Style.

Debbie from Refresh ReStyle has so many beautiful holiday touches thought here home but her front porch urns were really impressive. An all it took was a few clippings from mother nature and an artful arrangement.

And Amy from Amy Howard Social showed us all how to create a fun and whimsical holiday tablescape for the big and little kids in the family.

An in case you’re wondering what the favorite part of my holiday home is, it has to be my tree because of the family photos.

Brass Scales of Justice–A Unique Decorative Accent

December 15, 2015

I’m popping in late today to share a fun little accent I added to our holiday decor.

I found this brass scales of justice at a thrift store a few weeks ago for an amazing price of $10 and have plans to sell it in my Etsy shop. I’ll make it available after the first of the year but until then I decided to use it in my Christmas decor.

I placed the scale on the buffet table in the dining room and added small packages and ornaments to the bowls.

We have several pieces of original artwork in our home and this one in the dining room is one of our prized possessions. It’s a piece by contemporary African American artist John Holyfield.

See my dying poinsettia in the background? Anyone else having a tough time keeping them alive with all this warm weather we’re having?

Come back tomorrow for the finale of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. There’s still lots of decor to see from me and the other bloggers on the tour.

Use What You Have Holiday Decor

December 14, 2015

Hey, hey, hey! Just when I thought I was finished decorating I came across a remnant supply in the garage as I was organizing some shelving in the garage. I walked around with the remnant in my hand for a bit, not knowing what to do with just this single piece. Toss it…store it….donate it….or craft with it.

If you know me, you know the answer was craft with it. So that’s what I did!

I’m sure you’re wondering by now what the remnant supply piece was, well the wait it over.

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Favorite Christmas Decor From Around The Web!

December 12, 2015

It’s the weekend and the perfect time to share some of my favorite holiday decor from around the web.

Enjoy the images and the weekend!

CHRISTMAS TREES

A frosted tree with beautiful decorations!

Craftberry Bush

A pretty tree with a great mix of plaid patterns!

Yellow Bliss Road

Shades of blue and teal!

Rambling Renovators

Neutral with a pop of red–so pretty! And the books nestled into the tree is brilliant.

Ella Claire Inspired

CHRISTMAS TABLES

A pretty in pink table–simple and sophisticated!

Celebrations At Home

Inspired by nature–love the garland centerpiece.

Aedriel

A table that sparkle and shines in more ways than one. The sequin tablecloth can easily transition into a new years celebration.

Style Me Pretty

CHRISTMAS VIGNETTES

A garland draped mirror just enhances the view.

Simple Details

A cozy Christmas corner.

The Fancy Shack

A welcoming spot for holiday guests to come and go.

UnSkinny Boppy

Layers and layers of rustic Christmas charm.

Rooms for Rent

CHRISTMAS MANTEL

White garland makes such a chic statement.

The Hunted Interior

Wood stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Inspired by Charm

CHRISTMAS DOOR DECOR

A simple statement with a pop of color.

The Hunted Interior

Lots of little details make for a merry welcome.

Fleeing France

DIY Merry & Bright Placemats

December 10, 2015

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour yesterday on the blog and my festive tablescape. Today I want to share the details of the DIY placemats I made for my table.

You might remember that I used printable art pieces from My Love Note Designs in my bedroom refresh back in May. Christina has a wonderful collection of custom art pieces available in her Etsy shop. Several weeks ago she reached out to me again and asked if I wanted to use a print in my holiday decor. I jumped at the opportunity. Not only are there loads of amazing designs at great prices, but since all the images are downloadable and printable after purchase, you have instant gratification.

In looking through the My Love Note Designs shop, I spotted several images that would have worked with my Christmas decor but the Merry & Bright print was a perfect fit! #merryandbrightholidayhome

image via MyLoveNoteDesigns

Once I saw the image I started thinking about other ways I could use it besides in a frame. The idea of turning it into a placemat came to mind.

So here’s what I did…

Originally I was going to cut my own wood but then I stumbled across 12″ x 12″ unfinished plywood sheets at JoAnn’s ($4.99 each). They were thin and the perfect size for a placemat. Next I grabbed four sheets of green glitter scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby ($1.99 and 50% off) and printed four of the Merry & Bright art images on glossy photo paper.

To create the placemats I used a permanent double-sided table to attached the glitter paper to the wood and then used Mod Podge to adhere the artwork to the glitter paper and to coat the surface. The Mod Podge creates a durable finish and seal over the art image.

I haven’t done it yet but I’m going to paint the edges of the wood with gold rub-n-buff to finish the look.

I must say without these placemats, my holiday table wouldn’t be as Merry & Bright!

♦♦♦

If you’re looking to add some holiday decor to your home this season, I highly recommend checking out the selection of holiday art in My Love Note Designs. These are a few of my favorite pieces and some creative ideas on how they could be used:

Snowflake Red Plaid–use as a decorative topper on gifts wrapped in white, craft or black wrapping paper