Just a big THANK YOU and a big 'ol hug to all my new found friends out there in blogland! My very first (and very lame) post was this past July... Whimsical Hideaway.
Since then I have learned to just be me and have a little fun. It has been so much fun "meeting" everyone and I have so enjoyed your comments and kind words. I have even won a prize from Kimba at A Soft place to Land. She is so cool!

After the new year I have several projects to post. Several painting projects to share and hopefully more client's homes to peek into. So stick around, visit more often and please keep leaving me comments!

Thanks again~ Have a safe and Happy New Year!

~Misti

Holiday Decor: Step inside my place

Beyond my red door... While I love my Christmas lights and decorations there are still things in my house to be done, so don't look too close. Everything except my new oil over the mantel was brought from the old house and it is either from the 90's, or way too small for the new place. This year we had so many lights, I am sure Georgia Power is thanking us for lighting up the neighborhood. We needed no other lights on downstairs.

My last post was all about pending projects and boy do I have some! I am dying to paint the front door and trim around it. Something rustic like the outside, maybe more red washed with dark stain. I want to faux the little powder room next to the skinny tree. I need to remove that tiny thing over the door and move it somewhere else. I know, everything is against the walls, my boys like to have lots of room to play, so for now I keep everything out of the way. Less breakage that way! Really need taller drapes that hit the ceiling, speaking of ceiling, if I had the funds we would have huge beams on the ceiling and it would be anything but white. That goes for the kitchen too! I have so much fabric in boxes, and stuff in the basement, I just need to get organized once again and get busy on my own house. I seem to always be swamped in projects for clients that house gets put on the back burner. So better late than never posting my Christmas pictures! Thanks for visiting...

Pending Projects for the New Year

It's the Saturday after Christmas, and the tree is coming down. For the kid's sake, I may leave all of my other little trees and decorations up for a few more days, but not sure how long I can take the house not looking normal!

Before all of the hustle and bustle began I finally finished one project that had haunted me since we moved into our home three years ago. I wanted to fill this massive empty wall in our family room, and decided that artwork and large flower arrangements would work. Still need to hang a metal topper over the arrangement, guess I will get around to that soon enough. I have so many things that I would like to buy, like a big burly coffee table and new furniture because all of my furniture is too small for the room, but instead of buying new things I will just concentrate on the projects to be done around here. For instance, my guest bathroom needs a faux finish and more artwork. I would like to paint bricks in my boys' bathroom, my dining room needs better trim work and paint too. My son has a headboard to be painted, and I would also like to do something creative with a mirror hanging out in the basement. Oh, the basement is a monster of it's own. That is one BIG project! Let me know some of your pending projects for your place.

How about this...if any of you out in blogland would like to shoot me a picture of a dilemma in your home, I will give complimentary consults over email or over the phone. Your choice! I know just how tough it is at times to arrange your furniture or to choose a great color palette. Send me a picture we'll see what we can come up with for a most fabulous room. I look forward to meeting with all of you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas to you all! Enjoy your family time...
Thanks so much to my visitors!

~Misti

Real Living: Comfort and Beauty Combined

This week in blog land we have been discussing "keeping it real". It all started at Kimba's A Soft Place to Land. My approach to decorating is all about keeping it real. Real family, real living, real comfort and real beauty. Your home is your comfort zone, it should be beautiful in YOUR eyes. It should make you feel safe and cozy like a warm blanket every time you enter. Keep your home true to your taste. Never copy someone else's design style, chances are it may not work for your family. Be practical. Stay away from high-maintenance decor if your family is constantly on the go. You can have a gorgeous and cozy place with beautiful decor. If your furniture is going to be "well used" then buy distressed finishes. We have three boys who are very respectful our things, but occasionally a flying ball will knock over a picture frame and add a dent to our tables. Luckily, everything we have is already distressed. I like to call it "well loved". If you have a family with several children or pets, keep everything in the house a few shades darker. For instance... keep the wall color darker, hides fingerprints well, opt for dark wood cabinetry, and fabrics with prints or texture help to hide everyday wear and tear. Keep it simple and practical, but most importantly...keep it you!

Many blessings to you and your families this Christmas season.
`Misti

Photo: Traditional Home

Winner! Kimba's Holiday Open House prize is mine!

Photo from Kimba's giveaway post.

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land
has announced me as one of the winners of her Holiday Open House giveaway! This Magnetic Memo board is so perfect for my kitchen. It's like she knew what my kitchen looks like and I have not posted pictures of it before! My walls are a funky green with black furniture and black and cream toile drapes! Awesome!! Normally, I am the one doing a giveaway, but never do I win anything. What a great weekend! I was so busy baking cookies very late on Friday night and finishing for our second family Christmas gathering that I had not been able to check out my favorite blogs, my buddy over at Southern Charm Home Decor and Gifts emailed me to say congrats. I had just popped over to glance at my email, and got the great news.

When it arrives I will post pictures so you guys can see how perfect is it in my home. If you haven't yet checked out Kimba's place, go check her out at A Soft Place to Land, she is a hoot!
Thanks again Kimba!

Reuse and Renew: Update Your Existing Holiday Decor

Why, just the other day I caught myself whining about not being able to buy new holiday decor this year, and then I thought about those who are without jobs and children who will not be having gifts this year and it took that chip right off my shoulder. So, instead of whining, I pulled out all of my decorations (that apparently had been on the island of misfit decorations) and decided to use what I have. I found brand new ornaments that were never opened, wreaths that could be re-done, and loads of other goodies that just needed a new life.

I always have flowers from my floral arrangements so I added left-over berries and flowers to my tree...all it took was a tuck in between branches and the tree took on a whole new look. To my hardback books that I love to decorate with, I added wired ribbon with an over-sized bow and viola, Christmasy! My favorite black cabinet in the kitchen got decked as well with blocks and a perfect little plate for the holidays. My vintage Dr. Pepper Santa got dusted off and displayed nicely on a side table with a tree, and more books. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that my new puppy gives all the decorations another year to hang around. So far, he has only eaten two (very cool) feather ball ornaments. I did leave them a little too low to the ground!

My old wreaths got wrapped in ribbons with feathers and berries. The ribbon saved from last year, worked well with this year's ribbon. Never, never throw away ribbon! It holds up garland, works great on books and glass vases too. Too many glass ornaments for the tree? Hang them from satin ribbons over windows or hang them from your chandelier!

My decorating strategy is always about using what you have...just tweaking as necessary! Pull out all of your old decorations and challenge yourself to make something new for YOU!

Finally got a Blog Button!

My new friend Joanna at Southern Girl Blog Designs
made this great button. She had so much patience with me! There are just so many options... I couldn't make up my mind on colors and styles. So I just wanted to say Kudos to Joanna! If you need a great button or full blog design visit her soon. Her prices are unbelievably affordable! And did I mention her patience?

Feel free to add me to your blog!

These are a few of my Favorite Things...

Just like the song goes, we all have our favorite things at Christmastime that make the season a bit more special. Here are a few of my favorite things and I would love to hear yours. Please leave your favorites in the comment section under this post. Here we go...

• A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
• Peppermint candy bark
• The smell of a real tree
• Hot Apple Cider
• Peppermint mocha coffee creamer (Coffee Mate)
• Spritz Cookies in all the good colors!

Now tell me yours ...

Dreaming of an All White Christmas

Who says Christmas decor HAS to be red and green? A soothing all-white palette does wonders for your holiday mood. If your climate doesn't call for snow make your own with white flowers tucked in the tree, add white ornaments and ribbon, and of course, white lights. Did I mention the color white?







For a new tradition... hang your stockings from the foot board of the bed. What a beautiful way to dress the bedroom for the holidays. This white country room is so dreamy! I just can't get enough of Country Living magazine. So much inspiration to get my juices flowing!

Don't be afraid to try something new this holiday season. Change your colors or just change your placement of the decorations.

If you have a tall foot board such as this one, add flocked evergreens tied with satin ribbons to the posts. Like I always say, think out of the box, and get creative!

Happy Decorating!
~Misti

Photo credit: Janis Nicolay, Country Living Magazine

Simple Ideas for a Fabulous Holiday Home

Wow! It has been ages since I last posted! So I thought I would make up for it by sharing some of my favorite holiday tips.

Decorating does not have to empty your pockets. Filling glass vases and jars with colorful items is one of the simplest, most economical ways to add touches of color in every room. Your local craft stores have very inexpensive glass vases to use for any holiday. Fill them with fresh cranberries, moss, flowers, candles, m&m's, flavored coffee beans, peppermints, candy canes, anything your heart desires. If you happen to have some old mason jars tucked in the back of your cupboards, they are the best! The vases can range from small and square to large glass hurricanes. Think out of the box. Use your inner creativity!

Here's another idea...fill your stockings, just for show, until Santa comes. Wrap empty boxes in pretty Christmas paper and finish them with bows. Stuff the bottom of the stockings with newspaper or tissue paper and you will only need two or three small boxes to fill in the top portion. Add a few sprigs of your tree and you're all done 'til the big guy comes to town on Christmas eve.

Ahhhh... Pottery Barn at Christmastime. Bring out the blankets and throws to cozy up that family room. Throw a few richly colored pillows around and you are set for holiday movies and hot cocoa. Years ago I created a pillow with sheet music for O Holy Night printed on fabric and stitched it to the pillow surrounded by satin rope trim. Try it with your favorite holiday song.

Garland of glass ornaments: Wire several different sizes of ornaments together and string them onto more wire to make a garland. Very easy and inexpensive. For wreaths and other garlands I like to wire together three ornaments and place several sets of three all the way down the garland or wreath tucking in berry sprigs and feathers to add fullness and other textures.

Hope you can find some inspiration around your home to simplify the decorating process so that you may enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Light all of your candles, wrap garland and ornaments into your chandeliers, make paper snowflake garland with your kids. Whatever you do have fun doing it, and make lots of memories.

Photos: Pottery Barn