guest posting....

hope you had a wonderful christmas holiday with family, friends & loved ones.  my husband m & i have been hard at work on our new home.  we both have the week off from work but keep joking that this remodeling business could certainly double as a full-time job! just glad we are both able to work together to get so much done this week...the progress has been dramatic.  can't wait to share some pictures soon.  in the meantime, my dear friend & fellow blogger kayla has asked me to guest post on her blog today....head on over to her blog, keeping up with the souths, for some fun NYE inspiration!

p

stocking stuffers

when i was little, one of my very favorite things about christmas was checking out the loot in our stockings.  i couldn't wait to run down stairs & see all 5 heavy with treats & goodies.  to be honest, santa never really put anything too exciting in our stockings...it usually was filled with oranges, nuts in their shells & a few chocolate candies.  even though it was nothing spectacular, you would have thought santa had brought us bars of gold the way my sister, brother & i squealed with excitement as we pulled them down from the mantel.  as an adult, the idea of a stocking on christmas morning has certainly not lost its novelty. instead of oranges & nuts, this year i'm hoping santa brings me a few of these goodies instead....

nivea creme
perfect to slip in your purse when you're on the go

l'occitane gift set
{via}

personalized chevron notecards
{via}

fresh gift set...perfect for dry, chapped lips
{via}

glitter polish
OPI rainbow connection

elephant jewelry dish
{via}

gift exchange with the girls...

last night i celebrated the holidays with my best girlfriends.  our friend ali hosted & we did a white elephant-type gift exchange.  instead of bringing something crummy, though, everyone brought some of their favorite things to share.  we drew numbers & took turns opening new presents & then stealing them right back from one another.  needless to say it was quite entertaining...and the gifts were so creative & fun!  everyone left with a something new & different that they probably would never buy for themselves.  even better was having the chance to catch up with a great group of ladies.  we all have such hectic lives & sometimes it seems like we will go months without seeing each other.  when we finally have a chance to make our schedules connect, we have so much fun catching up & sharing news.  i am so blessed to have these ladies in my life!

l'occitane goodies

jessica demonstrating spin pins

some favorites from trader joe's

bath & body treats

my cute new reindeer

sure signs of a successful party

tis the season....

it's hard to believe the holidays are nearly here. in just over a week we'll be celebrating christmas and then new year's. Where does time go?? this year it seems even more surreal since m and I don't have one.single.decoration at our home....yes, you heard correctly! how sad is that?! we will be closing on our new house next week and soon after that packing and moving. call it lazy, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to haul out the christmas boxes, only to pack them right back up for our move. decorating for the holidays is usually one of my very favorite traditions. since our home is in a current state of borderline grinch-ville, I'm finding seasonal inspiration through other outlets this year...

starbucks holiday cups

sparkly lights

{via}

fair isle sweaters

{via}

pretty packages

{via}

what are your favorite signs of the holiday season?  i have to say i look forward to december 1st & those red starbucks cups each & every year!

before....

....and hopefully an "after" to share soon!  i found this vintage beauty last week on my local craigslist...and paid a whopping $45.  thanks very much to my friend emily for coming with me to make sure i wasn't meeting with a psychopath (you never know with CL!).  happy to report that the transaction went smoothly & the piece was definitely a steal in my eyes!  it is the perfect size to fit in the hearth room of our new kitchen.  m & i had been searching a few stores for apartment sized couches, and at around 72" they were still a tad too large.  this vintage settee is just about 52" wide & should work perfectly facing the fireplace. 

just needs a little tlc

i have spent some time looking for the perfect fabric & have settled on this:

{lewis & sheron}

with hot pink cording, similar to this:

{lewis & sheron}

ls fabrics is one of my favorite places to shop for unique & beautiful patterns.  they always have a great selection & their prices are very competitive.  i can't wait to get this piece updated...and share some after pictures soon!

color of the year

i just heard that the new pantone color of the year for 2012 is tangerine tango.  a beautiful shade that i would describe as a mix between orange & coral...

pantone tangerine tango

if you're not familiar with pantone, they have been known as the "worldwide standard for color communication and inspiration since 1963."  the pantone color matching system is basically a standardized color reproduction system that allows different manufacturers in different locations to refer to the pantone system to make sure colors match without having to contact one another. so "tiffany blue" will always be that same gorgeous shade of robins egg blue that we all know & love...who doesn't wish for that iconic little blue box?  what do you think of tangerine tango?  i love the bold color & can't wait to incorporate in our new house!  i can already picture it as a corded or pom trim to some decorative pillows or perhaps in other accessories such as a serving tray or an accent color in a piece of abstract art.  i'm definitely on board with tangerine tango...just crossing my fingers that my husband, m, agrees too!

the beginning....

well...i'm finally doing it. i've been talking about starting a blog for years & finally making it happen.  a very big thanks to my friend & co-worker, kayla (keeping up with the souths), for helping me figure this whole thing out!  i am the first to admit that i'm not the most tech-savvy gal out there.  i think of myself as more of the creative type...and that's where this blog comes in to play!  i can't wait to share my daily musings, inspirations & design ideas as my husband & i start the process of remodeling are first home that we purchased together as a married couple.

our first house...so sad to say goodbye!
{image: oliver beckett photography}