Merry Christmas!

I'm off to NC to spend Christmas with my family. I'll be back after the new year!

Inspiration on a Snowy Day

We've have about 13" of snow here today, and it's still snowing, folks. The Mister and I have decided to stay in and watch Christmas movies, bake cookies, and get the rest of our present wrapped. We love our cozy hobbit home, but this is where the fireplace I posted about a few days ago would be the cherry on top of our snowed-in day. One day....

I also wanted to direct your attention to this fabulous idea from Erika of Urban Grace. In a client's dining room, she has hung several glass lanterns of similar design across the ceiling. The lanterns will hang above a sideboard. I love this idea, and kudos to Erika who is such an amazing and talented designer. Take a look behind the scenes as to how she came up with this original idea!

(image via Urban Grace)

Ledbury

In light of Christmas shopping and what can sometimes be a daunting task for finding a gift for the guys in your life, I wanted to share a new line of men's shirts that recently launched, Ledbury. The brother of a friend of mine just launched this new company, which provides English quality tailored shirts for men here in the US.

The genesis for the company began while he was studying at Oxford, and upon his return to the states during school breaks, he realized the need for good, quality shirts for men in the US. I can attest to this because the Mister is long and lean, and most "slim fit" shirts here in the US are not a true "slim fit" (possibly because of the obesity rate in the US, but that is a post for another day!). You can read the rest of his story on their site, but I am thrilled to finally have a great, reliable resource for men's shirts! They are planning to open a brick and mortar store in the near future, but for now I invite you to peruse their beautiful website.

Washington Post - House Calls

I was excited to have the opportunity to participate in the Washington Post's weekly column, House Calls. I was given a challenge to find a solution for a local family that lives in a 2-bedroom condo and expecting their first child. They were wanting to use the second room as a guest room, nursery and office. It is a common issue in DC where homes are expensive and small, so you have to find a way to maximize your space. However, I love the the problem-solving element of interior design, so I was up for the challenge! You can check out before and after photos here.

If you are in need of interior design help, I would love to put our heads to together to figure out a custom solution!

Happy Weekend!

I'm headed to NYC this afternoon to spend the weekend with friends and take in all the Christmas sights. I'm also excited to have the fortunate opportunity to visit my friends Tracy and Zack and their new son, Miller, who made his debut this morning!

All I Want For Christmas...is a fireplace!

The Mister and I are currently house hunting, and we are trying to be wise and list our top priorities in what we would NEED for our first home...and well, I NEED a fireplace. If it were up to me (and there were no such things as limitations), I would have a fireplace in the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and backyard. All of them would also be lit from September to April!

In Latin, "hearth" means focus, and I'm not surprised. A fireplace creates a wonderful focal point in any room, and it encourages community, great conversation, good food, good wine - you get the picture.

I've pulled some of my favorite images of fireplaces just to prove what an asset they can be!

Custom Christmas Cards

I found this wonderful Etsy vendor that will create 20 custom cards in beautiful script, and all you have to do is send her 20 of your favorite quotes! Wouldn't these make beautiful Christmas cards?