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NYE Dinner

The Holidays have come and gone, but I wanted to share our NYE Dinner Table.

TNPLH: NYE Dinner 2017

I have always wanted Christmas plates, but never really found the right ones. And, I never wanted to spend that much on them since you only use them a couple times a year. Well you can imagine how over the moon I was I found a full set of vintage Spode at a local consignment shop for $125. Not too bad.

TNPLH: NYE Dinner 2017 2

As always I like to print mix with my tables. So I bought this toile in chartreuse and blue that I thought made the dishes rather updated and fun! Then I used some old West Elm napkins (from two years ago) to add additional prints!

TNPLH: NYE Dinner 2016 3

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How To: Make a Stocking

This year I decided I needed to get my first stockings, however after much shopping I was having a hard time finding any that I really liked – and lets be honest they are all really expensive! So I decided to make my own. First to get the fabric.

I ended up with black plaid and silver for the cuff. I had left over pink leopard from an upholstery project so I decided to use that for the inner lining. I am not the best sewer – I am still learning (and I don’t have my own sewing machine) so I enlisted the help of my sister Laura who is not only a great sewer but she has a machine!

After the fabric was all picked out I drew out a stencil on a brown paper bag and pinned it to the outer lining.

Sewing the inner lining pieces together!

Next was pinning and sewing the outer lining. After both pieces were cut and sewn we sewed just the top of the stockings together to avoid too much bulk.

Next we sewed the silver piece to create a cuff that could go over the whole stocking and sewn to the top. This part was a bit tricky so I enlisted Laura to work her magic.

The final touches were to sew the hanging loop on by hand. We sewed on a little button on the outside to add a fun little detail. Finally I painted some wood letters I got at Michaels and put some ribbon through to monogram them and viola – the stockings were all done! Aren’t they fun? I love the way they turned out and (with the help of Laura) turned out great. Thanks Laura! It was fun to learn a bit more about sewing too.

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Dressing up the Buffet with a bit of Holiday

I wanted to spruce up my buffet for the Holiday season so I went to a local garden/holiday gift shop and stocked up on some supplies. First I got some fun bows of pine and some wintery branches. I didn’t attach the branches in any special way – I just piled them up together to create a nice layered look, with the green bows on the bottom. This mixed with Pottery Barn like lanterns (but for half the price), and some Target stocking holders I am very happy with the way it turned out.

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Christmas Tree!

This weekend my boyfriend Chris and I went to get our Christmas tree. It has always been a family tradition of mine to go out and spend way too long finding the perfect tree and cutting it down. I love the fresh smell of the pine and the hunt is something I cherish. Since I have very tall ceilings in my loft style condo I wanted to take advantage and get as tall a tree as I could find. So we went out to search for the perfect tree – tall but not too fat. Since I haven’t had a tree THAT many years I have always used a couple tricks to help my tree look more full without spending a LOT on ornaments. For my first tree I went and bought some fake poinsettias in purple and in white. The poinsettias are fun since they are pretty and take up a good amount of space. Next I always wrap my tree in ribbon which helps to take up space and is simply lovely. Another trick is to go to a craft store and get some fun fake branches to stick in the tree. They are cheaper than lots of ornaments and take up more space! Happy Decorating!