WINNER!!!!!

We don't have to wait for Christmas after-all!! Thanks to a fantastic West Elm sale and my lucky look to make sure the light I loved didn't happen to be a part of it, our Christmas gift from my Mom came early and we'll all get to enjoy it over the holidays.  I asked for your votes and thoughts in this post, and Marta was spot-on with her comment:

"I pick number 3. It has a hint of rustic feel that would match the other light fixtures but feels modern and elegant at the same time."

One recurring theme and tool in any small space planning is to choose furniture and fixtures that the eye can see beyond.  Elevated furniture, glass tables, and open floors that aren't cluttered with rugs all help achieve this goal.  So, while light #2 in the inital post was probably my favorite on it's own, #3 is fantastic for our small space.  I also wanted something with a less defined shape as we move the dining table in and out depending on the number of guests.  The West Elm Staggered Chandelier does a great job of "moving" with the table and the open arms don't stop the eye.  I also like the soft diffused light these shades put out.

I'm hosting two holiday gatherings in the coming weeks and I'm so excited for the new light and mirror and how they pull this space together.  Thanks Mom!!



Finally, here is the dining space when we looked at the house.  It's amazing the big impact small differences can make.........

before

almost after

wrapping under a rock?

Though I've long LOVED wrapping Christmas gifts, I believe I've been doing it under a rock.  I have for several years now, used double-stick scrap-booking roller tape (when I'm at home and have it) to make seamless tape free closures.  Only yesterday did it dawn on me that the same tool could be used for perfect bow placement!!  With just a little "blip," if you will, here and ...here, you can set any ribbon or embellishment to stay wherever you like.  I used it yesterday for gross-grain ribbon, curling ribbon and raffia.  Just a friendly tip as the wrapping season begins in case you also have been under a rock all these years :).

The definition just gives the bow life, don't you think? 

 (thank goodness my mother doesn't read this blog)

HOMEGOODS History Lesson

If you are unfamiliar with TJ Maxx's sister, Homegoods, do yourself a favor and meet! I have long loved this store and love that famous designers and celebrities alike often sing it's praises.  More than once Homegoods has taught me an important history lesson, "if you do not buy this thing you like TODAY, it will be GONE tomorrow!"  My iPhoto library if full of pictures of things I snapped with my phone to think about or go home and measure for only to find they were gone-sometimes within hours.  So dear readers, repeat after me, "if I like it, I will buy it! I can always return it!"

Thankfully I learned this lesson some time ago, so I scored on an awesome mirror for the dining room last Friday.
A little back-story first though.  I've been lusting after this bad boy for several months........

this Pottery Barn beauty is $700 big ones, or was it $800?

Whether it was 7 or 8 hundred was no matter because I wasn't willing to pay that much.  I've got a kid to send to college afterall! There were a few DIY tutorials on-line but none were quite right and I discovered that to effectively copy would cost about $200 plus a lot of time.  So I sent an email to some fellow Homegood's goddess' to be on the lookout and went about my merry home-making business.

But last Friday during a quick stop because I was nearby, fate brought us together.......

My husband loved her too and said we could make room for her even if she didn't fit in her initially intended home.  (Those are big words in our Tiny Tudor!)  After a couple hours of brilliant engineering to move the thermostat, she was home.  (Have I mentioned I am blessed with a husband with a brilliant mechanical mind?  If he doesn't know how it works, he will soon enough)

 

I love her and she was less than half of the lowest possible DIY price. The thermostat had to be moved to the right hand side of the archway.  I'm VERY excited for how the new chandelier and paint will look with this mirror, but afraid we'll all have to wait for Christmas for that reveal.

 

I love how the light is reflected from the adjacent french doors and how the mirror helps define the dining space.

Here is a link to the newly-discovered Homegoods blog.  What are your favorite home-goods haunts?

Coat Closet (of sorts)

None of the 3 urban homes we tried to buy had coat closets!! Believe it or not! Talk about a modern home feature you take for granted.  I remember as a kid going to people's houses that lived near where we do now and the master bed always being the make-shift coat closet.  While we'd love to add one when we expand or have a space for a large wardrobe near the door, what we have now works remarkably well.  

There are 2 coat racks behind the door which still has full clearance to open.  The leather bench beneath the window opens to house our purses, helmets, diaper bag and hats, gloves, and scarves.  It also doubles as great seating.

Here you can see the lower rack for little people gear that is also a great learning tool.

Thanks to a basket divider, the bench stays pretty-well organized.