on the brink

As any true domestic goddess knows (and I've never claimed to be one :), a room and it's decor is never really "done."  There are always one or two little things you might have in the back of your mind that would really make a room perfect, but, as with life, home-making is a journey-not a destination.  That said, 3 rooms in our home are right on the brink of "done, " or as done as I expect them to be in the near or distant future.  While I've been tempted to share some of the smaller projects along the way, I'm glad I haven't.  Two of the rooms are so close I can taste it and some items on my birthday wish list and a little handy-work from my husband will complete them.
Sooooooo, to tide us over, and because I happened to get 3 WS (Williams-Sonoma) brand catalogs on the same day, I thought I'd share some new things I love from these crisp new catalogs on the brink of a fresh New Year.

 
Without giving too much away about our bedroom, I love these very dark blue printed sheets from West Elm and the big white euro squares with them.  I will definitely be taking advantage of the January white sales to finish our bed.



I love these Nomad shams in the slate and navy also from West Elm and in the euro square.

This is the side chair in our upstairs living room that I have never loved (my husband had it before me) but also don't strongly dislike.  I often daydream about replacing it though that is VERY far down on our list of priorities.  If I did, these would be two top contenders..........


the West Elm Sedgwick Recliner in licorice

or....... (drum-roll please)



"The softer side of mid-century style. The Everett Chair's low-slung profile and compact size make it a natural choice for smaller spaces, though it’s just as good at commanding attention in bigger ones, too. The simple silhouette gives it a relaxed, but still-sophisticated look." 
The perfect size. perfect color. I swoon.  At $499 it is reasonable but will only be coming to our home if West Elm decides no one on earth loves it as much as I do and puts it on mega-clearance.


Some other fun things from the new West Elm Market........










And from Williams-Sonoma:



This beautiful herringbone linen table runner in a warm gray that comes standard in 108"-perfect length!!

 
Oh how I covet this new handmade Cantine dinnerware! I said it in my last house and it bears repeating-it is a darn good thing I have a little kitchen!! I already have 2 sets of everyday dinnerware and two and half sets of nice china so this is the last thing I need but that gray and orange would look SO great with my new kitchen colors......ah, to dream!  At nearly $30 per dinner plate, this collection will likely remain just that-a dream :).



Finally, one fun thing from Pottery Barn...............

 
The newest catalog showed this inside though I instantly thought of it for our backyard.  When I looked on-line I saw that they also showed it outside.  It is a great inspiration for a recycle of an old buffet or something.  I will have to start hunting.

I wish the Happiest of New Years to all my dear readers and people stopping by!  My resolutions are not difficult and I hope will make me a better and more fulfilled person.  I will share the first when we reveal our master bedroom and the second in the fall when we have experienced all the seasons.  
Warm wishes that 2013 is your best year yet!!

outdoor decor

With a new home for the holidays we had blank slate for holiday decor.  We also had the new challenge of brick to hang everything from.  We are learning a lot with each project.  This one also required my husband to install an outlet in the roof of the porch as our nearly 90 year old home has no exterior outlets-yep, not one!!
We had a lot of fun decorating over Thanksgiving weekend during unseasonably warm temps.  I think next year we may take advantage of our fun roof line with some white lights but we were happy with our inaugural display.  Merry Christmas!

The smell of the fresh wreath greeting us and guests with each entrance has been magical.  I used the same Crate and Barrel pine cone ornaments the are in the pallet box and on the mantel to help tie the decor together.  Finding a wired gross-grain ribbon in the perfect cranberry color proved impossible so our bow is a relaxed one.

We needed more garland here than in our previous home and can't find a match so I tied the two together by borrowing decor from one and moving it and adding cranberries and pine cones to both.

antique ornaments

I was blessed recently with some antique glass tree ornaments.  In the midst of a tough day, these beauties on fresh snow made a world of difference.

These 3 are my favorites.....................

Holiday Hearth

Ok, so it's more of a holiday mantel as our 2" wood hearth hardly qualifies.  I've always been drawn to cranberry and silver in my holiday decor but was forced away from it by oak beyond my control for a couple of years in our last home.

This year it's back and better than ever, and nearly every piece of decor is from the Crate and Barrel after Christmas sale over the last ten years or so.
The stockings are from Pottery Barn and are still available in the same style.
This year the pine boughs were free at Lowe's but they are SO SO dry.  We have delayed getting our tree because of the dryness and the already sad state of my natural wreath and boughs.  I soaked them overnight in the tub in lukewarm water as this helps them get one last drink before drying out, but our arid climate, altitude and current drought are just too much.  I may end up modifying the mantel before the new year to relieve us of the dropping needles.

The pallet box makes it's Christmas debut.

Although it's no longer available at C&B, I did notice similar garland at Tarjay this year.

 

What are your favorite color combos in holiday decor?  And what's your "can't-miss" store for after-holiday decor bargains?