Did the holidays sneak up on anyone else besides me this year? I had the best intentions of making the abode into a winter wonderland for the holidays, but then I turned around and Christmas was a week away. D’oh! I have to admit, with coordinating travel and immense amounts of gift buying, I haven’t had much time to get my creative juices flowing this season. I desperately want to do a post on some garland and wreath ideas that are sneaking into my noggin, but those will have to wait for another year. Note to self: begin holiday decorations next July.

Regardless of our sparse Christmas decor, we still managed to bring a bit of holiday cheer into our house, starting with a fresh Fraser fir and matching wreath, handmade by the lovely people at our local Christmas tree outpost. I’ve always considered investing in a faux tree, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. The dropping needles and constant watering are all worth the wonderful smell a real tree brings into a home. A fake tree is like having eggnog without the splash of rum – it’s just not right!

I couldn’t decide which ridiculous picture to post of my husband decorating the tree, so I decided to include both. :) Below is the aforementioned handmade wreath made from leftover tree limbs. I can’t help but buy one of these every year since it’s such a great use of (essentially) trash and the yummy smell greets me every time I walk in the door.

Another note: yes, next year I will spruce up this standard wreath with something amazing that will blow your socks off. Just let that be a little something to keep you coming around until next year. :)

We’re definitely rocking the silver and red theme this year – it’s hard to avoid the classics. I do like to mix up my gift wrapping, though. I love all things paper and ribbon, so I can’t stick to one kind of wrapping paper for my gifts. This year I brought in some standard shipping paper in a natural brown tone, and accented it with green and red raffia for a rustic look…

… or used a simple brown box tied with some classic brick-a-brack ribbon for a simple, fresh look.

I continued the criss-crossing of the raffia on some more graphic wrapping papers that I was gifted from a wallcovering rep (love free stuff!). I love a good, graphic pattern on anything, especially a Christmas gift.

I even brought in a punchy, lime green ribbon to keep up with the bold pattern of this fun wrapping paper. Sure all of my gifts don’t match, but they’re keeping in the same color scheme, with varying scales of pattern, so it makes an interesting display under the tree.

Yes, I’m not the first person ever to decorate with glass ornaments (gasp!) but I just can’t help myself. The way the Christmas lights play off of their reflective surfaces is just perfect for holiday decor. Plus, we have an abundance of glass vases that we received as wedding gifts, so they’re the perfect vessel to hold these little balls of colored light.

We even took a bit of leftover wrapping paper and popped it in a frame to bring the whole red and silver theme to fruition. Genius, right? Yeah, I know it’s nothing new, but I wanted to share my holiday decor with all of you nice people so you can get a taste of how holidays are in the H household. Any holiday decor ideas you’d love to share? Do it do it!

Better late than never, right? December’s Real Simple is almost always my favorite because it’s jammed packed with great gift, food and decorating ideas for the holidays. And since Christmas time is the one time of year that those 3 items are put into overdrive, I’ll get right to the goodies they had in store!

1. 50 Gifts under $50. Every year RS puts forth a stellar gift guide for all walks of life, and this year certainly doesn’t disappoint. They break things down into easy to navigate groups, such as gifts for everyone, the women in your life (mom, sister, aunt), men in your life and the kiddos. RS seems to do a great job of spotting a trend or finding something really interesting before you’ve even heard of it – how do they do that? I, for one, would love almost everything on this list, which includes ceramic nuts, framed alphabet prints, The Sartorialist book, bacon jam and Pantone luggage tags (among many others). If you’re in a rut and want something out of the ordinary to give to your gift list-ees, check this article out!

2. Recipes for a Good Time. I have to admit I’m a bit of a glutton and look forward to the food around the holidays more than anything else. I’m such a sucker for a good hors d’oeuvres, but my burgeoning belly does not thank me for this. Alas, Real Simple has come to my rescue. They’ve whipped up a menu of yummy bite-sized treats, perfect for parties, that are a bit more on the healthy side and look seriously delicious. Can you say caramelized apple and onion tarts? And no, they’re not all health conscious, but isn’t gorging yourself part of the holiday spirit?

3. Decorating with Brown. Why yes, I managed to find the one decorating article in this holiday issue, thankyouverymuch. Some people might not think of brown as a great color to fill your home with (ie. makes people think of poo, dirt, and other nasty things) but I love it. There are so many shades of brown, and it can either be a perfect neutral or a rich accent. I have a lot of brown accents in my home, but only one room that sports a bold, dark brown wall. This article almost made me reconsider my color choices…. almost. I can’t get away from my beloved green now, can I? This piece also shows some great combos with brown, such as brown + yellow (my personal fav), brown + blue, and brown + lavender (which I thought screamed my friend Jen when I flipped to the page – how weird am I for thinking a room screams of a person?). Forget the bad connotations you’ve had with brown and jump on the brown bandwagon!

Who can’t wait for a new year of Real Simples issues? Only me? Ok… well, here’s to 2010!

Ok, ok…. so I barely manage to blog once a week and then how do I repay you? I hit you up for votes so I can win something totally awesome. Yeah, that’s how I roll. I’m a terrible person and I love you all for humoring me on a regular basis.

So here’s the deal. A furniture supplier that I work with on a regular basis (whom also awarded me my womb chair) is having a contest to win the new Generation chair by Knoll. This chair may look like a regular office chair, but really, it’s a slice of pure ergonomic heaven. Honestly. I’ve never been more excited about a chair in my life, and that’s really saying something. They challenged designers in Charlotte to take a creative picture incorporating the chair – so what did I do? Exploited my pup, of course! Don’t judge me for my lack of creativity – I’m hoping that cuteness bodes well with designers in the area. :)

I’m dying to win this chair for our home office since my lovely husband has to sit in a very unfortunate chair every other day at present time. If you take the time to vote for me, I promise I’ll repay you in cookies and sunshine… and possibly more frequent blog posts.

Please send an email to vote059@cbi-nc.com or simply visit http://cbigenerationcontest.com/, go to Review Pictures and vote for Charlie, photo number 59. I’ve heard a rumor that you can only vote 5 times from each computer, but come on people, let’s beat the system! Thank you thank you and here’s to hopes of an un-sore back and happy behind for my husband in the near future!

Yes, I know my banner is screwy and yes, it’s driving me bananas. Blargh. I’ll figure it out at some point.

In the mean time, allow me to share another attempt at some fun photography! Some of our good buddies in Charlotte approached me to take their Christmas card photos with their oh-so-adorable dog, Dorothy. It was an absolutely frigid morning, so we just did a quickie shoot around their townhouse.

First, meet Dorothy the Doodle. She might be the sweetest little labradoodle I’ve ever met. Look how cute she is? We headed to a field near their house to get a few Christmas card shots. The sun was super bright at 10 am so I had quite the challenge trying to get a good exposure. Note to self: work on that.

After a few minutes of shivering and jingling dog treats for the pup, we walked over to an old fire station near their place for a couple more pics.

Don’t you love how people say they aren’t photogenic and they end up looking like this?

Yes, I made them “shoe pose”. I’m not quite sure what that is, but they did a good job! I also made them one of my cheeserific CDs with their images on the front and back – because I’m just that cool.

Hopefully they can find a pic in the bunch for their 2009 Christmas cards. Thoughts? Comments? Let em out!

Can I get a whoop whoop for a blog hiatus?! Yes, I have come to the realization that I am, in fact, a terrible blogger. As much as I love writing and chatting with you nice people, I also enjoy my time off of the grid. We spent the past week in Florida getting some quality family time. Sure, I had some down time and could have worked up a blog post, but I’m just not that kind of blogger. Luckily for me, people still actually take the time to read my little blog – which leads me to my thankful list. I may be a few days behind the rest of the blogosphere, but I’m equally thankful nonetheless. Especially for:

1. My readers. That’s right. Y-O-U. You may be part of a very small elite group, but I appreciate every one of you, despite your petite size. I dove into this blog world basically blind, but my readers have picked me up and carried me through with thoughtful comments and suggestions. Muchos gracias.

2. My husband. Yep, mushiness factor has been elevated. Although I’m not the most obvious person (ie. not lovey dovey) I appreciate my husband more than I appreciate modern conveniences, like fingernail clippers and indoor plumbing. Seriously. I’m so thankful to have found the person who is not only my best friend, but completes my life in ways I didn’t even think were possible.

3. My nephews (and niece). I have to admit, I was a bit curious how my family dynamic would change once little ones were brought into the picture. Luckily for all of us, it’s been flipping amazing. What’s better than having cute little boys running around, grabbing your hand to show you every little thing and giggling until you can’t handle the cuteness? And how about the awesome fact that if they poo/cry/flip out, you simply hand them off to the parents? I really don’t know what could be better. I’m sure that having children of your own would be a thousand times better, but at this point in our lives, nephews are just the ticket. I’m so thankful that all of them are in our lives and that they’re healthy and happy little babies.

4. Health. I can’t imagine how difficult my life would be, along with everything else that’s going on, if me or someone close to me was terribly ill. I thank my lucky stars every morning that I wake up and have the ability to breathe and go through life without the burden of a major illness weighing on my shoulders. There are some people close to me who aren’t quite as fortunate, but I’m thankful for the fact that they’re pushing through and staying as healthy as possible. Good health is such a blessing and I hope I never take advantage of it.

5. My In-Laws. You read that one right. I hear so many horror stories of terrible in-laws, and I’m so fortunate for not being able to contribute to those conversations. My in-laws are incredible, loving, funny people who have completely welcomed me into their lives over the past 5 years. I can’t express how fortunate I am to have not one, but two great families to love and share my life with (I promise I’m not being a kiss ass :P ).

6. My Familia. Not to be forgotten is my fantastically wonderful family unit. Living far away and only getting to spend special occasions with them really makes me cherish the times that we do get together. They’ve all supported me through every step of my life and I know that’s something not everyone can attest to. My family is unique, hilarious, brilliant and thoughtful – among 50 billion other things. I love them and am super thankful for every single one of them. And not to be forgotten in the family department, here is a picture of my other little nephew, Master Henry.

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Is there something you’re thankful for? Share the love, people!

Yesterday morning I sprung up out of bed way before my alarm with tons of ideas brewing in my head. Does this ever happen to you? My best creative thoughts come when I’d least like them to (i.e. when I’m asleep). One was for an idea I’m brewing up for a christmas gift (which will be revealed at a later date, if all goes well) and the other was for curtains for our home office. Now, why 5:00 am and striped curtains seem to be a winning combo, I’ll never know. But I’ve been saving some images of striped curtains recently and think these just might be the ticket for our office curtain dilemma.

These striped curtains from Little Green Notebook started my striped obsession, and the search for further curtains of the same.

It wasn’t until I found these curtains and a super helpful tutorial that I really started to ponder the idea of stripes in our office. I love a good, graphic print and what’s better than a bold stripe? Oh, and horizontal and thick stripes for this girl – I’d like to avoid any traditional vertical stripes in this office because, frankly, it’s just not my style. I have a hard time finding the right fabric most of the time, so I’m seriously considering a DIY approach for these puppies. Now’s where my lovely readers come in to play.

Here is a very rough sketch of some ideas I’m considering for the office window treatments. I’d love to bring in the mustardy yellow that’s in the lamp shade and reupholstered chair, but I’m not sure if that would be too drastic on two windows (4 panels). I love the tone on tone of a light gray and a white, but maybe I need Option 3 to bring a little bit of both colors into the room. Option 3 may be a bit more traditional, so I’m a bit hesitant about that one. Just to refresh your memory, the curtains would be going in this lovely hole that we call the office:

Care to share your thoughts on the curtain options? I’m not 100% on the striped look (when am I ever 100% on anything house related?) but I’d love to hear what the blog world thinks and hopefully help in my decision-making. Poll time – go!

Un-tagged images yoinked from Apartment Therapy and Smitten Design.

I’m a scatterbrain.

It amazes me that I’m a designer sometimes – a profession that relies so heavily on little details – because, goodness, I’m a basket case sometimes. Take today, for instance. I came home during the day to let Charlie out for a few minutes between meetings. He was his usual, boisterous self, so I was preoccupied with trying to clean his muddy feet and forgot to lock the door. AND CLOSE IT. I actually left my house with a door cracked and not locked. Hey robbers, come on in, the house is open for business. I also ran some errands and picked up some vitamins that we were out of. Said vitamins were the ones that Scott and I decided to buy from Trader Joe’s since they were half the price. And where did I buy them from? Not Trader Joe’s. Naturally. Oh, and I went to the store to pick up dog food and forgot that I had bought anything when I got home and waltzed right in the door – sans dog food.

It’s a wonder my lovely husband can tolerate me. And that my head doesn’t fall off my shoulders. Maybe tomorrow my brain will work with me and not against me – for my abode’s sake.

Image courtesy of Google-icious.

Isn’t this a lovely sight? Every Fall, I get excited about the changing leaves and being able to enjoy the vibrant yellows and reds for a brief amount of time. Our neighborhood is transformed seemingly overnight into a movie-like set up. The slight nip in the air and the energizing colors that are introduced into the landscape almost make me forget about the awful event that happens shortly after the initial high – the dreaded raking of the leaves.

Ugh.

And that’s not even the half of it. Or a fourth of it. Thanks to our super lush neighborhood, every fall we have an all out battle against dead and decaying leaves. It’s a fight against time to rake them up to save our grass, only to be defeated by the evil leaves the very next day. It’s obnoxious. This year, however, we decided to take off our DIY hats for a second and give some local landscapers some extra cash by doing them the honor of raking our leaves for us – all for the cool price of $60. Scott actually said “that’s the best $60 I’ve ever spent” after we admired the 24+ bags lined along our street, all while relishing in our un-sore muscles. We’ll do our fair share of raking to keep things from getting out of hand, but we plan to hire professional help at least one more time to give us some time for other, more enjoyable things this Fall. What are your thoughts on hiring someone to rake your leaves? Some of our friends seemed to think $60 was a bit outrageous, while others agreed that it was money well spent. Sound off!

This past weekend, while driving around town running some errands, my husband said something to me that almost made me look forward to the dreaded winter season. “Let’s do a winter project”. I paused, smiled, and thought my husband must really get me. I’m a self-proclaimed winter hater, so this little idea thrown up by my one and only was music to my ears. It didn’t take much discussing for us to decide that our home office needed a bit of a pick me up. I admit, the office hasn’t been featured very often on this blog because, well, it’s heinous. It’s basically a mishmash of random furniture pieces that had to go somewhere, so they ended up in the office. Take a look at our disaster that is in desperate need of a winter makeover.

Oh, the horror. Yes internet, you have now gotten a glimpse into our sad little office that we close the door to when guests come over. The old school table I refinished (ie tried to salvage) sadly sits in the corner, but doesn’t provide any efficient storage. And the wires. Oh goodness gracious, the wires. They are the bane of my existence.

The other side of the office is even more sad, if you can believe it. We have some wall space that isn’t being utilized to its full potential, and some hand-me-down storage that just isn’t making the cut. So what to do? Enter, our winter project idea collage.

Scott and I love the rich browns we have rocking in this space, but this room needs some colors to brighten things up a bit. Also, Scott works from home about 3 days a week and spends all day in this room, so the organization needs to be pumped up. I’m not completely sold on this collage, but it’s at least a good starting point while we work our way to a more functional and pleasing home office.

The desk, rug and side chair are existing, as well as our lovely Crate and Barrel ladder bookshelf. We’re planning to toss the old green table, as well as the cheapo college bookshelf to free up the room for some more useful storage solutions. We’ll reposition some items in the room to make the space work better, as well as add an Expedit storage unit from Ikea to form a credenza of sorts, with tons of useful storage within. We’ll even customize it with some door inserts, metal legs and some colorful knobs to take it from building standard to super snazzy.

Scott is in desperate need of an office chair that can house his tushy for an 8 hour day. I’ve been eyeing this one from CB2 for quite some time, so I think we may need to make it a member of our household. We’ll also bring in some color/pattern through window treatments – I’m not 100% sold on these particular ones, but I want something that will coordinate, as well as play off of, our newly redone side chair.

Thoughts? Comments? Any other items that we desperately need to make this office an organizational haven? Share the goods, people!

I’m a bit hesitant to post these. It’s always difficult to put yourself out there, especially if you’re unsure of yourself or if you’re attempting something that’s uncharted territory. I can post things about design and home decor because I live and breathe it everyday. I know it may not be perfect, but at least I know I’m somewhat decent at it. Photography is a completely different story. I’ve been immersing myself in photography for a year or so now (blog stalking, studying, etc), but have yet to try my hand at actually shooting people. Enter Sarah and Matt.

Sarah and Matt are good friends and neighbors that recently got engaged. I soon as I heard this news, I put my fears aside and asked them if they would mind playing models for me in exchange for some free engagement pictures. Luckily for me they obliged and we headed out to some spots I had scoped out around Charlotte and played around for an hour. I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured you have to start somewhere, right?

My first attempt at a photo shoot worked out just about perfectly. It was an overcast day, so I wasn’t trying to figure out how to avoid blaring sunlight at 4:00 in the afternoon. I shot everything manually to really try and challenge myself, though (yay me!). That meant about 60 good images out of 200 something, but hey, I’m a newbie. Oh, and all of us were pretty nervous since we were in a totally new situation – but luckily, nervous laughter looks like real laughter. :)

I found this super sketchy abandoned storage/warehouse near my office that had some pretty fall leaves and just the right amount of rust to create some interest. Matt informed us that the pretty leaves were actually poison ivy. Whoops. They were troopers though and ran with it, despite the risk of itchy skin.

Aren’t they photogenic? I honestly don’t know how photographers get people  to look fantastic in pictures, since I am guilty of closing my eyes in 90% of pictures taken of me. Luckily, these two were naturals so I didn’t have to prompt them to look awesome. Score.

Some things I learned in my first photo shoot: posing people is hard, overcast days rule, I love my 50mm 1.8, and I really want a wide-angle lens to get some different perspectives. I also made them a little custom CD for all of the images I took. I’m such a nerd, but I love doing stuff like this, especially when it’s a little humourous with their butts on the back of the case.

Thoughts? Comments? I know I have a handful of photogs out there that read my blog, so I’d love some constructive criticism. You can keep comments like “Audrey, you stink. Quit trying to be like us” to a minimum, though, for my poor little ego’s sake. Gracias. :)